Riding the tide of gin’s resurgence in popularity in the UK, Waitrose has released a limited-edition gin developed by one of its customers.
Partakers in the Waitrose Drinks Festival engaged with Audemus Spirits in a gin-making masterclass. The newly created gins then underwent assessment by a panel of experts, which contained Waitrose category manager Anne Jones, and Waitrose Cellar buyer, Xenia Irwin MW.
The winning gin, now available through Waitrose Cellar, was christened Espirit d’Été Gin (£39/70cl).
Positive Results
"We were really happy with the results from our first ever gin competition and are very proud to be selling the winning blend, which is a truly delicious gin,” said Xenia Irwin MW.
“Between the competition in September 2016 and now, a lot of hard work has gone into bringing this gin to market. Espirit d’Été uses botanicals including juniper, galangal, orange and bergamot, making a simple and well-balanced gin. It’s an exciting time for artisanal spirits with consumer interest at an all-time high and it’s been a fun project to be a part of.”
The SKU is likely to stimulate interest in the other gins present in Waitrose’s portfolio, which has grown in popularity by about 20% over the past year.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Peter Donnelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
