For as long as we can remember, going on road trips with the family was every Kiwis rite of passage. The boot (and back seat) was jam packed, the tunes were on, and there was always a bag of lollies to keep the kids happy.

There’s something about the open road and the sense of not knowing what was at the end of it that draws Kiwis out into the wild religiously. What is it about cruising the highways and great backroads of Aotearoa that fills our cups to overflowing? It certainly isn’t one thing, but a combination of all that comes with it. The sharing of stories over a couple of beers in front of a crackling fire. The turn of a corner that greets you with an unexpected view. The follow your nose attitude that leads you to New Zealand’s hidden gems and friendly local faces. It’s the chase of uncertainty that makes us feel alive as humans, and road tripping for a few days can certainly make reality seem like a distant memory.

Although Swanndri and Reefton Distilling Co. craft quite different products, we’ve got a lot in common. Collaborating on a limited edition release of Little Biddy Gin seemed to come about quite naturally. After Swanndri came to visit the Reefton Distilling Co. during a photoshoot back in September 2020, both teams noticed the similarities in our values and approaches to bringing our respective products to life, and an idea was born. The result is a Limited Edition Little Biddy Gin bearing the iconic Swanndri red and black check – a well-loved pattern often favoured by Reefton Distilling Co. Ambassadors and Water Prospectors Nigel and Steffan MacKay.

Famous. Infamous. Curious. Haunted. Unmissable.

Lots of words have been used to describe Formerly The Blackball Hilton. They’re probably all a little bit true. All we can say is: it’s iconic.

Originally built in 1910, the hotel-pub-and-restaurant’s rise to prominence has paralleled that of the place it’s part of – Blackball. A mining town about 30kms inland from Greymouth, Blackball is famous for its rich and rebellious history, in which locals have regularly proven the power of collective action. It’s a beautiful place, full of wonderful people. And at the heart and soul of it all is Formerly The Blackball Hilton. A one-of-a-kind institution, it is a symbol of this place and the people who live here. It’s Blackball in a nutshell.