In the world of whiskey, rum, and fine brandy, time has always been the main ingredient—oak barrels sitting in warehouses for up to half a century. Reactory aims to upend that tradition. Founded by Dr. Mark Eltom, Reactory’s technology ages spirits in mere days, delivering award-worthy complexity without the decades-long wait. It sounds like alchemy, but Mark prefers to call it deep tech.
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” Mark quips. “We’re just harnessing science to free producers from all that overhead, time, and environmental strain.”
From Duct Tape to Global Ambition
Reactory’s earliest experiments took place under Mark’s house—makeshift reactors held together with duct tape. It was equal parts chemistry, engineering, and Kiwi can-do spirit. Despite the humble setup, the results turned heads. An early investment from venture capital signalled that this wasn’t just a garage hobby; it was a serious venture poised to transform an industry.
Scaling up proved equally adventurous. What started as a two-litre prototype ballooned into 5,000-litre reactors—now rolling out in South America to produce rum. The impact is huge. While a single oak tree yields only two barrels’ worth of material, Reactory technology extracts 15 times more value, slashing costs and sparing forests around the world. Imagine an entire industry no longer weighed down by massive wood and warehousing budgets.
Fast, Sustainable, and Blind-Tasting-Approved
Shortcuts to spirit ageing aren’t new. But many past attempts faltered on taste—never matching the complexity of genuine barrel-aged whiskey or rum. Reactory’s difference? Blind tastings that consistently rank their spirits above commercial competitors. Mark estimates about 87% of panellists prefer Reactory’s samples over classic brands.
We throw our liquids into every serious competition we can,” he says. “When we beat well-known labels in a blind test, that’s the best kind of feedback.
It’s not just about flavour, though. The environmental footprint of conventional aging is enormous—thousands of oak barrels, huge storage sites, and shipping empty containers around the globe. Reactory slashes that impact by 95% or more. It’s a breakthrough that appeals to distillers looking to cut overhead, reduce waste, and respond to shifting consumer demands.
Behind the Tech—Modern Alchemy
So how does it all work? While proprietary details remain under wraps, the process involves novel catalysts and reactor designs that replicate (and amplify) the natural chemical transformations inside a barrel. Think of it as a force multiplier for extraction and oxidation reactions, compressing time from years to days. And like many Kiwi innovations, it was born from curiosity.
"The old methods haven’t changed for centuries,” Mark explains. “Why not see if we can do it differently—and better? That’s the real driver here.
With support from early backers and calls from intrigued distilleries, Reactory continues to refine its approach. For Mark, it’s about proving hard science to an industry long set in its ways. Every blind tasting, every newly scaled reactor, chips away at doubters’ scepticism.
Precision Reactors—Advanced Manufacturing in Action
Reactory’s secret sauce is its bespoke reactors—not off-the-shelf steel drums. Each vessel is meticulously fabricated, demanding precision engineering to manage heat, pressure, and chemical reactions. The manufacturing is low-volume, high-complexity, where Kiwi problem-solving thrives:
“This isn’t mass production—it’s specialised hardware,” Mark says. “Our team obsesses over every seal, sensor, and weld. Because if it fails, we’re back to the drawing board.”
That same rigour carries over to quality control. “We test each reactor before it ships out—no exceptions,” Mark adds. “It’s the only way to guarantee our process can deliver top-shelf spirits on a predictable timeline.”
The Future: Transforming a $300-Billion Market
Spirits, especially those aged in barrels, represent a $300-billion global market. Reactory’s goal is to see 5–10% of all aged spirits produced via their process within the next decade. It’s a tall order—especially with entrenched traditions and regulations in places like Scotland—but their success with rum producers in Latin America shows real promise. Scrappy, cost-sensitive distillers have emerged as the first wave of adopters, proving that radical change can, in fact, happen fast.
“We’re showing people that great liquid doesn’t need 20 years to be premium,” Mark says with a grin. “If you want that 50-year-old single malt—sure, keep a barrel. But for the rest of us, there’s Reactory.”
Join the Future Makers
Reactory’s breakthrough exemplifies advanced manufacturing and deep tech at its finest—turning a centuries-old process on its head with creativity, science, and a no-limits Kiwi mindset. By cutting both time and environmental waste, they’re rewriting the future of premium spirits.
