So can we all take a minute and look at this beautiful gin bottle? That's pretty much what I said when I opened it on Christmas morning. This Mermaid Gin was a present from boyfie and it is by far the best gin I have ever tried. There's a bit of a story behind this, though, that I think you guys should hear for it to make a bit more sense.
Back in November 2017, we marked our one year anniversary by spending a romantic, long weekend in Oxford. I didn't blog about it, but we stayed in a gorgeous hotel and spa (the spa part included in our break) and one night we went to the bar for a few drinks to bring back to the room. I went for a gin and tonic (naturally) and boyfie had a beer. But it was by far the best G&T I had the pleasure of consuming at that time, so much so, I went on the hunt for a gin that tasted remotely like the one I had in the hotel.
After years of kicking myself for not going back and asking the barman for the name of the gin, I tried this one (featured) and it is absolutely delicious. It's so much like the one I had back in that hotel that when I sip it, it takes me right back to lying on the bed in my spa robe having just been in the sauna and it fills me with absolute joy.
I also have a huge love for the Disney film 'The Little Mermaid' - another reason why boyfie bought me this gin. When I say a 'huge' love, I really do mean a HUGE love. It's been my favourite Disney film since I first saw the flick back in 1999 at the tender age of four.
I had never been so mesmerised by a world or a character and it quickly became my number one movie. I had it on a VHS tape, but I watched it that much that the tape actually wore out and there was no coming back from it :( I also loved swimming at that time (another love of mine), so I felt like a mermaid myself as I watched Ariel float and twirl her way through the ocean with her sea friends.
Anyway, enough of that, lets have a look at the bottle shall we? I couldn't not feature such a beauty on my blog, especially when it looks like that - do you agree? Remember, however, to always drink responsibly and you must be over 18 years of age to purchase or consume it - I do not promote underage drinking!
Just look at it!
Now I know what you're all thinking and in answer to your burning question, the gin isn't actually blue when you pour it out, but that doesn't really matter when you consider the bottle they've put it in. It has scales embossed into it - much like a mermaid tail (surprise, surprise) - and what's more, it's a turquoise-y blue, which is nearly the same colour as Ariel's tail in The Little Mermaid. Not to mention the colour scheme, I think the tones are so complementary that it's almost impossible to walk past this in the supermarket and have it not catch your eye.
The attention to detail is also fantastic, especially when you look at the top of the bottle stopper, which features a mermaid jumping out of the sea (again, like a scene in The Little Mermaid that I could totally relate to). Even the label that's attached to it is in the shape of a clam (or a shell), which looks like the bodice Ariel wears in the film (yes, I'm super sad, haha).
So basically, I've immediately associated a childhood favourite with a gin that probably has no correlation to the movie whatsoever, but I don't care, because that's what makes this such a thoughtful, heartwarming gift :)
Not to mention it tastes ERRRMAZING
As I've already said, this gin is absolutely delicious. If you're a gin lover yourself, you should absolutely give this a try, you won't be disappointed, I promise you! The flavours are sophisticated for a run-of-the-mill gin, but even so you don't really need an acquired taste to be able to enjoy this beverage on its own, simply with a slimline tonic and a wafer-thin slice of fresh lemon (if that, really).
I wouldn't add a flavoured tonic or lemonade to this one as you'll immediately be cutting off the taste of the actual gin, so be careful when it comes to mixers with this one. I recommend, again, a plain tonic or soda water to be able to appreciate the flavours and aromas of such a beautifully smooth, aromatic gin.
More about the company and their Mermaid Gin...
Made by the Isle of Wight Distillery in, you guessed it, the Isle of Wight, Mermaid Gin, as quoted directly from their website, is made "using ten ethically sourced botanicals...Mermaid Gin delivers a smooth yet complex blend of fresh organic lemon zest and peppery grains of paradise, with a hint of sea air from locally foraged, fragrant rock samphire. A refreshing and invigorating serve, for the free-spirited".
This specific gin is called 'Mermaid's Kiss', which was "inspired by its lead botanical rock samphire, known locally as 'mermaid's kiss'" which makes me love it even more! The information on the website then goes into even more detail about how the name, 'Mermaid's Kiss', came to be; "This aromatic succulent clings to cliffs surrounding the Island and marks the high tide line on its majestic 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 other flavours that are present within the gin include:
*Rock samphire
*Elderflower
*Grains of paradise
*Organic lemon zest
It's also a sustainable brand...
This bottle of gin has been dubbed 'plastic-free' by
A Plastic Planet, having been awarded first place in the
IWSC Design awards. The bottle itself has been "
crafted from recycled glass", with the bottle featuring a "
sustainably sourced natural cork stopper and compostable tamper-proof seal. The Isle of Wight Distillery also work to and support marine conservation projects, aiming to "
[preserve] the environment of mermaids" - how cool is that?!
Not only do these guys make delicious gin, but they also try and keep their carbon footprint low so as to help both the environment and the marine life that reside in our oceans. As well as having ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients to include in their beverage, they're also passionate about looking after the mermaids, and I for one love it! Their marketing is absolute genius and I recommend you all go and check them out.
If you're more into the sweeter, more flowery flavoured gins, then these guys also do a
pink gin that you can try. I'll definitely be giving that one a taste test when I see it, but then I may even order a bottle online, why not eh?
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know if you've tried this gin or if you've given the pink one a try, it would be good to find out what you thought to it! I'll see you again really soon with a brand new blog post for you all :)
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I LOVE Mermaid Gin! I also absolutely love The Little Mermaid so it really is my dream gin. Have you tried the pink one too? I'm usually find pink gin too sweet but the pink one is gorgeous. x
ReplyDeleteAw great minds think alike ;) The Little Mermaid is a cracker of a film, so i'm not surprised that you love it as much as I do! I haven't tried the pink one yet as I can't seem to find it anywhere, but if this one is anything to go by, I'm sure I'll love the pink one just as much.
DeleteHave a great day!
Lorna xx
The packaging is amazing!! This would be a gin I would buy solely based off the bottle. I'll sadly probably never see it in the States though.
ReplyDelete