Month: August 2015

Last year I was approached by Ian Buxton, Author of 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die, in order to include our Ancient Mariner London Dry Gin in his new book as noted above. I was delightd when he contacted me to confirm that Mariner Gin was indeed to be featured – a real treat and from looking at his other books, he does an excellent job.

Latest news on the book, published by Birlinn from Edinburgh, is that the first print run has already sold out and it is not even in bookshops yet – now that is something.

The book should be available at the end of August – the launch date is Thursday the 27th in Edinburgh, right at the end of the Edinburgh Festival – good timing I think.

Will write another blog when the book is out and the reviews are in. You can order it on Amazon and they will send it to you when their stock arrives.

Here are the tasting notes for the gin;

Traditional Premium London Cut Dry Gin, made in small batches in London with 100% British grain. Best served with peppery rocket lettuce, complimenting the natural juniper flavour of this 50% ABV gin.

Below is the story of how it all came about;

The inspiration for Ancient Mariner Gin came from an unusual source. A Church roof repair fundraising event. It was a ‘Recitation by Heart’ of the famous poem, The Ancient Mariner.

The venue: St. Michael and All Angels church in Helensburgh – a fabulous listed building – with a leaky roof.

The event took place one wild and stormy autumn evening. The lights inside the church were dimmed and the blackness of the nave was punctuated by candles. I can hardly imagine a more atmospheric situation for this literary experience as the rain beat on the roof. The recitation had the right balance of rhythm and pace to make the poem seem as if it has just been written.

What an evening!

The next day during an afternoon walk along the seafront in Helensburgh, the stormy waves echoed those of the poem the night before. As I was buffeted along the walkway, I mused on the possibility of creating a new brand.

Ancient Mariner Gin is the result.

Choosing the right gin was an adventure in itself – over 25 versions were tried before I found on that was made with 100% British grain, was made in London and had a smoothness married to a lovely Juniper aroma.

The label and neck tag show scenes from the poem. The front label shows the ship in ice-bound Antarctica. The left side shows the ship tossed about on the Southern ocean and the right hand side features the lonely, wandering albatross as it is about to be struck by the fateful arrow shot by The Ancient Mariner.

The neck-tag copy is as follows:

Inspired by the Coleridge’s masterpiece, Ancient Mariner Gin recalls one of the most memorable poems in the English language. From the terrifying space of the open ocean, the storms and whirlpools of an unknown sea, the vast icy caverns of Antarctica and to the hot equatorial seas swarming with monsters, all these visual elements combined with the magnificent engravings of Gustave Dore, have made a lasting impression with mariners throughout the world both at publication in 1798 to this very day. The haunting story of the Ancient Mariner who shoots the Albatross, bird of good omen, still resonates with thoughts of good and bad luck with sailors everywhere.