Rachel Hall is Head Distiller at Lighthouse Gin.

Though she grew up in a pub, it was actually juice that led her to gin. Taking a part-time sales job at an apple juice company she was intrigued to meet Neil Catherall, the founder and original distiller of Lighthouse Gin. Rachel joined the Lighthouse Gin team in 2010, and after years of learning from Neil and experimenting for herself, she advanced to the position of Head Distiller in 2014, becoming New Zealand's first female Head Distiller. 

From gathering botanicals, hand-zesting lemons, twice distilling, tasting every batch for consistency, labelling and bottling, her care shapes every drop of Lighthouse Gin. Rachel is custodian of the Lighthouse tradition – our Lighthouse Keeper if you will. "Every bottle is made with care, a little coastal grit, and more than a touch of Kiwi spirit." - Rachel Hall

Rachel was named in Women In Food & Drink Aotearoa New Zealand's Top 50 most influential and inspiring women in food and drink in 2024. Rachel has been a trailblazer in distilling, becoming the first female head distiller in New Zealand and a shining example of female distillers everywhere.

"Rachel is a passionate craftswoman, unaffected by hype and solely focused on crafting a remarkable gin and sharing it with the world. Some refer to Rachel as an "accidental purist" as she is meticulous in the sourcing of Lighthouse's ingredients. She drives her truck up to source the spring water herself and hand zests the Yen Ben lemons to achieve the hallmark Lighthouse style of clarity and smoothness." (Tracey Whitmey, Cusine Magazine, 2024) - read the full Cuisine article here.