Gore – home of Hokonui Moonshine

Total Nights and Distance Travelled on Tour to Date = 41 Nights & 1960 Kms

Hokonui Moonshine, also known as Hokonui Hooch, has been synonymous with this part of Southland since the 1800s.  I was looking forward to visiting the Hokonui Moonshine Museum in Gore, and I wasn’t disappointed one iota.  

The drunkenness of early whalers and sealers and some settlers came head to head with the temperance group who had no tolerance with “demon drink”. The passing of prohibition in this area led to 15 hotels being closed down, which lasted for 51 years.

Hotels closed due to prohibition

Into this mix comes the Highland Scot family of McRaes, emigrants who brought out their stills, equipment and whisky making expertise to the Hokonui area of Southland, in the new colony of New Zealand. 

  Illicit whisky still in the bush

Bottling the product

Our visit started with a film in the small theatre starting with the story of Scotland and the McRaes and how they came to move to New Zealand.  The museum presents both sides of the story, with the McRaes out to make a living, and thundering sermons from the pulpit.

Sign the pledge to stop the demon drink

Moonshiners get caught, arrested, and sent to trial, while the whiskey just keeps fermenting on in even more hidden stills tucked away in the hills.  The displays moved us on past the whisky stills, through the church and the prohibition meetings, and finally into licensed premises. 

Some consider whisky as aquavite – the water of life.  Known as the shortened “usque” or “uiskie“ in Gaelic, the name changed to whisky by the 17th century, which described the malt distillation of the Scottish Highland stills.  

This is an outstanding museum, both informative and entertaining, reasonably priced with a discount for seniors.  To complete our visit as we exited the display area, we were offered a “wee dram” of the very best Hokonui Moonshine.  Yes, it’s still produced and bottled to this day, although it is all quite legal now.  If it is to your taste, you can buy a bottle to take home with you, or perhaps some of those whisky flavoured chocolates.

Romany Rambler: Travelled 22,152Km; 386 Total Nights