Whanganui distiller awarded silver medals in London spirits competition

Adrian Rumney and Nikki Oesterle are delighted that their Papaiti Gin has been awarded two silver medals in the 2023 London Spirits Competition.

Whanganui gin distillers Adrian Rumney and Nikki Oesterle have nabbed two silver medals in an international spirits competition just six months after launching their business.

Papaiti Gin’s orchard and Whanganui dry varieties both scored highly in the three judging aspects of the London Spirits Competitions held in the English capital last month.

“We are the youngest distillery in New Zealand so we are absolutely thrilled,” Oesterle said.

“This gives us so much prestige in the world of distilling.”

Oesterle said the London Spirits Competition awards spirits for their drinkability.

While other competitions focus solely on technical competence and distilling prowess, the London Spirits Competitions evaluate all-around excellence in the way a spirit tastes, looks, and the value it provides, she said.

Spirits were judged on the basis of three primary criteria - quality, value, and packaging and then scored on a 100-point scale.

Those that scored 76 to 89 points were awarded silver medals.

“The extremely qualified judges, the chance to compete with thousands of excellent spirits from around the world, and the stringent judging criteria of quality, value, and packaging make an award from the London Spirits Competition a coveted one,” Rumney said.

“We are over the moon that both of the Papaiti Gin expressions we submitted performed so well at the competition. These silver medals are a fantastic reflection of the hard work that Nikki and I have put into our small and still very new distillery.”

Papaiti Gin's Orchard and Whanganui Dry varieties each won a silver medal. Photo / Bevan Conley

The couple was inspired to start their business when they purchased a house in rural Papaiti beside the Whanganui River in May 2021.

The house came with two sizeable pear orchards and friends were asking what they would do with all the fruit.

Papaiti Gin is flavoured with pears and other locally sourced botanicals including kawakawa, lemon, lime, figs, quince, and rosemary as well as the traditional juniper berries which are the only imported ingredients as there are no commercial growers in New Zealand.

They opened their distillery, which is Whanganui’s first, at Ūpokongaro in October 2022.

It has since grown to include a cellar door that is open for free tastings and tours every Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 3pm.

“We are so grateful to Whanganui for all the support we’ve had and we’ve established some wonderful partnerships,” said Oesterle.

“And we look forward to making a lot more of those and welcoming more visitors.”

The London Spirits Competition has been running for six years and the judging panel is made up of international industry experts who assess entries for quality, price and packaging.