Isle of Wight Distillery releases pink gin

Just three months after the relaunch of Mermaid Gin, the Isle of Wight Distillery has introduced its first ever Pink Gin.

The gin is presented in the same sculpted, bottle as Mermaid decorated in shades of pink, including the appropriately named ‘Living Coral’, 2019’s Colour of the Year. The bottle is 100% plastic-free, with a wood topped cork which now comes with a plant-based tamper proof seal.

Distilled using strawberries from the micro-climate of Arreton Valley – a valley that receives some of the best sunshine levels in the UK – the gin itself also has a gentle pink hue.

To create it, the strawberries are steeped in the distillery’s signature gin for four days. Then, half is removed to be distilled and eventually added back to the remaining infusion – lending the gin a “refreshing and intensely aromatic” strawberry flavour. As with the original gin, there remains a fragrant hint of the locally foraged rock samphire, lemon zest and pepperiness from grains of paradise. With no added sugar, the gin is said to be less sweet than others on the market.

The launch follows a period of “intense activity” for the distillery. It claims that sales of Mermaid Gin have risen by over 110% since its new bottle was launched and this Pink Gin is designed to make the most of the summer outdoor drinking season.

Xavier Baker, co-founder at the Isle of Wight Distillery, said: “The trade and consumer response to Mermaid’s new bottle has been amazing and has obviously kept us all very busy. However, we’ve significantly invested in the distillery’s future and Pink represents the next big step for us. The pink gin category’s still got masses of potential, both here and abroad, so we’re confident our unique Island take on it will be a big hit.”