SAN FRANCISCO SEAL OF APPROVAL FOR SHORTCROSS GIN
~ Shortcross celebrates San Francisco World Spirits Competition win & success of first year
with release of 365 limited edition gold waxed first anniversary bottles ~
There are sure to be high spirits this May, as Ireland’s international award-winning gin, Shortcross celebrates its first anniversary.
Shortcross Gin is the first spirit to be launched by Rademon Estate Distillery – the North’s first and only craft distillery. Founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong, Rademon Estate Distillery is located at the couple’s historic family estate just outside Downpatrick, Co. Down. The first batch of their super premium craft Gin, Shortcross was released in May 2014 to great critical acclaim and the word is spreading fast.
In just a year since its launch at the Rademon Estate Distillery, Shortcross has quickly become the choice of discerning gin drinkers at home and abroad. From Belfast to Dublin, London to Edinburgh and Paris to San Francisco, Shortcross is causing a stir in the global craft gin market.
In April, the award-winning Co. Down gin added to its already impressive list of accolades, winning a Silver Medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2015.
Shortcross impressed the judges –amongst the world’s leading spirits experts – to beat off stiff competition from gin brands across the world to clinch the coveted silver medal, which was no mean feat, with record-breaking numbers of submissions received in the gin category for 2015.
To celebrate the brand’s recent success, and to mark its first year, Rademon Estate Distillery will launch a special limited edition anniversary batch on 4th May. Each of the 365 bottles – one for each day of its first year – will be individually signed, labelled, numbered and sealed with a striking gold wax.
Rademon Estate Distillery is now exporting Shortcross Gin to four countries, including, France, GB and Holland, with plans to expand its export distribution network and bring Shortcross to more countries in the coming year.
Commenting on the success of Shortcross in its first year, Founder and Head Distiller, David Boyd-Armstrong said: “Over the last year, we have worked hard to grow and establish Shortcross Gin. The small batch philosophy behind Shortcross is at the heart of everything we do. From handpicking, foraging and sourcing the botanicals, drawing our own fresh waters to managing the delicate distillation process in our custom copper still and bottling and labelling each bottle by hand, we are driven by a passion to create the finest gin in Ireland.”
A vibrant gin with an exceptionally long and smooth finish, Shortcross is classic in style with a unique twist. Fresh apples, elderberries, elderflower and Irish clover are foraged and handpicked within the estate grounds and distilled with other botanicals including juniper, coriander, orange peel, lemon peel and cassia to create an uplifting bouquet of wild berries and summer meadows.
Over the past year, bartenders and mixologists across Ireland and the UK have championed Shortcross, creating their own unique Shortcross serves. From the classic Shortcross G&T, served over ice with premium tonic and a spiral of orange peel to innovative new creations using grapefruit and fresh basil, there have been countless great Shortcross drinks served up and down the country and further afield.
This month, the distillery will invite bartenders to showcase their Shortcross Signature Serves in a special competition. Judges including Oliver Ward from Gin Foundry and Caroline Wilson, Northern Ireland’s Local Food Hero 2014 and founder of Belfast Food Tours, will be tasked with deciding the top three Shortcross Signature Serves.
Commenting on the competition, Fiona Boyd-Armstrong, Founder and Managing Director of Rademon Estate Distillery, said:
“We are so proud of and passionate about Shortcross Gin and we have been immensely touched by the overwhelmingly positive reception from people locally, nationally and internationally in our first year. It’s wonderful that so many people share our love for the product- it just seems to have struck a chord with people and we’re so proud to see our vision for Shortcross Gin come to life.
“Bartenders, hoteliers and restaurateurs have been a huge support to us and we are greatly looking forward to seeing the industry showcase their expertise in creating their own Shortcross Signature Serve. We’re also in the process of expanding our distribution and export networks to bring Shortcross Gin to more people, right across the world.”
Shortcross Gin is stocked by leading high-end hotels, restaurants and bars across Ireland including Carton House, Co. Kildare, Castle Leslie, Co. Monaghan, Mourne Seafood, Dublin, The Merchant Hotel, James Street South and Ox in Belfast, Balloo House, Co. Down, Newforge House, Co. Armagh and the Bushmills Inn, Co. Antrim.
Shortcross Gin has an RRP of €50 and is available to buy online across Ireland at jnwine.com and Celtic Whiskey Shop
For further information and to find a stockist near you, including where you can find one of the 365 limited edition anniversary bottles, visit www.Shortcrossgin.com
Share your Shortcross stories on twitter @ShortcrossGin and Facebook, facebook.com/Shortcrossgin
