SPIRITS NEWS
Reefton Distilling releases aged gin and launches in Duty Free
On the move with Bacardi LION BRAND Bacardi called on Aucklanders to join the party in the lead-up to Christmas, as part of Bacardi’s global dance and musicfocused campaign ‘Do What Moves You’. A fleet of eight Bacardibranded tuk tuks were on city streets over seven nights in November and December, to take revellers to a selection of participating venues serving Bacardi Mojitos.
SHOWCASE
The unique Isle of Harris Gin The Isle of Harris lies off the far north-western coast of Scotland, surrounded by a peppering of islands known collectively as the Outer Hebrides. Separated from a distant mainland by the rough seas of the Minch, the main town of Tarbert has a population of around 500 people and is home to the Isle of Harris Distillery. Like many remote settlements, the community of Harris has been in a longterm decline. The island’s population has dwindled to just half of what it was 50 years ago, and there was little to offer those who had left the Isle to return to their roots. To stem the tide, local man Anderson ‘Burr’ Bakewell set forth with a group of like-minded individuals to build a distillery, with the goal of employment and betterment for locals and the community. Since its establishment in 2015, over 40 employees have been laying down casks for Single Malt Whisky (due to be released in a few years), as well as creating Isle of Harris Gin – one of the world’s most distinctive gins. The unique gin is produced with locally sourced, hand-dived sugar kelp. This special botanical introduces a sweet-and-salty signature taste, and small flecks of it are also embedded into each label. The striking bottle reflects the azure colour of the island’s waters, with rippled glass like wind-blown seas, a vessel specially made to contain the very spirit and story of the Isle of Harris. Due to limited allocations from this small distillery, the Isle of Harris Gin is only available by request from Whisky Galore. whiskygalore.co.nz
82 DRINKSBIZ DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020
West Coast distillery Reefton Distilling Co. has launched its first limited release: Little Biddy - Cask Aged Gin. This special edition gin is matured in Pinot Noir oak casks, creating its rich gold colour and infusing the gin with notes of sweet vanilla, warm ginger spice and dark fruit, alongside its native botanical characters. Just 370 bottles were made, each presented in a hand-crafted gift box. Little Biddy Cask Aged Gin - 47% ABV, 700ml RRP $249.99. Reefton Distillery also announced in October that its small batch distilled premium spirits will be available in Aelia Duty free stores at Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown airports. Beverage Brothers