Isle of Wight Distillery celebrates B Corp month this March with their sustainable spirits. Producing high-quality and hand-crafted spirits, Isle of Wight distillery’s Mermaid Gin, Mermaid Salt Vodka and Mermaid Spiced Rum have been the first on Isle of Wight to achieve B Corp status in November 2022.
The Distillery
In October 2023, the distillery was named the BBC Best Drinks Producer of the Year at the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Awards. The award was given to the distillery in part because of its commitment to operate in a way that has a positive impact on the planet.
The Isle of Wight Distillery is home to Mermaid Gin, with all of their spirits inspired by their island setting. They use ethically sourced and local natural ingredients to create a range of premium, small batch spirits.
Sustainable solutions
Isle of Wight Distillery can best be attributed to their sustainable products and product making. Their iconic Mermaid bottle is crafted from 100% natural materials, designed to be reused and plastic-free. The glass bottle is decorated with biodegradable paint and features an all-natural cork with a wooden top.
The neck tag on their bottles is recyclable, and the tamperproof seal is crafted from corn and potato starch, which composts in food waste in 6-12 weeks. Mermaid Gin cases fit six bottles which do not require bubble wrap for protection, and all tape has been replaced with metal staples. When it comes down to the ingredients, as well, the distillery uses ethically sourced and local natural ingredients to create a range of premium, small-batch spirits.
Partnerships that the Isle of Wight Distillery has maintained also contribute to their sustainable practices. Working with The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, they’ve joined to help seagrass restoration, monitoring and restoring seagrass meadows and involving in beach clean-ups.
Mermaid Gin is working with Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) a national marine conservation and campaigning charity tackling plastic pollution and protecting the UK’s coastline for people to enjoy safely and sustainably.
Mermaid Gin
One of the most iconic spirit brands produced at the Isle of Wight Distillery is Mermaid Gin. They create gins, vodka and rum, shaped by the distillery’s stunning surroundings and the unique character of the Isle of Wight. In sustainability efforts, they often use locally sourced ingredients to hand-craft a range of smooth, complex spirits, with a hint of sea air.
Mermaid Gin was inspired by the lead botanical, rock samphire, known locally as ‘mermaid’s kiss’. This aromatic succulent clings to the cliffs surrounding the Isle of Wight and marks the high tide line on its beaches. Like the kiss of the mythical mermaid, saving sailors lost at sea, the rock samphire was a signal that shipwrecked sailors and smugglers were safe from the raging seas.
The process involves slow distillation and local, sustainably sourced ingredients, which are combined to craft a pure and perfectly blended range of spirits. Working with column stills, the distillation process is tightly controlled, capturing only the ‘hearts’ of each batch for Mermaid’s signature smooth delivery.
A selection of taste
The original Mermaid Gin itself has several tasting notes, ranging from citrus and peppery spice to an earthy sweetness.
Mermaid Pink Gin is best described as aromatic and refreshing, infusing the flavour of fresh Island strawberries grown in the rich and fertile microclimate of the Arreton Valley. Its taste resembles strawberry and a hint of sea air. Something especially unique to the Pink Gin is their sustainability practice, where they use strawberries which may have otherwise gone to waste.
Mermaid Zest Gin is subtly enhanced with grapefruit and Cascade hops. This is gently infused with Island bergamot, lemon zest and wild-foraged coastal rosemary, to give Mermaid Zest Gin a light yet complex zesty tone with subtle sweetness and herbal notes. This gin features the ‘dew of the sea’, coastal rosemary foraged from the Island’s shores. It is also made with fruits grown in the Victorian walled garden of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s Osborne.
Aside from gin are Mermaid Salt Vodka and Mermaid Spiced Rum. The vodka incorporates Wight Salt rock sea salt for smoothness, with a natural yet distinctively unique flavour. The rum is produced in harmony with the Island’s coastal elements, and features botanicals such as apricots, honey and black salt.
The Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight, located within the English Channel, offers all of the necessary wildlife and botanicals crucial for the gin and other spirits produced by the Isle of Wight Distillery. Ingredients in spirits like the Mermaid Salt Vodka are fresh and natural. Wight Salt, for instance, is an ethically sourced sea salt brand which is stocked locally and incorporated in the vodka.
Meet the founder
Founder Xavier Baker has been committed to making Isle of Wight Distillery sustainable since its creation in 2014. He’s utilized the unique character and natural elements of the island within the distillery.
In December of last year, Xavier took part in The World’s Toughest Row, rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic to raise awareness of ocean pollution.
To find out more, visit: isleofwightdistillery.com
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All imagery courtesy of Isle of Wight Distillery.