A Whangamata man is making the most of New Zealand's growing sheep milk industry, launching the world's first vodka made from the product.

The White Sheep Milk Co vodka is made from fermented and distilled New Zealand sheep milk, and is described as having "quite a sheep milk aroma and taste".

The product is the brainchild of Whangamata man Sam Brown, who told Magic Talk's Ryan Bridge that the idea came to him during a night out with friends.

"I was working overseas and was out with a bunch of friends, from different countries," he said.

He said they decided to have a drink from each of their respective homelands.

"We had tequila from Mexico, brandy from France and whisky from Scotland - but when it got to me, there was a blank, there was no drink that had a link to New Zealand," said Brown.