Every drop of The Cardrona Single Malt Whisky begins with three ingredients, pristine alpine water, malted barley and distiller’s yeast. Cardrona’s barley is grown on the rich fertile plains of the South Island of New Zealand. Malted to exact specifications, milled on-site at the distillery and combined with Cardrona mountain water in a custom built, semi-lauter mash tun. The wort is drawn into stainless steel washbacks, where yeast is added for a minimum 70-hour fermentation, fermenting the natural barley sugars into wash. 

To craft The Cardrona Single Malt Whisky, the wash is double-distilled in a pair of hand-hammered Forsyths copper pot stills, bespoke to Cardrona, and the rich, sweet spirit filled into traditionally seasoned ex-sherry, ex-pinot noir or ex-bourbon casks before being laid to slumber and mature.

Cardrona’s character is meticulously built in fine layers, similar to the building of a fine oil painting. Every quirk and nuance of the distillery process builds together to form its identifiable character. The Cardrona Single Malt Whisky is a showcase of maturation in an extreme environment. The Distillery is located in the remote Cardrona Valley where altitude, arid humidity and a 40°C seasonal swing in temperature makes its mark.

With limited annual production, small stills and a commitment to using only the best ingredients, The Cardrona Single Malt Whisky is one of the world’s most collectible drams.

Cardrona Distillery’s stillhouse is home to five stills: Roaring Meg and Gentle Annie are our handmade pair of Forsyths copper pot stills, built in Scotland bespoke for Cardrona. With 2,000 litre and 1,300 litre capacities, these small stills are integral to the production and character of The Cardrona Single Malt Whisky. 

JC1 and JC2 are our Jacob Carl Column Stills – the Rolls Royce of column distillation – responsible for producing Cardrona Distillery’s range of white spirits. 

Pretty Betty is our 600 litre copper gin still used to introduce a bespoke blend of local botanicals via vapour distillation to The Source Gin.

Experience the magic for yourself. You can visit the Distillery seven days a week for a tour, tasting, cocktail or meal in our award-winning restaurant. 

Visit