By Melina Etches, Cook Islands News
Husband-and-wife team Mike and Ashleigh “Ash” Steele (née Nicholas-Breen), the passionate duo behind the Cook Islands Distillery in Nikao. Photo: Cook Islands News / Melina Etches
A bold new venture in Rarotonga is blending Pacific delectable delights with world-class innovation, making unique, handcrafted spirits from a base fermented with local rukau (taro leaves) and infused with other island flavours.
Tavake Spirits, by the Cook Islands Distillery, is turning a treasured cultural staple - rukau (taro leaves) - into the foundation of a unique range of handcrafted island spirits.
Husband-and-wife team Mike and Ashleigh "Ash" Steele (née Nicholas-Breen) are the passionate duo behind the distillery, which is based in Nikao on family land.
Their vision was simple but ambitious: to create premium spirits using local ingredients, produced entirely in the Cook Islands, and share them with the world.
"Starting up a distillery here comes with challenges," Ash explains.
"Most distilleries around the world buy ethanol as their base, but that's not easily available here. So we thought, let's make our own, using local produce."
The result was a breakthrough: by fermenting rukau, they discovered a way to create ethanol right here at home.
"When we realised it worked, we were like - wow!" Ash recalls.
"It was really exciting. We might just be the only distillery in the world using rukau."
From that innovation grew the Tavake brand, which now produces gin, vodka and rum - all fermented, distilled and bottled on site.
Each spirit is infused with the flavours of the islands: vānira (vanilla), ara (pineapple), raparapa (starfruit), tiporo (lime), kaute (hibiscus) and pure Rarotongan rainwater.
Mike, who oversees the distilling process, says precision is key.
"It's quite a lengthy process. We ferment everything from scratch, then carefully separate the alcohol, clean it up and refine it. You've got to be exact, down to the temperature gauges."
For Ash, whose maternal family hails from Rarotonga and Aitutaki, the branding carries deep personal meaning.
The striking gin label features a tivaivai her grandmother sewed for her mother, Dr Frances Nicholas, over 50 years ago.
"It's very close to my heart," she says, "because my grandmother passed away some years ago and seeing it reminds me of her."
Other designs were inspired by traditional weaving and tattoo artistry by her cousin, Clive Nicholas.
The name Tavake itself honours the red-tailed tropicbird, once prized for its feathers of adornment. It symbolises the journeys of Cook Islands voyagers across the Pacific and the way botanicals spread between islands - perfectly reflecting the couple's mission to share Cook Islands flavours with the world.
The Steeles are no strangers to entrepreneurship.
Tavake Spirits – crafting world-class island spirits with a local heart, a bold new venture blending Pacific flavours with innovation in Rarotonga. Photo: Cook Islands News / Melina Etches
Many will remember them as the faces behind the much-loved "The Kai Guy" food truck.
But scalability and export potential motivated their shift into spirits.
"We wanted to create something that can go from the Cook Islands to the world. You can literally pick up our products and take them anywhere," Mike says.
After two to three years of research and experimentation, Tavake Spirits officially launched in March this year.
The spirits are now being enjoyed in cocktails at restaurants, resorts and bars across Rarotonga and Aitutaki, including Trader Jacks, Pacific Resort, Tamarind House, Muri Beach Club and Anchorage, as well as stocked at CITC outlets, The Bond Store, Raro Liquorland, Prime Foods,and duty-free shops.
The couple remain grounded, crediting their small team of family and friends who support the venture.
Ash, who is also studying for her MBA with Otago University, manages sales and marketing, while Mike fine-tunes the distilling process.
"Everything we do is made from scratch. It's about using what we have here, showcasing our flavours, and doing something we're proud of," says Ash.
Tavake Spirits is already being recognised not just as a new business but as a symbol of innovation rooted in culture and community.
The Cook Islands Distillery is proving that from a small island paradise, big dreams - and world-class spirits - can be made.
-This article was first published by Cook Islands News.
