Gin lovers at Paris global show to taste new spirit from Bushmills

The Giants Basalt Rock Gin has already won its first business in France ahead of the launch.

James (26) and Martha (25), who founded the gin business in 2020, will showcase the spirit, produced in black hexagonal-shaped bottles to reflect the iconic Giant’s Causeway, close to the distillery, to an array of French and International wine and spirit professionals taking part in Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris, a three-day show, in the French capital.

Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris, the flagship international event for the wine and spirits industry, will be welcoming over 30,000 visitors from across the globe, including many bartenders and restaurateurs.

The 2023 exhibition will be rolling out innovative event formats for cocktails and other drinks.

Basalt Rock gin will be available at the show’s Infinite Bar everyday, where a talented Parisian bartender will be serving their classic drinks, as well as some brand-new cocktails.

The opportunity to showcase the new gin came off the back of the Co. Antrim distillery securing distribution with Bordeaux-based BBC Vins and Spiritueux (BBC Spirits).

The young entrepreneurs from Co Antrim shipped over 3,000 bottles to France at the tail end of last year following an approach from the French company for its extensive domestic and international operations.

Founded in 2010, BBC Spirits, an importer, distributor and creator of premium spirits, has developed a strong position by offering premium products resulting from innovation and creativity. Quality, origin and design influence the company’s choice of products such as Giants Basalt.

The distributor and brand creator has a presence in more than 50 countries through developing new and original products adapted to different markets.

BBC says it was “thrilled from the first moment we saw Giants Basalt Rock Gin”. “It was an obvious choice to add to our premium product portfolio. At BBC Spirits, it is important to believe in the products we distribute, and Giants Basalt Rock Gin is a product we believe in.

“With its unconventional, highly recognisable and powerful design, but also with its complex but perfectly balanced flavours, we want to promote this product, its history and its quality through our network of specialist retailers, key accounts and via e- commerce. We make a point to promote this product through tastings, whether at trade fairs, directly at wine merchants or through on-trade activations to ensure growth of the brand.”

Martha continues: “Vinexpo in Paris will be a great event for us to showcase our flagship brand in France and to other international markets.

“The gin is created using water from the small distillery’s 600ft borehole that filters the water through the same basalt rock basin as the Giant’s Causeway. This pure water source has a unique mineral composition to the local area and provides high levels of purity to the gin."

The gin, she explains, uses locally inspired botanicals from sea buckthorn berries and kombu royale seaweed “to impart a savoury saltiness on the pallet giving a distinct taste of the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland”.

The gin is being marketed as “the perfect gift for special occasions as it comes with a gift box and an optional gift note for that special someone”. It is available from more than 100 outlets across Northern Ireland and the distillery’s website.

The Basalt Distillery is a new departure from traditional craft distilling with an emphasis on the latest sustainable processes and cutting-edge distilling technology.

James, originally from Coleraine, and Martha, who was born in Scotland, both have master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering, knowledge which they have applied to the distilling operation.

They have achieved their certificate with the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, and have also completed a university course set by still manufacturer, iStill in the Netherlands.

The distillery has veered away from the traditional copper stills, opting for a stainless-steel square still, called iStill, which eliminates the inconsistencies that can occur when using traditional copper stills. It also helps deal with issues such as fluctuations in air pressure and temperature, as well as cooling. It means the products can be exactly replicated every single time.

The distillery is committed to sustainability, and its entire operation is directed by a social and environmental conscience.

James adds: “We apply high sustainability standards across all of our processes, and we will release only 40,000 bottles of Giants Basalt Rock Gin every year – one to represent each of the basalt rock columns that form the Giant’s Causeway.”