Karven Craft Distillers

The idea to create distinctively New Zealand spirits was born around a bonfire at the family farm in Riverhead. An old wooden derelict glasshouse was demolished during the day and set fire to. During the evening while sitting around the bonfire, a joke was made to turn the old glasshouse furnace into a still to make spirits.

The farm was once an old kiwifruit orchard, which has long been turned into pasture with some citrus trees a reminder of what it once was. It sits nestled along the borders of Rangitopuni Stream, located within the craft precinct that is Riverhead. The site has now been operating organically for a number of years with its own access to natural artesian water.

With our ideas in place, research was conducted to source a master distiller and organic botanicals of the highest quality. With that sorted, Karven set about experimenting with flavour combinations to arrive at a product that is truly New Zealand.

Additional Infos:
Interview (Restaurant & Café)