The Juniper Collective

The Juniper Collective on Cashel Street is a beacon for Aotearoa gin.  This age-old spirit has completely exploded in recent years, and New Zealand is, naturally, at the fore. Yes, gin is more popular than ever and has become a mainstay in people’s drinks cabinets (we can thank lock-tails for that), so the opening of a dedicated boutique in Christchurch has received a rapturous welcome.

Like all great business ideas, owner Ashleigh Schuyl, spied a gap whilst supping a G&T during the lockdown in August 2021. There was no dedicated space to go and sample gins, and so the former teacher didn’t mess around and opened in November 2021. Ashleigh wanted a space where she could host private tastings (you can book these for up to 20 people) as well as showcase a large selection of New Zealand gin distilleries. She has succeeded. 

The Juniper Collective is beautifully curated and has a minimalist aesthetic; deliberately stepping away from the traditional crammed shelves of liquor stores. With various interpretations of bottle shape and size as well as colourful packaging, there is nothing conventional about shopping for gin. The shelves are also styled to perfection allowing each gin to shine.  In fact, you can easily traverse the distilleries from one end of New Zealand to the other by simply following the shelves - starting in Queenstown and working your way up to the tip of the North Island, capped off with a small offering of international gins.  

The range of gins is impressive; at any given time there are over 200 different types of gins available. Whether you’re a die-hard London Dry drinker, New Plymouth or Old Tom fan or just want to experiment with a new variety, The Juniper Collective will be more than happy to help you choose. They always have a selection of their bestsellers open to sample, including recent winner at the World Gin Awards, Awildian, who are based in Thames, Coromandel. Fever Tree tonics are available too. 

Looking to find another gin boutique? Chances are you won’t. The Juniper Collective is the only store of its kind in New Zealand. There’s certainly something Neat about that.