Crafting exceptional liquor from the best of New Zealand, ensuring every sip is an experience to savour.
The Alchemy of New Zealand
Sip into the world of ZOA, proud trophy winner of New Zealand’s Best Overall Vodka and multiple international awards, for the smoothest vodka you’ll ever taste. Born amidst the pristine beauty of Taranaki, each drop is a testament to the extraordinary. A seamless fusion of the purest mountain spring water and the finest natural ingredients, distilled to perfection.
Crafted in a process that has taken thirty years to master, our journey began by scouring the farthest corners of our country to source the very best water as the purest base for our spirit. This exquisite mineral spring water began life 10,000 years ago as rainfall from the wild Southern Ocean, falling as snow on the summit of Mt Taranaki, before seeping a journey of millennia through volcanic rock to emerge enriched with the perfect balance of minerals. The perfect base for the perfect vodka. Then after multiple distillations and careful filtering to retain the magic of our mineral water emerges the most neutral, smooth spirit. With a silky, creamy smooth mouthfeel, a gentle alcohol warmth, and subtle notes of fresh citrus.
To complement this Pure Vodka, we’ve masterfully captured the iconic flavours of our land, infusing gorgeous fruits such as Feijoa and Kiwifruit to create a range of vodkas that capture our very soul, and adding a new dimension to your favourite cocktails.
What makes us tick
The Vision
To capture the very soul of New Zealand in a glass. We want the world to enjoy the finest taste of our country and say, ZOA is New Zealand.
The Mission
To create exceptional liquor using only the purest natural ingredients.
The Dream
ZOA Vodka is not just a distiller or brand; it’s a vision for a future where we can all raise our glasses and say, “Cheers to the best of New Zealand.”
Our Story
The ZOA story began 30 years ago. Our small country was coming of age and being discovered by the world for its pristine beauty, our unspoilt resources, and our ability to punch well above our weight. New Zealand had claimed the Americas Cup, the Rugby World Cup, and numerous Olympic Medals. Kiwis had won a Formula One World Championship, conquered Mt Everest and helped split the atom. Yet we didn’t have a national drink. A special something to celebrate our achievements, for New Zealanders to proudly call their own, and for the world to experience the very best of our country.
So, inspired by pioneer entrepreneurial kiwis like John Britten and Richard Pearse we decided to create a drink that would capture the kiwi spirit. We began by making wine from the remarkable feijoa, a superfruit as abundant in minerals as it is prolific in kiwi backyards. We spent the next 25 years, refining hundreds of batches and thousands of litres, shared with good friends, family and neighbours. Always tweaking and incrementally improving the gorgeous flavours. Our founding principle was only to use the very best water, the most luscious fresh fruit and pure ingredients. We began to experiment with distilling this wine, and we created the most beautiful feijoa liqueur. It was time to release this nectar into the wild, and we needed a name. We had distilled New Zealand Feijoa, and ZOA was born.
Several more liqueurs followed including a Manuka Honey, winning the Gold Medal at the World Spirits Championships at San Francisco. Our pedigree was confirmed and the liquor industry took notice. Around this time 42 Below withdrew their feijoa vodka from the market and our phone began to ring. Bars and liquor stores were looking for a replacement to satisfy this popular spirit, and our reputation for unwavering quality brought them calling. With our decades of experience, and our devotion to perfection we began to develop our vodka.
We soon had something that was quite extraordinary. In our first competition, we were awarded the trophy for Best Overall Vodka at the 2023 New Zealand Spirits Awards. These awards are open to international brands, and in being awarded this trophy we outscored vodkas including Grey Goose, Ciroc, Ketel One, Haku, and 42 Below. Then the prestigious Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Awards called. Hundreds of the worlds’ best spirits had been assessed, and ZOA had been judged third in the world. We had achieved our goal from all those years earlier, and our country, and the world, now has a very special drink to celebrate the very best occasions.
