International awards and new bar for Christchurch spirit makers
It started with four mates sitting around having a drink, bouncing ideas off one another.
The Spirits Workshop brands Curiosity Gin and Divergence Whisky are the joint brain-children of four former dairy industry workers, Rod Quinn, Bernard May, Sam Toucek and Antony Michalik.
The quartet quit their various management roles at Westland Milk Products in 2016 and took a leap of faith by buying a whisky distillery, with the hope of running their own consumer-led business where they saw a potential gap in the market.
Early gin-making success has allowed both brands to expand, particularly in the past year, with the opening of the Curiosity Gin cocktail bar in Christchurch’s most popular hospitality space, Riverside Market, in November.
The bar offers specially-infused cocktails with five varieties of gin and three kinds of whisky, with various tasting notes and flight cards.
Are you a fan of whisky or gin?
Read more by clicking the link below.
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.8% Yes
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33.5% Maybe?
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24.7% No
Book Cellar Christmas Opening hours
Merry Christmas from The Book Cellar!
The summer break is the perfect time to relax with a book or two (or three or four…). And, of course, books make excellent gifts. There is still time to come in and find the perfect read for you or someone else.
We are open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week as usual, then our Christmas hours are:
Monday 22nd December, 10am – 3pm
Wednesday 24th December, 10am – 12noon
Friday 26th December (Boxing Day), 10am – 1pm (last day for the year).
We will reopen with our usual hours on Thursday 8th January 2026
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