Xavier Baker and Conrad Gauntlett licensed the island's first distillery in 2014, bringing backgrounds in brewing and winemaking respectively to what started as a passion project for hand-crafted spirits. Mermaid Gin, their flagship product, uses wild-foraged and ethically sourced ingredients including rock samphire gathered from the shoreline, hops grown at Ventnor Botanic Gardens and strawberries from the Arreton Valley, run through column stills that keep only the central 'hearts' portion of each batch. A partnership with the National Museum of the Royal Navy produces an HMS Victory gin and rum finished with real oak taken from the ship itself. The range has grown to include a spiced rum, a pink gin and a salt vodka alongside the original. The distillery holds B Corp certification and packages its spirits without plastic. The site on Pondwell Hill sits within reach of Ryde.
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