Great grandsons from both sides of Southland's illicit whisky distilling past came together yesterday (30th Nov) to unveil Hokonui Moonshine museums new distillery wing.

In what Gore's district arts and Heritage curator Jim Geddes described as a "historic moment", Hon. Stuart Nash (great grandson of 1930's Customs and Excise minister Walter Nash) and Bill Stuart (great grandson of Hokonui matriarch Mary McRae) jointly cut the ribbon on Eastern Southland's newest (and legal) whisky distillery.

Geddes said the Hokonui Moonshine Museum Trust was delighted that after several years of off-site contract production of ‘Old Hokonui’, it was now in a position to produce Southland’s celebrated spirit on-site and in full view of the public.

“A fully operational distillery wing had been a project aspiration since the early 1990s, but licensing, availability of distilling technology suitable for a public space, and project capital had always proved elusive.”

The distillery wing promises to bring the once secretive art of making moonshine into public view.

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The wing is fully glazed on the inside so that visitors will see the process in action. Visitors can buy the spirit from the Gore Visitor Centre, which is front-of-house for the moonshine museum.

In keeping with the theme of the wider precinct, the still itself is very much a work of art, Geddes said.

Designed by contract distiller Steve Nally of Invercargill, the still has been fabricated by Rivet of New Plymouth, a company made famous by its work on Taranaki’s Len Lye Centre.

The still also utilizes fittings crafted by Southland glass artist Phil Newbury and features a complex computerized operations system, which digitally introduces viewers to the various phases of the distillation cycle.

CaveFM owner/DJ Robert McKenzie and Gore Tourism/Visitor Centre senior consultant Renatta Hardy. Photo: GDC

As for the finished product, Geddes said the museum was fortunate to have a recipe handed down from a McRae family member.

“Over the years, our contract distiller has worked with and refined aspects of the original McRae process.

The new distillery will continue this process, utilizing Southland ingredients.

“Locally grown barley will be processed and put through the still with spring water sourced from the Hokonui Hills. Other local flavouring agents, including honey and native flora, will give the resulting spirit a unique taste.”

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The barley variety ‘Laureate’, has also led to a unique partnership between the Trust, Eastern Southland Gallery, New Zealand Poet Laureates, and Arts Foundation of New Zealand Visual Art Laureates.

Prominent artists and writers will be hosted at the East Gore Art Centre (the Gallery’s print studio) to design, print, compose, and hand-edition labels, packaging, and point-of-sale material for themed spirit runs.

Wellington-based poet Jenny Bornholdt and artist Gregory O’Brien are the first laureates to be engaged.

The distillery wing along with a refresh of the moonshine museum represents stage one of the Maruawai Cultural Precinct project.

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Geddes said there was a sense of satisfaction at reaching this milestone.

However, it was tempered with a degree of frustration that Covid-related cost escalations for the wider building project had significantly eaten into the moonshine museum’s display and fit-out budget.

“While we are thrilled to see the distillery wing complete, the Trust is conscious more fundraising is required to complete the full visitor experience, both inside and outside the museum.

“Consequently, an official opening for the whole facility is a little way off,” he said.

Yesterday's St Andrews Day event also featured the launch of the reprint of the 1982 McRae history - The Satyrs of Southland.