Kiwi distillery The Bond Store has teamed up with Friends of the Wellington Botanic Garden to develop a flora-infused gin and help raise funds for the organisation.
Said to be the first of its kind in New Zealand, it was inspired by a similar collaboration created for Kew Gardens in the UK.
Dubbed “Down the Garden Path,” the boutique gin is made with traditional botanicals, infused with native kawakawa and rosehips harvested from the Lady Norwood Rose Gardens. It also includes heritage roses that give the gin a distinct aroma that pays homage to the Rose Garden.
“Rosehip is difficult to work with – I have not used it before, so there was a lot of research and experimenting with different quantities, especially when the rosehips are all from different varieties,” said Bec Kay, chief distiller for Bond Store.
“It is a limited edition, but we hope that if it is successful, we will do a different gin every year.”
The Friends of the Botanic Garden (FOB) is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to support, protect, and improve the Royal Botanic Gardens, including Wellington’s, which they have worked with for more than 32 years. It also does fundraising campaigns and fosters public interest in the garden’s educational, scientific, and cultural work.
Mass Scannel, a board member of FOB, said that fundraising takes many forms, and this year, the organisation decided to branch out and add a special Friends gin to its repertoire.
“We worked with focus groups to refine the taste until we were sure we had a gin that was head and shoulders above the competition,” said Scannell.
The organisation said the label on the bottle holds a special meaning and incorporated the design of ceramic stepping stones as a salute to its past projects.
Down the Garden Path, flora-infused gin is available to order online at Bond’s. Proceeds from sales will support the Friends Interpretation Centre located in the soon-to-be renovated Begonia House.
