The NZ Whisky Collection is about to make a Kiwi dream come true – owning a Whisky distillery, or at least a part of it – by becoming a shareholder.
From 1pm on Friday, 26 October 2018, The NZ Whisky Collection will be using PledgeMe to raise up to $2,000,000 to fit out a distillery and expand production in a new bonded warehouse. The funds will also be used to develop a Cellar Door Whisky Tasting Experience in Oamaru’s historic Victorian Precinct. Shares are $1 with a minimum $500 investment.
Announcing the crowdfund, The NZ Whisky Collection General Manager Grant Finn said he was ecstatic about the opportunity: “The team and I have been working on creating a sustainable business to take New Zealand’s place as one of the world’s great Whisky producing countries, and we’re confident Otago is the perfect place to do it.
“The stills are on the water, due to arrive in November 2018 and we plan to have our first production before Christmas. We’re looking forward to announcing our new distillery and location in the very near future once we have received final sign off on our premises,” he says.
“We’re excited about the future and want Whisky-loving Kiwis to join us. We have developed a PledgeMe offer which allows different levels of investment so as many people as possible can be part of the new company.”
There are three share packages. Each package offers shares, an invitation to the AGM and an exclusive Open Day. Non-voting investments from $500 – $2,999 come with a 10% VIP discount card and a complimentary duo tasting set. The second tier from $3,000 – $39,999 is also non-voting and comes with a 15% VIP discount and three duo tasting sets. Investments over $40,000 receive full voting rights, a 20% discount, five duo tasting sets, and the opportunity to have venue hire fees waived to host one event per year at the Distillery.
The NZ Whisky Collection was established in 2010 but its history and heritage date back much farther. Otago’s Scottish early settlers brought a love of Whisky and distilling to their new home. Distilling thrived in the province until it was shut down by the government in the 1870s. It was this heritage which the Baker family drew on when they started the Willowbank Distillery in Dunedin in 1969. In the 1980s the Baker family sold to Seagrams who later sold to Fosters, which eventually closed the distillery.
It is here The NZ Whisky Collection founder Greg Ramsay steps in…fresh from proposing and project managing his first whisky development, Tasmania’s Nant distillery. He heard the legend of the of 443 barrels (80,000 litres) of mature-aged NZ Whisky distilled at Willowbank. These barrels were just lying around waiting for Whisky aficionados to recognise their worth. After ‘evaluating’ the stock, Greg knew he was onto something special and immediately brought together a group of investors to purchase the lot and so The NZ Whisky Collection was born.
Fast forward to 2018 and The NZ Whisky Collection is maturing its aged casks, alongside its own new make whisky distilled with its production partners over the past four years. Both lie side by side in Oamaru’s harbourside Victorian Precinct, with the salty sea air and temperate climate providing the perfect conditions. The NZ Whisky Collection operates a Cellar Door from a tiny 35m2 space wowing locals and visitors alike with their unique collection of six NZ distilled whiskies.
THE NZ WHISKY COLLECTION CROWDFUND AT A GLANCE
- Minimum share purchase $500. Shares $1.
- PledgeMe crowdfund opens on Friday 26 October 2018
- PledgeMe crowdfund closes on Sunday 25 November 2018 – or earlier if fully subscribed
- Funds will allow commissioning of a new distillery and development of Oamaru’s former Northern Hotel site for a Whisky Bond Store and Cellar Door Tasting Experience
Grant Finn is inviting Otago locals who want to be part of the future of NZ whisky to meet the team and taste the product at special briefings in Queenstown, Tuesday 23 October; Dunedin, Wednesday 24 October and Oamaru, Thursday 25 October. Details on http://www.thenzwhisky.com/investment/