Queenstown’s first Gin Garden set to open

Multi-award-winning distillery Broken Heart Spirits is about to launch Queenstown’s first ever boutique gin tasting room.  

Located in Arthurs Point, and opening July 31, the Gin Garden will be centered around 12 award-winning, locally distilled Broken Heartspirits, a brand-new Oktoberfest-inspired lager and divine locally sourced, seasonal foods.

Broken Heart Spirits owner Joerg Henkenhaf (pictured below) hails from Germany but has lived in New Zealand for 20 years. He developed the concept for the Gin Garden with the aim of delivering a stunning location in which to showcase his range of spirits in a venue with a unique European flavour. 

“It’s been a dream of mine for many years to serve our products in one beautiful, cohesive space, and have a dedicated tasting room for the first time in Broken Heart’s history,” says Joerg. 

“The Gin Garden will be our new home, where we’ll share our story and passion, to bring a new level of understanding to what we do and why we do it.”

The Gin Garden will offer a relaxed, boutique vibe fitting for gin-lovers, local residents and all those visiting the district. For those looking for a tasteful outing whatever the time of day or time of year, it’s a few minutes’ drive from central Queenstown and less than a minute’s drive from the base of the Coronet Peak access road. 

An exclusive tasting room, suitable for up to eight guests, can be pre-booked by groups for a hosted tasting delving into the intriguing backstory and inner world of Broken Heart Spirits. Knowledgeable staff will talk about how locally sourced Otago botanicals and pure water from Paradise, in the heart of the Southern Alps, form the backbone of its spirits.

Delicious cocktails highlighting Broken Heart’s spirits range — from gin, vodka and rum to whisky and liqueurs — will be handcrafted by talented mixologists based on guests’ personal preferences. Locally-sourced ingredients and cocktails change with the season. 

Opening menu cocktails include a Barrel Aged Negroni, Quince Sour, Red Snapper and what promises to be a top-notch gin and tonic. Broken Heart Oktoberfest Beer, also brewed and canned locally, has just launched onto the market. 

General Manager Megan Agras is at the helm of the Gin Garden, with 10 years’ experience in the hospitality industry under her belt.  Hailing from Colorado, USA, Megan has called New Zealand home since 2019 and can’t wait for the Gin Garden to launch. 

“Broken Heart Spirits is such an incredible brand with truly unique and beautiful products,” she says. “I’m excited to share more of it with the Queenstown community and beyond, through our Gin Garden.”

The refined food menu on offer, produced with locally sourced delicacies, will have a distinct European influence featuring classics such as a French Tarte Flambée (also known as a German Flammkuchen), squid pickled in gin spices, a BBQ roasted beef brisket and a decadent Broken Heart Rum Baba to finish. Food will be prepared to perfection by restaurant industry stalwart Glynnie Barry and her team at Delicious Cooking.

The Gin Garden has an on and off-licence, so visitors can buy spirits, beer, wine and bubbles on site to take home. The Gin Garden officially opens to the public on July 31, located at 1 Powder Terrace, Arthurs Point, Queenstown.

The story behind Broken Heart Spirits 

Authenticity and simplicity are at the heart of the outstanding spirits created by Joerg Henkenhaf. In his family back in Germany, making wine, cider and schnapps was part of everyday life and recipes were passed through the generations. 

The story of Broken Heart is one OF a broken heart, when Joerg’s good friend Bernd Schnabel, with whom he’d spent three years working on a gin recipe, died two weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. 

With a heavy heart, Joerg decided to share this superb gin with the world and call it Broken Heart in his memory. 

At the start, Joerg’s original dream was to see one of his bottles in a bar in Auckland. Today, his gin and other spirits are sold in 18 countries, and in 2021 to date have won 19 international and national awards.  

For further information click here