Giant steps for unique gin from Causeway Coast entrepreneurs

Giants Basalt Rock Gin, recently introduced by distillers James Richardson and Martha Garbe, both aged 25, in Bushmills is well on the road to success here and further afield.

The unique gin, in a distinctive black hexagonal shaped bottle – influenced by the Giant’s Causeway nearby - is now available in over 55 outlets across the Northern Ireland marketplace, according to joint owner James.

The most recent gin on the local market, Giants Basalt Rock was launched on July 1 2022 and hit the ground running after attracting a substantial amount of pre-orders online and a deal across the local market with Anzac Drinks in Ballycastle.

Garry Connelly, managing director of Anzac Drinks, is delighted with the new gin’s success.

“When I first heard about Basalt Distillery and the plans for Giant’s Gin, I was immediately intrigued,” he says.  “When I later saw the product, I knew it was a ‘must have’.  On tasting it, well I was more than impressed by the quality and taste. Anzac Drinks isn’t much more than a stone’s throw from the world- renowned Giant’s Causeway, and we are very excited to be linked with the new and upcoming distillery. Giant’s Basalt Rock Gin is sleek, it’s classy, it’s contemporary. 

“The gin is a fabulous, local product and that’s what we are all about at Anzac Drinks; bringing consumers the best, unique products, locally sourced.  We are very much looking forward to continuing and growing our relations with the guys at Basalt.”

Anzac Wines and Spirits is one of Northern Ireland’s leading drinks wholesalers, importers and distributors. A family run business, Anzac has been supplying the trade across Northern Ireland for almost 30 years.  The business has grown extensively year-on-year with more plans in place to extend this growth further.

It is currently the agent for various wines, beers and spirits sourced globally, as well as striving to be first in facilitating the requirements of all types of drinks outlets across the industry.

The Giant’s Basalt Rock brand is now available in almost 60 varied outlets across the on and off trade sectors here and this number is increasing rapidly week-on-week.

James adds: “Having Garry and the rest of the Anzac team take on and support the brand across our local market has been a great asset to our initial growth strategy.

“We are excited to see how the coming year goes with big plans to see our iconic bottles stocked across all of their gin outlets throughout the country.”

The distillery uses water from its own 600ft borehole that is filtered through the same basalt rock basin as the Giant’s Causeway in its production processes. This pure water source has a unique mineral composition to the local area and provides high levels of purity to the gin.

Start-up entrepreneurs James and Martha are both chemical engineering graduates from Heriot Watt University in Scotland. They bring a scientific approach to distilling

James explains: “Martha and I both have Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and we apply that meticulous scientific approach to distilling. This is a step away from the hand-made, craft approach. It’s something new, built on precision and accuracy as a way of creating the most incredible flavours and high-quality spirits.”

After completing Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering, James and Martha both applied their minds to distilling and have achieved their certificate with the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, and have also completed a university course set by still manufacturer, iStill. They’ve also created the small business with a strong emphasis on the latest sustainable processes, cutting-edge distilling technology and an unrivalled focus on precision.

The distillery has also veered away from the traditional copper stills, opting for a stainless-steel square still, called iStill, which is said to eliminates the inconsistencies that 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.

Key botanicals in the gin have been selected from the coastal regions of Northern Ireland including Kombu Royale which gives a salty forward flavour followed by hints of mint, and sea buckthorn with a sour forward flavour and a slight fruity sweetness supporting flavour. The third key botanical is from further afield - Tailed peppers, or piper cubeba - which brings peppery spices and a slight bitterness. All of these botanicals contribute to the complex, bold, three-dimensional flavour profile that’s carried by our high 50.1% ABV and brings on heat and a kick.

“We really wanted to create a unique gin with powerful flavours - a bold, strong gin full of heat and spice to represent a Giants’ spirit,” says Martha. A visitor experience has also been launched to showcase the technology and product to local visitors and tourists.