The New Zealand Whisky Company has raised more than $780,000 from crowdfunder Pledge Me as it looks to expand operations in Otago.
The company was looking for a minimum $500,000 through to $2 million and, over several weeks, 312 people pledged $780,030.
The New Zealand Whisky Company initially bought 443 barrels of whisky, which originally came from Dunedin's former Wilsons distillery, and had 103 left, but with a production partner had 100 new barrels in storage.
Founder of the New Zealand Whisky Collection Greg Ramsay said the company was looking forward to 2019, when it would commission its own distillery with two copper stills recently arrived in Dunedin from China, and move to a new Oamaru building.
The company recently signed a lease to move its Oamaru barrel storage and bottling to the Northern Hotel. The company will source its key ``wash'' ingredient, the sweet beer and base of all whisky distilling, from Speight's Brewery in Dunedin.