Two NI gin distillers are latest firms to export to Sweden and South Korea

Gin lovers in South Korea and Sweden will soon be able to experience distinctive spirits distilled and bottled in Northern Ireland by two smaller distilleries focused on innovation.

The latest exports to the two international markets demonstrate the commitment and determination of Northern Ireland distillers as they seek growth in the global marketplace. They are excellent examples of an ambitious and increasingly successful industry that’s helping to enhance the local economy. Whiskey and gin producers are now among the country’s most innovative and successful exporters Northern Ireland now has more than a dozen distilleries all focused on doing business abroad.

It’s an industry which has grown strongly over the past decade which has seen smaller distillers emerge to join Old Bushmills in Co Antrim, once the only distillery here.

Distilleries today are producing a wide range of single malt and blended whiskeys, several of which have won international awards. Other spirits being distilled with gin include rum, vodka and poitin, the original Irish spirit.

In addition, Northern Ireland is a major supplier of Irish cream liqueurs including global market leaders such as Bailey’s Irish Cream in Newtownabbey and Saint Brendan’s in Londonderry.

The locally produced spirits are now exported to the US, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Australia and Asia. Ground breaking Innovations include Dram in a Can from Two Stacks in Newry, the world’s first canned single malt in a can.

The most recent export successes feature Boatyard Double Gin from Enniskillen being listed in South Korea and Giants Basalt Gin of Bushmills, launched last year by James Richardson and Martha Garbe, winning its first international export sales to a major distributor in Sweden. The company already supplies gin to a leading distributor in Britain.

Joe McGirr, who founded Boatyard in 2016 as the first distillery in Fermanagh in over a century, says: “South Korea is a sophisticated market with immense potential for us. We have a foothold on which to build salds.”

Boatyard, based in a converted boathouse overlooking picturesque Lough Erne, is supplying its range of unique gins. In addition to gins, the small distillery also produces a single grain vodka and is currently maturing new whiskeys.

In addition to the listing by a leading spirits distributor in Seoul, the South Korean capital, the Fermanagh distillery is working on original cocktails with the team at the high profile Baccarat Bar in the iconic Harrods department store in London’s Knightsbridge. Boatyard also supplies the upmarket Savoy Hotel, also in London, as well as the renowned Dead Rabbit Bar in New York City, once named the World’s Best Bar.

The new business in South Korea is the outcome of an approach from top distributor Distillers’ Special, according to Joe.

“We are delighted to be working there with this established and successful distributor committed to growing sales of our products in Seoul and other parts of the country.

“Our award winning double gin is already being used in cocktails at the ritzy Charles H cocktail bar in the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul that’s ranked among the world’s top 50 best bars,” he adds.

Boatyard also supplies Speciality Brands, the premium drinks agency, in Britain with its range of classic style gins and vodka in the UK.

Focused on creating farm-to-bottle spirits using locally-sourced botanicals that celebrate the county’s rural setting, Boatyard’s collection includes three core premium spirits: Boatyard Double Gin, Boatyard Old Tom Gin and Boatyard Vodka – alongside seasonal limited editions, all developed to exclusive recipes created by Joe.

Giants Basalt Gin, in a distinctive hexagonal shaped bottle that reflects the distillery’s location near the iconic Giant’s Causeway, has been marketing its products internationally and recently responded successfully to interest from distributor in Sweden, where sales of spirits are strictly regulated by Systembolaget, the government body which operates a chain of liquor stores, the only retailer of alcohol there.

Systembolaget acts as a portal for private companies selling alcohol on the Swedish market and currently represents 1,200 vendors ranging from small local breweries to large scale importers and multinational companies, selling products from a total of over 5,000 producers from all over the world.

James Richardson at Giants Basalt Gin says: “Gaining access to such a regulated marketplace as Sweden is a significant boost for us as we seek to build business for our gin outside Northern Ireland. We’ve linked up with an established distributor who knows the market and its regulations well and will help grow our business there.”

The gin, represented in Northern Ireland by Anzac Drinks in Ballycastle, is now on sale in around 60 outlets across Northern Ireland.