A Coastal Spirit Arrives Stateside: The Debut of Mermaid Gin

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Mermaid-scale bottles lined the bar at New York’s The Ivory Peacock, the world’s second-largest gin bar, refracting the light across a packed lounge. The evening marked the U.S. debut of Mermaid Gin and the Isle of Wight Distillery’s entry into the North American market, with three core expressions introduced throughout the night. The gin was poured neat and mixed into cocktails that let the base spirit show through. Everything just stood out: the sculpted bottle, a distillery on the Isle of Wight off England’s southern coast, and a gin built on a tight selection of botanicals that keeps things clean and balanced, equally suited for sipping or mixing. That approach has already earned recognition, including multiple wins at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Drinks were kept simple, which worked in the gin’s favor. A classic gin and tonic let the citrus and saline notes come through cleanly, while a martini showed how well it holds up alongside a more complex ingredient like vermouth without losing its edge. Even sipped neat, the spirit holds its own when paired with the evening’s hors d’oeuvres such as crab cakes and oysters. Whether mixed or neat, the focus stayed on the gin itself, not on masking it with elaborate presentation or heavy-handed ingredients. Versatility and restraint is Mermaid Gin’s trump card.

The Isle of Wight Distillery, founded in 2014 by Xavier Baker and Conrad Gauntlett, is based on England’s southern coast on the Isle of Wight, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where Mermaid Gin is crafted using a focused mix of coastal botanicals. One of the key ingredients is rock samphire, foraged along the island’s shoreline and referred to locally as “mermaid’s kiss.” It brings a subtle, welcomed salinity that you don’t often find in gin. It makes a strong case for restraint. Not every gin needs a long list of botanicals to feel complete.

Mermaid Gin, the distillery’s core expression and a Gold Winner at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, is a London Dry Gin, hand-crafted with a blend of ten botanicals that adapts to just about any drinking occasion. Juniper leads, citrus keeps it bright, and there’s a light peppery edge underneath. The rock samphire brings a subtle saline note that lingers on the finish. It doesn’t lean sweet or overly floral, keeping it grounded in what makes gin so vibrant and popular in the first place.

Shop Mermaid Gin: $39.99

That versatility showed up all night. You saw it in the low-ABV “Low Tide” cocktails, where the profile stayed intact without getting lost. It is a mainstay of a gin that deserves to be kept on your homebar at all times. A refreshing G&T, a bold martini, or something lighter in the summer batched ahead of time. It all works.

Mermaid Zest Gin, the second expression, builds on the original with three additional botanicals, pushing it in a more citrus-driven direction that fits well with modern spritz culture. It was also awarded Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2025. 

Shop Mermaid Zest Gin: $39.99

Grapefruit peel adds a bright, zesty lift, while island bergamot brings a more aromatic, floral citrus note. Coastal rosemary rounds it out with a dry, herbal backbone that gives the gin structure and a more Mediterranean feel.

This one leaned brighter. More citrus and more lift. It stayed in demand throughout the evening, especially in Gin Rickeys where the tart, aromatic edge cut cleanly through the soda and held up against the carbonation. You kept seeing it in people’s hands. The perfect contender for a spritz or a blossom-style cocktail; it takes center stage, with a bright profile that still stays smooth and controlled.

There is also a third expression, Mermaid Pink Gin, infused with strawberries, but it didn’t land the same way. It shifts toward a sweeter, more fruit-forward profile that feels less aligned with what makes the core expression compelling. It’s easy to see the appeal for a different palate, a more approachable style that creates an entry point for those who may find gin too potent, but for me, the sweetness and slight medicinal finish pull it away from what I look for in a gin. Not every expression hits the same, and that’s fine.

Gin is a clean, refreshing spirit that can be polarizing, depending on who you ask. It doesn’t help that the category often leans on excess to stand out in a crowded market. Mermaid Gin, however, keeps things tight and balanced, and that’s exactly why it shines. At a certain point, you realize most of what’s added isn’t needed. The good ones know when to stop. The Isle of Wight Distillery does.

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