Hector's gin is made by Akaroa Craft Distillery in Akaroa, on Banks Peninsula, and it is named after the Hector's dolphins that live in the harbour out front. It was the distillery's first gin, released in 2022 as Hector's Long Harbour Ocean Wash, around the time its Tasting House opened on Rue Lavaud.
The gin is built on a classic London dry base and distilled in small batches. The botanicals are what tie it to the place: sea kelp from Wainui, mānuka and thyme foraged around the peninsula, plus lemon myrtle, orange and lavender. The result is juniper-led with bright citrus on top and a faint salty, mineral edge on the finish, which suits the coastal name. A portion of the sales from each bottle goes to the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust, which works to protect the dolphins.
The bottle is a reusable one made for the brand, so it is often bought as a gift. For drinking, a gin and tonic with a twist of orange or grapefruit lets the kelp and thyme show. It also works in a dry martini, where the briny note does the job of an olive.
Citrus
Herbal
