Tag: Gin

Jawbox Gin takes off at Heathrow Terminal 5

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Jawbox Small Batch Gin from Belfast has landed at Heathrow International Airport. The unique ‘field to glass’ gin is now on sale at Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

Belfast-based Gerry White, founder and managing director of Jawbox, a Food NI member company, says: “It’s wonderful to see our Northern Irish gin represented amongst the current offering, delivering further choice to travellers wanting to sample a premium product, specific to Northern Ireland

“We only launched two years ago but our gin already has a strong presence throughout airport retail including Dublin’s The Loop and Belfast International’s Aelia Duty Free.

“To be featured across the bars and restaurants at Heathrow’s T5 is as motivating as it is rewarding, given it is such a competitive marketplace. Our presence shows us that our gin is of the best quality available, with a strong brand story and unique flavour profile too

“In Northern Ireland, our loyal fans enjoy The Perfect Swerve, Jawbox paired with ginger ale, originally made in Belfast, with a wedge of lime. We hope to increase its visibility amongst Heathrow’s jet-setting set too. This latest collaboration will showcase our brand to a wider, domestic and international audience in-line with our growth strategy to develop a global brand,” he adds.

Jawbox Small Batch Gin is already widely available across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Canada and Europe with reach soon to extend to Australia, South Africa and the US.

Jawbox is unique in Ireland in that it is the only single estate gin. The grain is grown in fields around the distillery in Kircubbin, county Down, located on the picturesque Ards Peninsula.

Jawbox also features Black Mountain heather from Belfast among its distinctive blend of botanicals.

Distilled very slowly in a traditional copper pot, eight of the eleven botanicals are ‘steep and boil’. The final three botanicals are put through the vapour extraction method to preserve their delicate flavour and aroma.

Jawbox is an impressive experience of bold juniper and pine, balanced with a gentle touch of sweet coriander and clean citrus.

Jawbox Small Batch Gin is a Classic London Dry Gin (ABV 43%).

Picture: Gerry White, founder of Jawbox Gin, now on sale at Heathrow Terminal 5

The preferred Jawbox serve calls on a Belfast-invented accompaniment, ginger ale.

Shortcross Gin Available Across All UK World of Duty Free Outlets

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Craft gin expands presence after arriving on shelves at Belfast City Airport

Shortcross Gin, produced in Northern Ireland, is now being stocked in all World Duty Free stores across the UK, a year after first becoming available in a select number of the airport retailer’s outlets.

It means the craft gin is now available at 21 airports across the UK including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester, showcasing the product to well over 100 million passengers each year.

The success comes just a year after the awarding-winning gin first arrived on the shelves of World Duty Free at George Best Belfast City Airport.

The gin is produced at Rademon Estate Distillery, founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong at their historic family estate just outside Downpatrick, Co Down.

David Boyd-Armstrong said:

“Sales of Shortcross Gin have increased each month at all the World Duty Free outlets which is a great reflection of the partnership between our team and staff at each of the airports.

“We are very grateful to Belfast City Airport for its assistance in establishing the connection with World Duty Free and are focused in further developing that link over the months and years to come.

“Our contract with World Duty Free offers passengers the opportunity to sample something truly unique and which has won global acclaim, including a gold medal at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

“With plans to launch of our Irish Malt Whiskey 2018, it is an exciting time for the company and our customers.”

Shortcross Gin was first stocked at World Duty Free in Belfast City Airport in late 2016.

Katy Best, Commercial and Marketing Director at Belfast City Airport, commented:

“This is a fantastic success story for one of the most exciting new brands to come out of Northern Ireland in recent years.

“Belfast City Airport was proud to help facilitate Shortcross Gin’s entry to World Duty Free in 2016 and we are delighted to see how the relationship has developed.

“The gin has been extremely popular with passengers at Belfast City Airport, across our domestic routes and direct European services to Amsterdam and Iceland.

“The platform provided by World Duty Free is huge in terms of the exposure it provides for Shortcross Gin to both outgoing and inbound passengers at the UK’s leading airports.

“We wish them every success in the future as they add new products to their portfolio.”

Ciara Hamill, World Duty Free.

“Shortcross Gin proved to be a hit with tourists arriving and leaving Belfast City Airport so the decision to expand its offering to all outlets across the UK was an easy one.

