There's a reason that the holiday season is often referred to as the silly season; many of us take a drink or two in the sun while enjoying the festivities go on. Our region has many wineries, breweries and alcohol producers so why not consider buying one of the great local options available as a Christmas offering?

Matakana Moonshine is a producer of a pristine, pure, natural New Zealand range of spirits. They make whiskey, gin and vodka and won silver and bronze at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for their Vodka and Gin. You can pick up a bottle for all your Christmas cocktails at most of the local liquor retailers.

Puhoi Organic Distillery is a family business run by Alex Kirichuk, his wife Iryna and their daughter Victoria. https://puhoinz.com/puhoi-organic-distillery/ The distillery produces all kinds of spirits in incredibly interesting flavours, from ginseng gin, sauvignon blanc vodka and mānuka honey whiskey to Bohemian quince schnapps, absinthe, the Eastern European rye spirit starka, and horilka, Ukrainian vodka made with mānuka honey and chilli. Their facilities are the only zero emission solar powered New Zealand distillery. Could drinking their tipples be seen as helping the planet?

If spirits aren’t your cup of tea and you prefer a nice cold beer, consider picking up a pack from 8 Wired Brewery. Their beers are inspired by the legendary Kiwi can-do mentality - lots of ingenious flavours have been incorporated into some incredible crafty beers. With their new Matakana brewery set to open very soon, they are another great option.

Our region is also lucky to have an abundance of wineries, many of which have won awards for their wines. Whether you're just wanting to pick up a bottle for a gift (or yourself) or to spend a sunny afternoon sipping a glass while enjoying the stunning views surrounding our local wineries, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

No matter what your libation, there are options that have been carefully and expertly made right here in our region. Picking up your favourite tipple from one of these producers for your Christmas cheer supports local business.