A once only invitation…
The Original Fifty
Founding membership — 50 spots at $350 · Future members pay $450
Our story
Two families. Two orchards of ideas.
One distillery in the heart of Whanganui.
Nikki and Adrian settled into their forever home in Papaiti, on the outskirts of the city. A neglected pear orchard on their property set something in motion — an obsession with botanicals, with place, with the slow alchemy of distilling. Papaiti Gin was born from that land.
Vaughan and Emma found their own raw material closer to the kitchen. Good Bones Distilling takes surplus baked goods — the bread, the pastry, the things others discard — and ferments, then distils them into vodka and liqueurs of genuine character. Arguably the most locally made spirit in this town.
Four weeks ago, we opened The Distillery Whanganui together — a working distillery, a cellar door, and a bar where both brands sit side by side. We are still finding our rhythm. And we would not have it any other way.
For 50 people, we are offering something that only exists right now.
01
Papaiti Gin
Nikki & Adrian
Botanicals sourced from a pear orchard in Papaiti. A gin with genuine roots in the land just beyond the city's edge.
02
Good Bones Distilling
Vaughan & Emma
Vodka and liqueurs made from surplus baked goods. Whanganui's most local spirit, made from ingredients this town would otherwise waste.
The anchor of your membership
The Distiller's Table
Every last Wednesday of the month, the distillery is yours. New developments from the still. New cocktails before they hit the menu. An honest look at the production process from the people behind both brands — followed by an open Q&A. This is not a public event. It is never ticketed to the public. It exists for members only.
MONTHLY
Last Wednesday
BOTH
Brands present
TWENTY
Seats only
MEMBERS
Only, always
What your membership includes:
01
The Distiller's Table — every month
Your standing invitation to our members-only evening, last Wednesday of every month. New releases, new cocktails, production insights, and a Q&A with the makers. Capped at 20 people. Bookings open to members two weeks in advance — first in, first seated.
12 evenings per year
02
Priority access to all distillery events
Every ticketed event we run — Winter Sessions, masterclasses, special release nights — opens to members 48 hours before the public. Your spot is secured before anyone outside this group knows the event exists.
First access, always
03
Priority access to new releases — both brands
When Papaiti releases a new botanical expression, or Good Bones distils a new liqueur or limited vodka, you hear first and purchase first. Limited batches, seasonal releases, collaborations between the brands — members are always at the front of the queue.
Papaiti Gin & Good Bones
04
20% off all bottles, all year
Every bottle from both Papaiti Gin and Good Bones Distilling, purchased in the cellar door, at 20% off retail for the full twelve months of your membership. Shown on your member card at point of purchase.
Papaiti Gin & Good Bones · All expressions
05
10% off at the bar, every visit
On cocktails, spirit serves, and the full bar menu — every time you visit, for the life of your membership. Present your member card. No minimum spend, no exceptions.
Every visit
06
One guest pass to the Distiller's Table
Once per year, bring someone who should know about this place. One guest, one evening, no charge. Because the best way to grow something good is to show it to the right people.
One per year
07
Your numbered founding member card
A physical card, numbered between #1 and #50, bearing the marks of both Papaiti Gin and Good Bones Distilling under The Distillery Whanganui. Yours to keep regardless of renewal. You were here first — that does not expire.
Collectible · Permanent
The founding rate — locked in
This price is available to the first 50 members only. When founding spots are gone, membership will be offered at $350 $450 per year. Your founding rate of $350 is locked in for as long as you renew — it never increases.
Founding membership — 50 spots only
$350
Founding member rate · Per year
That's $29 a month.
For twelve monthly Distiller's Table evenings, 20% off every bottle from both brands, priority access to every event and new release, bar discounts on every visit, and a numbered card that says you were among the first 50 people to believe in this place.
Payment processed securely. Membership runs 12 months from date of purchase.
Member card posted to you within two weeks of joining.
A few things worth knowing:
50 spots. That's it.
We will not add more founding members. When the 50 spots are gone, future memberships will be offered at $450 per year. Your founding rate of $350 is locked in for as long as you renew — it never goes up. You were here first. That has a price.
Both brands, always.
This is not a gin club. The membership belongs to The Distillery Whanganui — which means Papaiti and Good Bones equally. Every evening, every discount, every new release notification covers both.
The Distiller's Table is capped at 20.
Booking opens two weeks before each event. Members who miss out one month are given priority the following month. The limit exists because a room of 20 people has a conversation. A room of 50 has a presentation.
We're four weeks old.
We will not pretend otherwise. We are still learning, still growing, still finding out what this place wants to be. If you join now, you are part of that — not a customer, but a witness to something being built from the ground up.
FAQs
Why is the Distiller’s Table capped at 20 and how does that work for 50 members?
The 20-person cap is deliberate and we're keeping it. Here's the honest reasoning: the distillery space works best at that size. Twenty people around the table feels like a conversation with the makers. Thirty feels like a presentation to an audience. The intimacy is the whole point of the evening — and we'd rather protect that than squeeze in more seats.
But here's what that means in practice for 50 members:
Life gets in the way. In our experience running events, a cap of 50 members for a 20-seat monthly event means most months have seats available — people travel, get sick, have family commitments. We don't expect every member to want every month either; some will come religiously, others will cherry-pick the evenings that interest them most.
For the months where demand does exceed 20 seats, booking opens two weeks in advance on a first-come basis — and anyone who misses out gets priority the following month. So nobody gets locked out for long.
And if demand is consistently outstripping supply — which we'd love — we'll look at adding a second sitting on the same evening. Same night, same experience, just two groups. That keeps the intimacy intact while giving more members access.