Our Story

1919 Distilling began in 2017 with a vision: to make a distinctive New Zealand Whiskey inspired by the Aotearoa’s Maritime history.

While sailing abroad, our Founder & CEO, Soren Crabb, noticed that there were fewer than a handful of New Zealand distillers with a focus on traditional methods. Inspired by the oceans and New Zealand’s rich maritime history, he sought to create something entirely new, and 1919 Distilling was born. While we respect the traditions of the past, we are proud to chart our own course to create bold, robust, and delicious New Zealand whisky and spirits.

A BRAVE NEW TRADITION

To produce our single malts, every step of the process was meticulously planned: yeast for flavour, not yield; water from the Waitakere Ranges; barrels selected for their untold stories, shipped fresh and full of flavour; right down to our Caribbean-inspired 1800L copper pot still that was hand-built onsite in East Tamaki.

These steps then come together to create something that honours the traditions and the past while also being distinctly New Zealand.

“Two cask samples follow. One from December 2021 has a little char note, some grass, hazelnut/vanilla and a mix of fruits and peanut brittle on the end. The second, from a month later, shares the vanilla notes but this time there’s a more vinous quality to the (still sweet) palate as will as greater spice, mint, green apples and, in maybe a hint of what’s to come, a tiny touch of red fruits. Again, it’s great distilling.

He looks around. ‘It’s where I am from.’ The sailor. Home from the sea.” Dave Broom - Whisky Write & Author 2023

Crafted BY A SENSE OF PLACE

New Zealand's location in the South Pacific is ideally suited for the production of single malt whisky. The South Island's warm, dry summers make it one of the world's best regions for growing barley, while the North Island's rugged, narrow landscape, wedged between the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean, creates the optimum conditions for maturation. The ever-changing pressures of roaring winds, tropical downpours, combined with hot, humid days, have a way of whispering to casks and creating exceptional New Zealand whisky.