Cardrona Distillery is nestled in the beautiful Cardrona Valley, in the Crown Range mountains of New Zealand. The very best equipment has been sourced from the four corners of the earth, to make great hand-crafted Single Malt Whisky, Gin, Vodka and limited edition Liqueurs.

Desiree Reid had a dream of making a New Zealand single malt whisky that would stand tall on the international stage and has spent over a decade building her dream from the ground up. Starting in 2011 Desiree spent two and a half years focused on research – her studies taking her to Scotland and through the United States many times, to garner the technical know-how and marketing insight to build Cardrona Distillery. In May 2013, Desiree sold her farming business to move to Wanaka, ultimately finding the Distillery site at Cardrona. 

A lengthy & determined journey ensued, to achieve permission to build a Distillery in an area of outstanding beauty in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Desiree’s tenacity and dedication over four years resulted in the Distillery being built in 2015 and on October 23, 2015, the spirit flowed for the first time. On November 5, 2015, the first cask was laid.

Establishing the Distillery in the remote Cardrona Valley, an Outstanding Natural Landscape known for its pristine environment and extreme seasonal temperature variations, was a strategic decision that has significantly shaped Cardrona’s spirits’ unique character. Cardrona Distillery spearheaded the revival of whisky production in New Zealand and Desiree’s pioneering efforts have played a key role in elevating New Zealand’s global reputation in the spirits industry.

Our Process