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Lammermoor Station
A Farm To Bottle Distillery
The Legend of Lammermoor
Lammermoor Station has distilling at its heart. As a landmark destination for gold miners, prospectors and other hardy souls during the 1860s, Lammermoor Range illegally distilled ‘moonshine’ for all those who travelled the Dunstan Trail. In the early 1900s the Elliot family began to farm the 15,000 acre station, which is nestled in the Central Otago region of New Zealand. Although the distillery was no longer functioning the land still held secrets of it’s past. John’s Grandfather had reminded his son of the Station's original still which he found shortly after his return from the war. He asked him if he remembered its location and while John’s father was sure that he did, on such a large station the hills and gullies can begin to look alike. The still remains lost to this day.
Reviving Lammermoor’s distilling history has never been far from John and Susie Elliot’s minds. Finally in 2016 they decided the time was right to bring the legend of Lammermoor Distillery back to life. The distillery began with John and his 'Kiwi no.8 wire’ attitude. From hand milling the Stations trees into planks to the design and construction of the building, the entire distillery was built by John (with the occasional help of family) with materials sourced from the land around it. By 2017, Lammermoor Distillery was alive again (this time fully legal!)
Lammermoor Distillery is the ultimate farm distillery. Crafting whisky from paddock to bottle, from grain to glass. They are one of the few distilleries to grow their own grain, malt, mash, ferment, distil and mature on site. The barley is grown on the Station, the peat is dug up from the ground, the Manuka harvested from the Maniototo, fresh spring water runs from the hills and the barrels are sourced from local Central Otago Vineyards. Even the spent grains from the distillery are recycled, feeding a herd of spoilt Berkshire heritage pigs!
"If someone tells John he can’t do something he says “oh wanna bet?” - Susie Elliot
John's ‘can do’ farmer’s attitude is reflected all throughout the distillery, particularly in how he sourced the equipment. After being told it would be too difficult to do their own malting on-site, John tracked down the owners of two Vallero Italian drums he had seen on the side of the road. Originally used for tanning lamb skins, they are now both repurposed to malt the home-grown barley in the distillery. A 140-year-old machine from Dunedin’s Bell Tea factory and a WWII Fighter Plane heater are among other recycled machines used to create the spirits.
Truly a family run operation, John, Susie and their children have been busy distilling since opening in 2017. They are creating a uniquely Kiwi range of different gin and single malt whisky expressions which include a Manuka smoked whisky and Otago peated single malts. To experience this unique distillery and taste the array of craft Gin and Whisky, book a distillery tour now.
