The people's drink
At Christchurch’s speciality Scotch whisky providore, people are at the heart of everything they do.
The Whisky Galore story began in the 1990s. Founder Michael Fraser Milne, originally from Speyside, Scotland, had recently emigrated to New Zealand. With family roots in the grain and whisky cask trade and early experience in distilleries, Michael’s connection to whisky runs deep. Knowing that, a friend asked him for help getting a specific whisky for a wedding. “I thought, how hard can that be?” Michael recalls. “As it turned out, it was quite hard.” With help from his father back in Scotland, they arranged for 10 cases to be sent over.
The whisky was a hit, and when another friend requested more, the seller insisted on sending a full pallet. “We were stuck with a whole lot of whisky,” Michael laughs. With no shop, they traded at liquor stores and trade shows – until 2002.
“I was in town having coffee over a business meeting. Just down the road from where we are now, there was a café called Café Metro on the corner of Colombo and Kilmore Streets, and I saw a ‘for lease’ sign. And I just thought that’d be a great spot for a wee whisky shop.”
He pitched the idea to his wife Stella, and to his surprise, she was on board. “We opened a very small shop,” he says – no bigger than his current office. Soon, they moved across Colombo Street, and after the earthquakes, into their flagship store at 834 Colombo Street. “Everything was organic,” says daughter and now Managing Director Siona Collier.
Scotch Single Malt remains their passion. “We’re 95 per cent Scotch. We’re proud to be Scotch specialists,” says Siona. Michael adds, “The thing about single malt is the complexity and variation from distillery to distillery. It’s ever intriguing.”
Whisky Galore caters to all – from curious newcomers to seasoned aficionados. “We always make sure we’ve got the familiar and affordable, but also something special for those at the other end of the spectrum,” Siona explains.
Whisky Galore has fostered a loyal community of whisky lovers in New Zealand and abroad. Michael and Siona continue to travel to Scotland annually to hand-select the best.
This community makes Whisky Galore more than a store. It’s a gathering place, a celebration of whisky culture. From one-on-one tastings to large group sessions, and the adjacent tasting room, The Howff – Scots for ‘meeting place’ – the experience is immersive. Here, whisky flights let you sample Scotland’s finest in good company.
A highlight of their social calendar is DramFest, which is held biennially and is now New Zealand’s largest whisky festival. This year’s event ran from 28 February to 2 March at Te Pae, drawing whisky legends, distillers, and enthusiasts from around the world.
Another cornerstone of their outreach is the Stramash – Scots for a ‘good old knees up’. Held this year on 12 July at Christchurch Town Hall, it promises a night of dinner, drams, and dancing. Guests will enjoy a two-course meal, live music from the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and Queenstown’s lively Hair of the Dog ceilidh band.
Through it all, Whisky Galore keeps people at its centre – those who craft the whisky, those who sell it, and those who share a dram with friends. Their growing Whisky Galore Auctions platform even helps collectors connect with rare bottles from around the globe.
“It’s amazing what people bring in,” says Siona. “You never know what’s lurking in a dark corner cupboard.”