Capture the flavours of the coast in your G&T with this uniquely delicious Oyster Gin!

Dreaming of a seaside holiday? We’ve got the next best thing: an exquisite bottle of craft gin from the Isle of Bute off the west coast of Scotland. Subtle and sophisticated, it’s the world’s first ever oyster gin, made using premium Scottish oyster shells as a botanical. Craft Gin Club’s panel of experts selected Isle of Bute Oyster Gin to be June’s Discovery Gin.

What exactly is a Discovery Gin? In addition to the Gin of the Month boxes Craft Gin Club sends its members, a committee of experts chooses a gin to satisfy gin drinkers with a taste for adventure. This June, Isle of Bute Oyster Gin will be featured on the Craft Gin Club online shop to give gin fans across the UK a taste of this delicious maritime spirit.

Meet the Makers

With ancient ruins and quaint harbours shrouded in sea mist, the beautiful Isle of Bute has long been a well-kept secret of Scottish locals.

Rhona Madigan-Wheatley, who co-founded Isle of Bute Gin distillery with her partner Jack, says, “As soon as you mention the Isle of Bute to people in the West Coast of Scotland, their faces light up. Everyone has a story about jumping in a car or caravan with their family and friends and going there in the summer, and so many people have the fondest memories of the island – there’s a real sense of nostalgia.”

When Rhona ran into Simon Tardivel, a distiller and brewer who was living on the Isle of Bute, she was keen to hear his ideas for a gin. Jack and Rhona had long harboured dreams of opening their own gin distillery, and this felt like fate giving them a nudge.

Over coffee with Simon, they chatted about how they could create gins that would show people what it’s like to step off the ferry on to Bute and discover a world full of oceanic scents, sounds and sights. That’s when inspiration struck.

While distillers around the world were starting to experiment with seaweed and marine ingredients, no one had made an oyster gin before, so they were in uncharted territory.

Deliciously savoury, and incredibly moreish in Martinis and G&Ts, the spirit was destined to become the most popular in the Isle of Bute Distillery range. For chefs across Scotland and beyond, it’s the perfect aperitif to compliment gourmet seafood. Soon enough bottles of Isle of Bute Oyster Gin made their way to restaurants across the UK.

It also began attracting gin lovers from far and wide to the island, interested in seeing the place that inspired such a unique spirit.

Rhona says, “Tourism and hospitality present big opportunities for island communities – it’s something that creates jobs and encourages people to stay on the island. It plays a big role in supporting the local economy, and we’re so excited to think our gins and distillery might mean more people travel to and discover Bute.”

Jack nods, “By the end of 2021 we’ll be moving our distillery into Bute Yard, a farm-house style structure where artisan food and drinks businesses will come together to showcase the best of Bute.”

Until you can visit the Isle of Bute for yourself, crack open a bottle of Isle of Bute Oyster Gin and explore its sophisticated flavours.

Craft Gin Clubbers can order a bottle of this superb spirit online today! Visit our online shop to buy a beautiful bottle of Bute Oyster Gin, or to explore our full range of extraordinary Discovery Gins.