Black Collar Distillery is a Bay of Islands distillery founded in 2017 by Jonathan Mclean. Known for premium rum, gin and vodka, their award-winning small-batch spirits are crafted with natural ingredients and sustainable practices.
Black Collar Distillery was established in late 2017 with a clear vision: create premium, full-flavoured spirits true to Kiwi creativity. Founder Jonathan Mclean—whose distilling journey began overseas—returned to New Zealand to build the brand with a custom copper pot still affectionately named Frankie, hand-fabricated on site.
Located on Kerikeri’s outskirts, the distillery embraces traditional techniques and rigorous experimentation with ingredients and equipment. Their commitment to quality and sustainability is seen in a custom cooling system that eliminated all process water waste, as well as composting spent botanicals and recycling fermentation residues.
Early success came swiftly: less than six weeks after launch, their vodka earned a silver medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and later gold at IWSC in London, with gin and rum also picking up bronze awards. Today the distillery stands among New Zealand’s top independent producers, supplying bars and retailers nationwide and exporting internationally
