New cask gin from Northern Ireland has rich heritage

A new cask gin, Belfast 1912 has been launched to celebrate the city's rich industrial heritage and especially its experience in shipbuilding and aerospace.

Belfast 1912 Cask Gin, a London Dry Gin, features a gold plated propeller icon on its distinctive blue bottle connecting the product to the era surrounding the loss of the ill-fated Titanic luxury liner built by Harland and Wolff in that year. It also marks the historic Empire Flying Boats built by Shorts in Belfast

The gin has been created by Ian Killen, who has experience in the drinks industry stretching back over 30 years, and is based on an original recipe from 1912 that he discovered, researched and is now producing.

"We have built the whole brand around celebrating Belfast's golden propeller age of luxury engineering and style," Mr Killeen says. "I've developed a London Dry Gin from the old recipe.

This was based on an original Belfast cask gin created and distilled by Avoniel Distillery, which operated from 1882-1929 in Belfast. He has established Avoniel Distillers Ltd to produce and market the gin and other spirits he is planning.

The gin, available in distinctive 75cl blue bottles at £34.95, is described as "supremely smooth and intense gin botanic, triple distilled malted and un-malted multi grain spirit infused with carefully sourced botanicals. A complex and singularly generous delivery, rested in cask, celebrating Belfast's golden 'propeller age' of luxury engineering and style".

"The real USP of this gin is that it is a triple multi grain product," Mr Killeen continues.

"Most gins are single grain. It is very unique that is has these three.

"The percentage of malted to un-malted was listed in this recipe we have so we have been able to replicate it. The original spirit was transported to London in casks and we have rested our spirit in casks just as they did at the turn of the 20th century."
Mr Killeen began researching the market opportunity for a cask gin in 2009 and was influenced by the resurgence of the spirit.

The perfect serve for a Belfast 1912 gin is: squeezed lemon and lime in a chilled glass filled with ice, add a slice of orange, followed by one part Belfast 1912 Cask Gin and top up with Fever Tree tonic and more ice.

Tasting notes say: "The Christmas-pine notes from the Juniper combine with floral, citrus and black pepper spice from the other botanicals. At the front of the nose this provides refreshing light lime and pine flower aromas with a hint of sweet grain. This lingers on the palate with the long and spicy notes unveiled from the Juniper.

"The result is the achievement of a perfectly balanced but juniper-led gin with a dry mid-palate to make Belfast 1912 a classic crisp gin. The taste profile is of a punchy juniper with a subtle twang of lime combined with cask aging to deliver the perceived period of Belfast 1912 but with the additional layers of citrus and spice for contemporary palates."