Queenstown Gin Tours — Local services in South Island

We had a great day out with Queenstown Gin Tours, Sarah is a great guide and her commentary was excellent. As a distiller herself she was incredibly knowledgeable on the process and how to identify our favorite flavors and the botanicals used to create them.

The tour took us through some spectacular countryside and there were plenty of opportunities to take photos at the scenic stops. We really appreciated the extra info on the local area and it's history which was a added bonus.

Taking a tour with these guys definitely added a special element when visiting the distilleries. Sarah knew all the staff and they made us feel like VIP's when arriving on her tour. The tasting sessions were very generous and weren't limited to just Gin either (on our tour we also tried various other Vodkas, Sherry, Liqueurs and Whiskys). As Whisky lovers it was great to sample those as well and really special to see inside the the whisky barrel store at Cardrona which smelt amazing!

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and...

I had an incredible day out tasting gin and learning about its fascinating world. Our host, Sarah, was wonderful—her wealth of knowledge and extensive contacts made the experience truly memorable.

We kicked off our adventure at Rifters in Arrowtown, where Philip was absolutely brilliant, sharing insights and stories about the craft. Afterward, we journeyed over the Crown Range, stopping to take in the views of the Wakatipu Basin, which were simply stunning.

Next, we toured the Cardona Gin Distillery, where we enjoyed a delightful gin tasting that showcased their unique offerings. Our final stop was Buzz Stop, where we savored Broken Heart gin. Nick was a lovely host at buzz stop and kindly made us some treats.

I thoroughly enjoyed this solo trip, especially meeting fellow guests and engaging in lively conversations along the way. This experience was a perfect blend of education, stunning scenery, and, of course,...

I recently joined a group tour on my own and it was a great experience with detailed explanations of the distilling process.

As New Zealand is one of the few countries you can distill at home legally we were shown our guides own gin making equipment, which really brought the explanations on one of our tours to life. Not only that we got explanations of all the botanics, the story behind gin...and even a chance to taste our guides own botanics.

Our guide's passion for gin really came through which made it quite different from a run of the mill tour, and we were taken a couple of places you would probably only go to as a local with inside knowledge.

Although I joined solo, it wasn't an issue and our guide made me feel very welcome and introduced everyone so we all could feel part of a group without being over bearing about...