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A new gin made in Matakana has picked up a silver medal in NZ’s biggest international spirits competition just three months after it was launched.
Distiller Richard Robson said he only entered his Omaha London Dry Gin in the 2026 NZ Spirits Awards to get some industry feedback and see if he was on the right track with his recipe.
“It was a complete surprise to get a medal at all on our first time out, let alone a silver,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to be sitting in some pretty special company with top NZ and global spirits producers.”
Robson has been winemaker at Matakana Estate for nearly 20 years, but decided two years ago to study distillation and make his own gin as a solo project, together with his wife, former Mahurangi Matters journalist Sally Marden. In a saturated gin market, he said they were keen to create something classic, premium and gimmick-free.
“Omaha is a real gin lover’s gin – there are no weird flavours, wacky labels or bizarre botanicals,” he said. “Just juniper, spices and plenty of locally grown citrus.”
Judges at the 2026 NZ Spirits Awards seemed to agree, saying Omaha Gin was clean, characterful and balanced.
