Isle of Wight Distillery launches new gin drawing on island's natural resources

Published by

Sam Pither

A new Isle of Wight gin has been launched using botanicals grown on the island.

Mermaid Zest, a new grapefruit and juniper London Dry Gin, was announced this week by the Isle of Wight Distillery, the island’s first and only distillery.

The fourth spirit in the Seaview-based distillery’s Mermaid range combines locally foraged ‘dew of the sea’ coastal rosemary with grapefruit, Cascade hops, island bergamot and lemon zest to produce a light but complex zesty tone with a subtle sweetness amidst its herbal notes.

The Mermaid range prides itself on using ethically and locally sourced ingredients to capture the surroundings and character of the local area, packaged in sustainable materials. It therefore makes sense that they include fruits grown in the Victorian walled garden of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s Osborne House, located on the Isle of Wight.

The emerald-green bottle, featuring the range’s signature scales, is made from recycled glass and an ethically sourced cork stopper, with a corn and potato starch compostable tamper-proof seal. This is finished by a label printed on recyclable, bio-degradable paper.

Xavier Baker, Co-Founder of Mermaid Gin stated: “We are delighted to announce the launch of the limited-edition Mermaid Zest Gin to gin lovers, offering a slightly different, but equally exciting taste profile to our original Mermaid Gin.

“Mermaid Zest Gin is a blend of citrus and herbaceous ingredients, with our signature ‘hint of sea air’ from foraged rock samphire. It’s an exciting new addition to our gin portfolio, demonstrating great versatility and delicious served as a gin and Mediterranean tonic or in a more complex cocktail.”

Debuting at the Junipalooza Gin Festival in at Tobacco Dock in London on the 11^th and 12^th of June, those not attending will be able to purchase Mermaid Zest from both the distillery’s website and John Lewis stories, starting early June.

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.