Crafting untamed spirits

In the heart of the historic West Coast town of Reefton there’s a gutsy distillery applying a modern take on an age-old industry. A unique story lies behind this fledging business and already people can’t get enough of its pure botanical spirits.

Patsy Bass has completed a remarkable full circle. Born in Reefton (pop. 1000) on the West Coast in 1964, she grew up on the site of the original Monteith’s Brewery. 

Patsy’s dad was a coal miner, and following the 1968 Inangahua earthquake the family moved to Christchurch because her mum didn’t want her brothers working in the mines. 

“They were so homesick we came back every school holiday, long weekend, and often times in between, until I was 16,” she recalls. “So I still feel that I grew up here.”

Then 15 years ago Patsy and her husband bought a bach on the Coast and spent as much time there as work commitments allowed. Patsy’s skill sets are focused around corporate project and change management, which would serve her well later on with the distillery business. 

A couple of years ago, post-Canterbury quakes and spotting an opportunity to contribute to the revitalisation of the West Coast, they moved back permanently.

She invited a number of her professional network “best of breeds” to Reefton, covering tourism, hospitality and branding – to hold community forums and brainstorm business ideas.

The distillery idea quickly took root.

Patsy, ironically a non-drinker, explains how she always had a love affair with the West Coast’s notorious rainfall. “The heavier the rain, the more likely I’d be out walking or running in it,” she says.

“A distillery was perfect for me as water quality is key. I was determined to make the West Coast rain ‘sexy’. It’s that pure source that’s travelled thousands of kilometres across the southern oceans, untainted by dirty land mass, which is being dropped in a deluge into our bottles.”

With its high rainfall, spring water from pristine sources and dense, green rainforests filled with key botanical ingredients, Reefton had everything needed to set up a distillery, she says.

“It became clear that the very thing people from outside of the West Coast often saw as an undesirable feature of the landscape, would become our point of difference and the secret to our success.”

Once the business case was prepared, the challenge was to raise the additional funds needed above the founding shareholder investment. Luckily support for the distillery blew away all forecasts.

“We chose an equity share offer via Snowball Effect and raised $1.385 million from 221 investors,” says Patsy. 

Individual investors are made up of locals from the Reefton and West Coast community, wider New Zealand and Australia. Several larger investors are actively involved in supporting the business in an advisory capacity. 

Plans for leasing an initial building to house the distillery were scuppered largely by a change to the hazardous substances storage regulations – but John Bougen, a major shareholder, saved the day by offering a heritage building (a former general store) he owned on Smith Street. 

“Together with a team of able hands John transformed a previously tired and forlorn building into a beautiful and fitting home for our distillery,” says Patsy.

Opening day for the Reefton Distilling Company was October 17th, 2018, and it was far from the originally planned ‘soft launch’.

Reaction from locals and customers, as well as product sales, have far exceeded expectations. Several event companies have since approached management for information on capacity and hire costs, and the start-up hosted its first premium boutique travel provider familiarisation the same month it opened. 

Bookings for distillery tours and tastings already stretch out to November 2020.

“To be honest, not many businesses are coming to the West Coast looking to set up; until recently they were more likely to be pulling away,” says Patsy. “So our business has been really well received and supported in the community. People appreciate what we are trying to do for the town and are as keen as we are to see this succeed.”

Locals not only appreciate the jobs and awareness of Reefton, but also the fact that the brand is paying homage to local characters of old who helped make Reefton an entrepreneurial and prosperous place; a town that has played a significant part in New Zealand’s development as a nation. 

One such character was Bridget Goodwin, aka ‘Little Biddy’ – a pipe-smoking, gin-toting, four-foot-tall goldminer and the namesake behind the Little Biddy West Coast Botanical Dry Gin.  

Bold vision

Patsy has a full-on role as MD of Reefton Distilling Co. – working up to 20-hour days; handling the day-to-day running of the business, liaising with shareholders, developing an export strategy; watching over systems, sales and marketing, health and safety – even cleaning and labelling bottles. But she realises that this will change as the business grows.

She is ably assisted by Hokitika-based board chair and independent director Kevin Stratful, who brought with him more than 20 years’ experience in the brewing industry and wine and spirits sector. He is also regional economic development manager of the West Coast Regional Economic Development Agency.

The distillery, open seven days a week, has had its production capability severely tested by the high level of sales. The next test involves upscaling the business and producing a world-class whisky product to join their Little Biddy Gin range, Wild Rain Vodka and seasonal fruit liqueurs (whisky production was delayed by the switch of buildings).

“Early signs point to our business being every bit as successful as we dreamed it would be,” says Patsy. “And we’ve created a suite of products which we believe have international appeal.”

An export strategy is being developed with NZTE assistance, encouraged by the level of interest from various markets. Ireland is already on the radar, thanks largely to the connection with Little Biddy.

For Patsy, her life really has been a case of coming full circle. She has found the whole experience totally uplifting, and you can sense her pride in what has been accomplished so far.

“With both parents no longer alive, there is a real comfort being back here and at times I wish they could see what we’re doing for the town they loved so much.  

“I get a real thrill when a little old person pops into the distillery and tells me they knew my parents, and shares a tale or two.

“We hope that New Zealanders will continue backing us by buying our products; knowing that in doing so they are supporting employment in the region.”