Clarity Distilling Company’s Clarity Navy Gin's recent win at the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition prompted a surge in international enquiries from consumers and distributors.
Co-founder George White said the result has created a potential pathway for the company to move from a small New Zealand craft producer into a multimillion-dollar export business.
“We have had enquiries go through the roof almost overnight. People in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia are contacting us directly to ask where they can buy the product, and we are having to explain that we are not exporting yet," said White.
"That tells us there is real demand if we can put the right distribution in place and a window to capitalise on this momentum if we can move quickly."
For a small New Zealand producer to be competing against some of the most established spirits brands in the world and come out with this level of recognition is a significant moment for us.
He added that one of the company’s key differences was its use of whey-based ethanol, produced from a natural by-product of grass-fed New Zealand dairy.
“Most gin globally is built on a grain or sugar-based spirit. We are starting from a very different raw material, and we think that is one of the reasons international judges are responding so strongly to the product.”
New Zealand has spent decades building a reputation around grass-fed dairy and clean food production. We are taking that same story into premium spirits.
The US market presents a major opportunity for Clarity because while spirits continue to command a large share of American alcohol sales, gin remains less developed as a premium category than whiskey, tequila and vodka.
The company’s distilling approach also differs from many commercial gin producers because it individually distils each botanical before blending the final spirit, allowing greater control over flavour, balance and consistency while remaining scalable if export orders are secured.
The win coincided with the signing of the New Zealand-India free trade agreement, with the company now in discussions with a major Indian retail chain as it looks to enter one of the world’s fastest-growing premium gin markets.
We are talking about a market where one city can be several times the size of New Zealand’s entire population.
Although the business has seen steady growth despite difficult trading conditions for premium discretionary products, White said that international markets are increasingly important because gin demand in New Zealand is seasonal.
He added that any significant export deal would have flow-on benefits for the Bay of Plenty, including the need to take on new staff for production and logistics.
“Right now we are operating at only about five percent of our capacity, so we are able to scale quickly if we can secure the right distribution agreement”.
Co-founder Stephanie Downer highlighted that the business has been built by hand from the start, including the product presentation and label artwork and that export growth would allow the company to move from a two-person founder-led operation into a larger regional manufacturing business.
The company’s domestic footprint has also grown, with its products now stocked through a range of online retailers, bars, restaurants and liquor stores across New Zealand.
“The challenge now is to leverage this international recognition and build Clarity into a New Zealand export success story that creates jobs, drives regional growth and takes Bay of Plenty craft spirits to the world,” added Downer.
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