WAIHI BEACH – SMALL IN SIZE BUT BIG IN ADVENTURE AND LIFESTYLE

And so Wilderkin was born..

Jonathan Clare, head vodka baron always had a knack for creating and growing stuff.  A keen gardener and beer brewer, he also loved to experiment with different cocktails and flavours while living in the USA.  This led to a purchase of a bespoke still from Colorado which was unpacked and used for the first time in Waihi Beach.

The Wilderkin line-up

The Wilderkin Spirits vodka range consists of three products – standard vodka as well as a chilli and honey infused product.   Chilli’s are grown here at Waihi Beach and the honey sourced from Katikati.  Each bottle of vodka is hand-crafted and individually labelled to ensure quality production from start to finish.

Why Waihi Beach?

Claimed by both Bay of Plenty and Coromandel, Waihi Beach has it going on. A nature lovers paradise where bush meets beach – you can kick-off your day in the surf, head off hiking round the coast or jump on your bike and then easily be back mid-afternoon for a well-deserved cold bevvie on your deck or at the local pub.

People work on ‘Waihi Beach’ time around here and you just seem to slide into the vibe the minute you hit town.   The Wilderkin team are stoked to base their business at Waihi Beach, as it is the epitome of their new brand – relaxed, adventurous and very, very social.

“I genuinely find the whole distilling process fascinating,” says JC. “The steps you go through to create the perfect product are painstaking and it’s imperative you use only the cleanest ingredients – that’s why we only ever use local spring water and organic sugar.”

Meet the team

JC

Head vodka baron and creator of stuff.  He has a solid nose for spirits and can mix a mean cocktail (just not after 10pm when his measures get a little dangerous).

CINDY

A cosmopolitan devotee from her time in the USA. Cindy is always on hand to bravely taste JC & Nige’s concoctions

THE STILL PROS

This dynamic duo; not so sharp in front of the camera, are wizards in the distillery.  They have spent many an hour debating and taste testing to achieve the perfect drop.

NIGEL

Musician by night, distiller by day.  When Nige isn’t drumming up a storm he is scheming new and magical infused vodka and matching cocktails.