The contents in a cold glass should be savoured. Having one superb drink is what Sara Bruce (founder of Exhibit A) believes makes alcohol much more special, such as enjoying every last ounce of one amazing martini. To the naked eye, Exhibit A may seem like another gin bottle on the shelves. To be told, it is far more, with a delightful sense of art, local community, craftsmanship, collaboration and love. “I love gin and always have. I wasn’t interested in having a traditional gin brand with a pretty label and making it all about the botanicals and selling as much gin as possible,” Sara says. The gin she has created has hints of citrus and green tea making for a simple yet classic taste in this vegan, locally made and handcrafted spirit. Sara never found herself yearning for a ‘distribution in every shop’ brand as, for her, Exhibit A is nothing to do with volumes of sales. “It’s more about creating something that’s beautiful – super-small and very boutique, since everything’s handmade. Exhibit A is more about purity of design, minimalism, purity of taste. I started with the bottle, with my love of ceramics. The gin was in the ceramic bottle to start with, then I reached out to Monmouth Glass Studio in Auckland. The gin makers are based out of Wellington and I worked with them to create a distinct gin that was sort of driven by the design of the bottle in a way.”

Cocktail and jewellery lovers rejoice. The two have been combined beautifully with Exhibit A’s collection, all based on the theme of cocktails. Built around the basis of working with local craftspeople and designers, a cocktail ring and earring are made in collaboration with architect Jeff Fearon.

What more can we expect from this exclusive, upmarket brand? “What I’m interested in is further collaborations with beautiful art-inspired products that have something to do with cocktails or entertaining. Something that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Something that’s made by local craftspeople. I think that’s quite important.”

What is known is that Exhibit A is the boutique, minimalistic art and design gin brand that we should be making space for on our bar carts and shelves. exhibitabrand.com MIA BENNETT