The brainchild of Xavier Baker and Conrad Gauntlett, Mermaid Gin is a distillery showcasing the natural abundance of the Isle of Wight. Writer Sanjuna Budhani raises a glass with a special masterclass at Brityard to spill the details:
A brewer since 17, Xavier Baker experimented with the ingredients he found on the island before diving fully into brewing in the UK and abroad. Now, the founders have crafted a love letter to their home island through their spirits.
About the brand
Mermaid Gin kicked off their product line with their eponymous Mermaid Gin, a small batch London Dry Gin flavoured with botanicals found on their home island; Boadicea hops, English juniper and lemon zest as well as rock samphire harvested from the shoreline.
They have since branched out to spiced rum – crafted from a blend of rums sourced from Trinidad and The Dominican Republic – and vodka with locally harvested sea salt alongside their pink and zest gins.
They’re a tight knit company. Xavier ticked off a bucket list item and proudly rowed across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Antigua in a boat marked with the Mermaid Gin emblem, sharing his journey with his team via pictures and updates along the way. I had the opportunity to go to an evening hosted by Mermaid Gin, to learn more about the brand.
Cocktail concoctions
As part of the evening we had the opportunity to make our own cocktail, a take on the traditional whiskey sour but with our choice of Mermaid spirit. I, quite arrogantly so, believed cocktail making to be a fairly easy feat. What I did not know was how physical a vocation it is.
As Tyrone, UK Ambassador for Mermaid Gin, described each ingredient, it’s importance and flavour profile, we measured and mixed and shook (it’s way harder than it looks!) and did the deceptively difficult task of separating a cocktail shaker while ice cold.
I opted for the pink gin and what resulted was a fruity cocktail fragrant with strawberry, ending with the sharpness of the lemon.
Approach to sustainability
Throughout the evening, what was evident is Mermaid Gin’s devotion to trying to make their supply chain as green and restorative as possible. All of the botanicals that infuse their spirits are sourced on the island. Sweet cherries and apricots with island vanilla line their spiced rum, wonky strawberries destined for the landfill were rescued for their pink gin. Even the honey used was sourced from a Mermaid Gin employee’s own beehives.
It’s an exploration and a celebration of the abundance of a twenty three by thirteen mile island a mere two miles from the UK mainland.
As well as a certified B-Corp, the Isle of Wight distillery works with local government to restore local seagrass, vital underwater meadows that sequester carbon as well as developing programmes to recycle packaging and forest replanting. There’s a pride in the company’s origins as well as a respect for all the island offers.
And you know what? It makes the drinks taste even better.
Shop now via isleofwightdistillery.com
Words by Sanjuna Budhani, writer
