Rainwater falling on Stewart Island, Rakiura in Māori, is the only water used at Rakiura Distilling Co, which describes it as a sub-Antarctic shower of some of the world's freshest rainfall. Third Island Gin, the distillery's flagship, is bottled at 46.5% ABV in 70 cl, and at the New Zealand Small Batch Gin Awards in 2025 both it and its Navy Strength sibling took gold. Stewart Island is the third-largest island of New Zealand, lying south of the South Island; most of it is protected as Rakiura National Park, and its small community lives mainly around the village of Oban.

Citrus · Spicy · Herbal

The recipe combines hand-foraged mānuka, rimu and horopito with classic gin botanicals. Mānuka, the shrub best known for its honey, brings a resinous, tea-like note; rimu, a native conifer, adds a woody, piney depth; and horopito, the New Zealand pepper tree, gives a peppery heat. Together they connect the gin to the island's untouched forests. Rimu, once widely used for furniture and houses, is one of New Zealand's most familiar native trees.

The distillery describes a delicate mouthfeel, with juniper and citrus prominent at the start. Mānuka and rimu follow, evoking a sense of immersion in wild forest, and the finish brings horopito and spice, long and gently warming. At 46.5% ABV, the gin has plenty of presence, and a little cold water or ice reveals the full botanical profile, as the distillery suggests.

For a long drink, Rakiura recommends two to three parts light tonic or soda water to one part gin, garnished with fresh citrus. A strip of lemon peel works well, and it lets the native botanicals stay in front. Served simply over ice, the gin shows the progression from citrus to forest and spice even more clearly, making it a gin to sip slowly.