Isle of Bute Gin Claimed

Isle of Bute Gin was founded in 2018 following a chance encounter at an industry event, when head distiller Simon Tardivel was introduced to the team from the Glasgow Beer Works craft brewery, including current Isle of Bute Gin director Rhona Madigan-Wheatley. Simon and Rhona shared an appreciation for craft drinks and a desire to explore the gin market. That partnership culminated in late 2018 with the purchase of a 200L copper still, which now resides at our Rothesay distillery and in June 2020 we opened the distillery doors and gin garden to the public.

Craft gin is gin that is distilled in small batches by an independent producer. We distil in small batches to ensure the quality of each batch is perfect for our customers. We stick to this ethos in other ways too, such as sourcing local ingredients and even hand-picking botanicals from various places across the island.

Copper stills have been used traditionally in gin distillation since the 18th century. They were popular due to their ability to conduct and evenly distribute heat across the whole still (which helps for an even distillation). They’re also able to absorb sulfur that occurs naturally during fermentation, which produces a smoother, cleaner gin.

And it doesn’t hurt that a copper still is very pretty to look at!

All of our gins are vegan except for our Oyster Gin, which is distilled using oyster shells fresh from Loch Fyne.

The process of distillation ensures that all of our gins are gluten free. All of our gins are also free from allergens except for our Oyster Gin, which contains molluscs. However, please check all ingredients listed on the bottles for specific allergy advice.

We're thrilled to say that we ship internationally!

We are currently fulfilling orders outwith the UK via Huffmans International Shipping. If you do not see your desired country listed at checkout, please get in touch to see if we can fulfill the order for you on an individual basis.

We do! Head over to our Experiences page (https://isleofbutegin.com/experiences/) to find out more.