Dive into the new Mermaid Spiced Rum (we've got two bottles to give away)!

Aug 04, 2023

The Isle of Wight Distillery has launched Mermaid Spiced Rum and we've teamed up with the successful Island business to give a 70cl bottle each to two lucky readers.

Pick up a copy of this Friday's County Press for one competition, and look out on our Facebook page this weekend for another.

The new spirit marries Caribbean rums from Trinidad and the Dominican Republic with local fruits and spices from the Isle of Wight.

Mermaid Spiced Rum is the second rum in the distillery's spirits portfolio and will be available in two sizes, 70cl and 5cl.

Mermaid Spiced Rum is the fifth edition in the Mermaid spirit range, which includes Mermaid Gin, Mermaid Pink Gin and Mermaid Zest Gin, along with Mermaid Salt Vodka.

The Caribbean rums are infused at the Isle of Wight Distillery with their signature botanical rock samphire, fresh white cherries, apricots, honey from their beehives and black salt from the Island's coastal flood tides.

The rum is gently spiced with local holy grass, cassia and vanilla resulting in a smooth yet complex rum with a hint of sea air, delicate caramel notes and vibrant fruity spice. A tropical island blend made for sipping on island time.

Mermaid Spiced Rum is crafted from a carefully selected blend of sugar cane and molasses from sunny Trinidad and the Dominican Republic, distilled in column stills and aged between two to five years in oak bourbon whiskey barrels.

The unique spirit was inspired by a long history of Caribbean rums landing on Isle of Wight shores.

In 1836, wooden sailing ship the Clarendon was driven ashore to the wild South-West of the Wight in a fierce storm.

Voyaging from St Kitts with a cargo of rum, sugar, molasses, coconuts and turtles, the ship and near all of those who sailed in her perished, despite local fishermen's attempts to save the souls of the shipwrecked.

A young woman was washed ashore at her father's garden in Southsea, inciting stories in local folklore of mermaids returning her home to rest.

So great was the disaster that now famed lighthouse St Catherine's Point was constructed, while the ever-industrious Islanders saved, sold and imbibed the rum, and repurposed the ship's timber for an inn, renamed in its honour.

Xavier Baker, co-founder of Mermaid Gin, said: "We are delighted to announce the launch of our Mermaid Spiced Rum and offer customers a slice of tropical coastal charm.

"After a good few years of research, we’ve created a rum that encapsulates our Island life.

"It now feels right as the rum category is growing in popularity, both in households and in bars and restaurants.

"We hope this new edition will be as well received as the other spirits in our Mermaid portfolio."