About Mt Fyffe Distillery
Mt Fyffe Distillery is a small gin distillery on a working sheep and beef farm on the slopes of Mt Fyffe, inland from Kaikōura. Justine Schroder, a former midwife, runs it on her own: she took a gin-making course in 2019, started on a 2.5-litre Portuguese copper still named Teddy, and now distills on a 40-litre copper alembic named Bruce. Botanicals come from the farm and the surrounding area, and her sons help with the foraging.
There are two signature gins, both bottled at 42%. Woolshed is a London dry style led by juniper, with elderflower, mint, kānuka flowers, coriander and angelica root. Shearwater is a coastal gin made with rosehip, blue borage and karengo seaweed gathered on the Kaikōura coast. Raspberry and wild blackberry heritage fruit liqueurs round out the range, and gins sell for $95 a bottle in 2026.
Visits are by appointment only, so contact the distillery before you drive out. Their website describes free tastings and tours on the family farm, where you can talk with the distiller about how each gin is made. For a bigger occasion there is a heli-gin experience: a 30-minute scenic helicopter flight with a local operator that lands on Mt Fyffe for a tasting with Justine and includes a bottle to take home. The business also holds a silver sustainability rating from New Zealand's national tourism quality scheme.
Lavendyl Lavender Farm is about 15 minutes' drive away on the Kaikōura plains, so a garden visit and a booked distillery tasting make a calm half day.
What to do
- Book a free tasting and farm tour with the distiller
- Taste Woolshed Gin, a juniper-led London dry with kānuka flowers
- Try Shearwater Gin, made with karengo seaweed from the Kaikōura coast
- Pick up raspberry or wild blackberry fruit liqueur
- Book the heli-gin flight that lands on Mt Fyffe for a tasting
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Visits by appointment year-round
- Hours
- By appointment only (2026)
- Admission
- Free tastings and tours, by appointment (2026)
Good to know
- Age
- 21 or older to taste or drink alcohol
- Reservations
- Required
Tips for your visit
- Arrange your visit ahead; there are no walk-in hours.
- It is a one-person business on a working farm, so give some notice.
- Heli-gin flights depend on weather and minimum passenger numbers.
- Plan a designated driver for the drive back to town.
Pair it with a lavender farm
Lavendyl Lavender Farm · about 15 minutes away
Lavendyl Lavender Farm is about 15 minutes away, so you can visit the lavender gardens and then head inland for a booked gin tasting.
Getting there
Questions
Can I just turn up at Mt Fyffe Distillery?
No. Visits are by appointment only.
What gins does Mt Fyffe make?
Woolshed, a London dry style, and Shearwater, a coastal gin with Kaikōura seaweed; both are 42%.
Who makes the gin?
Owner and distiller Justine Schroder, on her family's farm below Mt Fyffe.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Kaikōura, New Zealand
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
