Southward Distilling is a small-batch Wellington distillery with a tasting room and cellar door at 35/70 Kingsford Smith Street, Rongotai — on the Lyall Bay side of the airport, a few minutes from Wellington Airport and around ten from the CBD. The business started in the back of a Wellington brewery and, after roughly five years making gin, moved into its own distillery and tasting room. Its range covers gin, vodka, tonics and mixers, with whisky the stated next step.
### The tasting room experience
The flagship activity is the Blend Your Own Gin (B.Y.O.G.) session, which runs approximately two hours and includes a guided tasting before each participant blends and takes home their own bottle — one bottle per person is included in the session price. The tasting room also serves flights, cocktails and snacks from a seasonal menu. Dietary requirements, including gluten-free and vegan options, are catered for when flagged in advance.
Tasting room hours are Thursday 2pm–8pm, Friday 2pm–9pm, Saturday 12pm–9pm and Sunday 2pm–7pm. Tables can be booked online or by email, and there is parking around the site including a marked space directly out front. The venue is dog friendly.
### Groups and private hire
The tasting room can be hired out for private events by arrangement with the venue. Southward also produces custom-label gin, which is a straightforward option for delegate gifts, speaker thank-yous or client gifting tied to a Wellington programme.
### Suitability for business events
This is a compact, hands-on activity that fits neatly into a Wellington itinerary: a two-hour blending session works as a team activity, an incentive reward or an add-on for delegates with a spare afternoon before a flight, given the airport is a short hop away. Capacity is not published, so group numbers and exclusive-use arrangements should be confirmed directly. Note the Thursday-to-Sunday opening pattern when scheduling around a midweek conference.
Details