“The product has played a major part in boosting our own growth in the past 12 months and we look forward to continuing the relationship into 2018.

“Providing locally produced food and drink is a key part of the offering of World Duty Free as we seek to showcase the best of local goods throughout our stores.”

In addition to availability in World Duty Free outlets in the UK, Shortcross Gin can be access at airports across the world through the World Duty Free online Reserve and Collect Servicewhereby passengers can pre-order their items for collection upon travel.

Belfast First Cocktail Festival Set To Shake Up City

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A brand new week-long festival aimed at cocktail lovers will bring a top line-up of special events to Belfast this October.

Whether you are looking for a ground-breaking cocktail creation, want to watch some of the world’s best bartenders in action, or fancy taking a step back in time to the age of prohibition, Belfast’s first and only Cocktail Week has something for everyone.  

Running from October 16 – 22, the inaugural event invites cocktail lovers to whet their whistle and enjoy a jam-packed calendar of bespoke events taking place in bars across the Cathedral Quarter.

Kicking off the week in style, award-winning London establishment Swift Bar will take up a special residency in The Merchant Hotel’s iconic Cocktail Bar from October 16.

Fresh from a big win at the Spirited Awards, where the bar was named Best New International Cocktail Bar 2017, husband and wife duo Bobby Hiddleston and Mia Johansson will bring the Swift team to Belfast for a week-long takeover with innovative cocktails and their renowned Irish coffees on offer.

Festival-goers can also take a step back in time and experience the atmosphere and excitement of the birth of the cocktail at The Luggage Room takeover of Sixty6 (upstairs at The National). Enjoy signature creations from the prohibition age from the acclaimed London based Luggage Room staff who will be mixing up The Darb (Citadelle Gin shaken with apricot brandy, Italian vermouth and lemon juice) and Barney Barnato (pisco stirred with Cocchi Americano, Pierre Ferrand dry Curaçao and aromatic bitters) along with juleps, cobblers, swizzles, imperials, punches, sours, flips and other popular concoctions of the time.
Continuing the festivities, Club Sixty6 will host an intimate whiskey masterclass on October 19, where guests will get a behind-the-scenes insight into the magic of whiskey distilling.  The bar will also cater for those who want to enjoy a non-alcoholic tipple with a Future of Mocktails Masterclass and an innovative mocktail menu, which will be available all week.

Ending the week on a high, guest speaker, author of the Curious Bartender range of cocktail books and award-winning bartender, Tristan Stephenson, will host a seminar exploring the art of mixing the perfect cocktail on October 22.  The famed bartender, co-owner of two of London’s hottest cocktail bars, Purl and Worship Street Whistling Shop, will give guests an exclusive opportunity to taste contemporary and classic cocktails with his own unique twist during the masterclass.  Tickets for this event will cost £10 and includes a drink on arrival.  Following the event, guests will be invited to raise a toast to end the week of celebrations with a free after party taking place in Club Sixty6.
Bronagh Bennett from the National Grande Café and Club Sixty6 and creator of Belfast Cocktail Week said;

“Belfast Cocktail Week is a way of showing that Belfast can compete on an international level alongside cities with great cocktail cultures such as London, Edinburgh and even New York.

“Belfast and Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector has come a long way in recent years and customers are really broadening their horizons.  The wide range of events taking place during the festival will appeal to everyone and I hope it encourages people to try something new.

“We are looking forward to bringing this week-long event to Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter and hope it will be the first of many.”

Bars taking take in the festival include The Cocktail Bar and Berts Jazz Bar at The Merchant, The National Grande Café and Club Sixty6, Bullitt Hotel, Bootleggers, Muriel’s Café Bar, The Spaniard and Babel, the new rooftop cocktail bar at Bullitt, on its opening weekend.

Most events at Belfast Cocktail Week are free of charge and first come first served, please check the website for details for ticketed events.
For a full line-up of events and further information on optional festival passes, visit BelfastCocktailWeek.co.uk More events are still to be announced and will be added to the line-up over the coming weeks.  A limited number of festival passes will also be available to purchase from The National Grande Café. The optional festival passes are priced at £10 and includes 25% off selected cocktails in participating venues (excluding The Merchant where instead festival pass holders will get a complimentary taster of punch with each cocktail purchased at The Merchant Hotel’s Swift Takeover.)