As Native
as the Kiwi

We started life as Akaroa Craft Distillery, foraging kelp from Wainui, lavender from Little River and wild thyme from the Peninsula to build gins that tasted unmistakably of this coastline. Somewhere along the way, we became Hector's Spirits; a new name, a new bottle, a sharper story. But if you're wondering whether anything beneath the label actually changed, the answer is no.

Named for a Reason

Hector's Gin was never just a nod to the sea. It was named for the Hector's dolphin, one of the rarest marine dolphins in the world, found nowhere else on Earth but the waters around New Zealand. They're a taonga species, and a critically important one to protect. Our naming decision came with a responsibility attached, not just a nice story for the back label.

What Our Support Looks Like

Since the early Akaroa Craft Distillery days, we've partnered with the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust — a research-driven organisation dedicated to the conservation of New Zealand's whales and dolphins, from population surveys to studies on reproduction, survival and human impact.

Our part in that work has been simple and ongoing since 2023: a portion of proceeds from Hector's Gin sales goes directly toward the Trust's continuing research and protection efforts for the Hector's dolphin. It's not a one-off campaign or a launch-week gesture — it's been part of how we operate since the very first bottle left Banks Peninsula.

The Name Changed. The Commitment Didn't.

Becoming Hector's Spirits gave us a clearer identity and a bolder bottle, but the ethos underneath is exactly the one we started with — coastal, native, and accountable to the place and the species we're named after. Our move from Akaroa and our rebrand gave us a stronger platform to keep telling this story, and keep the support going.

You can read more about the thinking behind Hector's Gin and its connection to marine life in this piece from The Press: Hector's gin gives back to the marine life that inspired its name.

As Native as the Kiwi. Crafted by the Sea. Same dolphin, same waters, same commitment — whatever the label says.

For wholesale queries, please head over to www.beveragebrothers.co.nz