In the back blocks behind Earnscleugh Castle, amongst the schist and thyme, is a group of kindred friends who have created an award winning Gin and Vodka inspired by the land they call home.

Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp

What began as a way to gather and create something they could enjoy together has quickly gained award winning attention in its first year.

Impressively, not one of the eight involved in Prophecy Distillery come from a distilling background; they have created a lot from a little.

The idea for the distillery sparked in 2022 when Lexi White and Anna Ballantine visited the Four Pillars Gin Distillery in Australia. They returned home and began experimenting with a three-litre still in Anna’s kitchen, using foraged botanicals from the nearby Kopuwai Range.

‘There are four couples, a mix of siblings, friends and partners – farmers, teachers, a plumber, a quarry manager and a couple of business owners,’ explains Anna. ‘We’re completely self-taught and we’ve built the whole thing ourselves, calling in favours from all mates and mates who knew a guy who knew a guy. It’s been a real community effort.’

Guided by Prophet’s Rock on the horizon, the venture has been an opportunity for them all to take a breather from their busy lives, have a laugh and dream of what could be.

Their Finders Gin is a wild, layered expression of the Central Otago landscape, using native botanicals they hand-forage from the surrounding hills. Think earthy kānuka, speargrass root, sweet red clover, horopito and horehound. Their Omeo Vodka is made with pristine Omeo Gully water and a grain-based neutral spirit. It’s smooth and clean without any additives or gimmicks. Despite being a relatively new ‘side-hustle’, they won a Gold at the 2025 New Zealand Gin Competition and a Silver, Bronze & Best Emerging Product of the Year 2025 at the New Zealand Spirits Awards.