Colonsay Beverages Ltd, Dunoran, Scalasaig, Isle of Colonsay, Scotland, PA61 7YZ, UK
Wild Island Lucrative Distillers Cut Gin
WILD ISLAND “DISTILLER’S CUT” GIN
Completing the set in our permanent portfolio of premium gins, Wild Island ‘Distiller’s Cut’ is distilled on the isle of Colonsay on our 250 litre still and bottled with fresh Hebridean island water.
We have taken the base of our Original Botanic Gin recipe including lemon balm, wild water mint and meadowsweet and added juicy island grown redcurrants. This has created a fresh new expression with the tart tanginess of ripe berries giving way to a sweet floral finish.
Wild Island ‘Distiller’s Cut’ has been awarded a Silver Medal at the prestigious and fiercely contested International Spirits Challenge (ISC), the only Colonsay distilled gin to be placed in the awards.
Our vision from the very beginning was to create a gin that celebrated the beauty of our island home and the range of our botanical larder. Our ambition was to create a gin we were proud of whilst adding value to our local island economy. In 2017 we added our first small scale gin still to the Wild Island Distillery and began experimenting with different botanicals. We created the first in our test-batch series “Distiller’s Cut’ which was the first gin ever to be produced on Colonsay.
We have added to our range with a honey-infused gin, using local Colonsay honey and a cask aged gin aged for a full 12 months in ex-Islay malt whisky barrels.
Our original ‘Distiller’s Cut’ expression proved so popular that we have added it to our permanent range in its new 70cl bottle format, distilled in small batches.
Key Botanical
Wild Island Botanic Gin
Colonsay Beverages Ltd,
Dunoran, Scalasaig,
Isle of Colonsay,
Scotland, PA61 7YZ
info@wildislandgin.com
Tel: +44 (0)7785 787 892
Our Awards
Contemporary Gin Class
Enjoy Wild Island Gin
WHERE TO BUY
Wild Island Botanic Gin is available from on and off sales outlets across the UK. We also have a number of online partners.
Exclusive seasonal specials will appear here from time to time, follow us on Facebook Twitter and Instagram for details.
PERFECT SERVE
Wild Island Botanic Gin is incredibly smooth and delicious served simply with a cube of ice and a sprig of mint.
It, of course, makes the perfect WIG and tonic. We suggest a slice of lemon, a good quality tonic (at not more than 2:1 ratio to gin) and plenty of good ice. Finish with a sprig of mint and a twist of lemon peel for added aroma. Stir gently and enjoy.
“SOUTHSIDE”
Created in Prohibition-era US and named after the notorious “Southside” district of Chicago, this cocktail is uncomplicated and delicious and was reputed to be a favourite of Al Capone.
50ml Wild Island Botanic Gin
25ml lime juice
20ml sugar syrup
8 mint leaves
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice, shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Double strain into a chilled Champagne flute and garnish with a sprig of mint
Add soda to create the alternative “Southside Fizz”
‘Distiller’s Cut’ Gin and Tonic
1 part Wild Island ‘Distiller’s Cut’ gin
2 parts good quality tonic water (try Elderflower tonic for a twist on the original)
A sprig of fresh mint
A scattering of raspberries if you like
Fresh cubed ice
Fill a highball glass with ice and pour in the gin. Top up with the tonic water, add the sprig of mint and garnish with the berries. Gently stir and serve.
Wild Island Gin The Botanicals
Our six native plants which we hand gather here in Spring and Summer – lemon balm, wild water mint, meadowsweet, sea buckthorn, heather flowers and bog myrtle – provide the heart and soul of Wild Island Botanic Gin.
The British wheat that we use, along with a base of ten other botanicals, led by juniper berries along with coriander seeds, sweet Mediterranean lemon peel, orange peel, liquorice, cinnamon bark, angelica root, orris root, cassia bark and nutmeg, provide body and depth to the gin.
This is a truly unique premium gin of the very highest quality.
Six Wild Botanicals
Isle of Colonsay
WILD ISLAND
Colonsay is a tiny and remote island two and a quarter hours by ferry from the mainland – a place of massive contrasts and stunning beauty.
Long sandy beaches with seal covered reefs offshore, soaring sea cliffs, abundant birdlife and a population of about 130 people.
They say in these parts you get four seasons in a day as the great Atlantic weather systems sweep over the island. With nothing between here and Canada those weather systems bring fearsome and dramatic winter storms.
In summer the island enjoys more sunshine that any other part of Britain.
There is an award winning hotel, a general store selling everything you need, a little café, The Pantry, that is the hub of the community and a well stocked bookshop.
Together with the freshest oysters, prized honey from our native Black Bee and The Colonsay Brewery beers it all adds up to a great island experience.
Kiloran Bay
The watercolour design that appears on every bottle of Wild Island Botanic Gin depicts the colours and contours of the majestic Kiloran Bay at the northern end of our remote Hebridean Island.
A gentle stroll here along the sands with nothing but bird-song in the sky, fresh sea-salty air on the lips and the ocean ebbing and flowing beneath your feet is one of life’s true pleasures.
Wild & Wonderful
The Distillers
Our dream from the start was to create a gin that celebrated the beauty of our island home and the range of our botanical larder. We decided to enlist the skills of Master Distiller Rob Dorsett of Langley Distillery to help us achieve a premium quality gin with the island at its heart.
Rob has over 40 year’s experience as a distiller and working with him to create Wild Island Botanic Gin was an education and a privilege. Our first two spirts are produced, by Rob, in a traditional copper pot still, McKay by name, which dates back to the 1860’s and is one of the oldest working in the UK. Langley, in the heart of the black country, has a heritage dating back to 1805 and is one of the country’s last surviving family owned distilleries.
In 2017 we added our first mini still to the Wild Island distillery and began experimenting with different botanicals. We created the first in our mini-series “Distiller’s Cut’ which was the first gin ever to be produced on Colonsay.
We have added to our range with a honey gin, using local Colonsay honey and a cask aged gin using old Islay whisky barrels.
Just a year later we added to our distilling capacity with a 250l still and got to work on perfecting our original ‘Distiller’s Cut’ recipe which proved so popular that we have added it to our permanent range in a 70cl bottle.
On Colonsay, island distiller Chris works closely with Rob in creating a botanical series- Distiller’s Cut. These limited edition specials feature the best in-season flora from the island and are produced on Colonsay’s first legal still in our Wild Island Distillery.
They are available to purchase exclusively from our shop. New releases will be announced on our social media platforms. Keep an eye on our pages for more exciting news coming soon.
