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P&O Cruises and Salcombe Gin join forces to make the world's first floating gin distillery!
Aug 20, 2021
Visiting a gin distillery is one of our favourite activities here at Craft Gin Club, (and if you’re keen - check out the most remote and beautiful distilleries in the world!). So it’s safe to say that we are more than a little excited to see that P&O Cruises have teamed up with Salcombe Gin to put a gin distillery on their brand new cruise ship.
Named Iona, after the Scottish island of the same name, the new 5,200-passenger ship is set to launch this month and will have a swanky gin bar serving over 300 varieties of gin, including a brand-new craft gin from Salcombe called Marabelle Gin and the gins made in the onboard distillery, of course.
Credit: P&O Cruises
Inspired by the coastal vitality of Salcombe (a small town on England’s south coast) and its shipbuilding culture, Salcombe Distilling Co. creates spirits at its waterside distillery in Salcombe, Devon - one of the world’s only distilleries directly accessible by boat. So it makes sense their next venture would be quite literally on the water…
Their remarkable Start Point Gin was our February 2018 Gin of the Month, and we’ve been a fan ever since.
So what will be happening aboard Iona? Salcombe Distilling Co. will distil the brand spanking new maritime-inspired recipe in its custom made 450-litre copper still ‘Provident’ on the ship. This unique distillery on the water is where Iona’s signature gin will be distilled, bottled and labelled.
Making Marabelle gin. (Credit: P&O Cruises)
Named ‘Marabelle Gin’, (42% ABV), the gin’s recipe was inspired by the terroir found on Iona (a Scottish island and namesake of the Iona ship). Heather, found on the Scottish island is one of the 18 botanicals used to create the gin, alongside, green apple, citrus, blackberry, rose petals and sea kelp. As well as being served in cocktails, Marabelle Gin will be sold on-board, to be enjoyed at home. One thing’s for sure: Iona sounds like our type of boat!
This exciting partnership unites two British brands with a love of ocean adventures in a beautifully crafted gin. Iona and the sea have been the inspiration for every element of Marabelle Gin from the name and the design of the bottle label, with the star formations in the night sky overhead, to the flora native to the island of Iona, juniper and heather, used in the recipe.”
— Angus Lugsdin, co-founder of Salcombe Distilling Co.
And that’s not all, they’ll be allowing gin-thusiastic guests to attend one of two gin masterclasses. The first? Salcombe experts will be sharing secrets about distilling gin - with a tasting session to boot. The second? A ginny gathering, offering thirsty guests the opportunity to create their own gin. We. are. sold.
P&O Cruises will also be working with Salcombe Distilling Co. to develop limited-edition gins that celebrate the destinations visited by guests with the cruise line. *Books a cruise immediately*
All aboard! Let the adventure be-gin!
To find out more, click here. Take a look at our stunning range of Salcombe gins on our shop, too.
