Ireland’s only full-time forager becomes inspiration for new gin bottle

A gin that encompasses the scent, sights, and tastes of Glendalough.

If you're one of the many who loves a G&T on any and all occasions, the story behind Glendalough Irish Gin's newest bottle may be of interest to you. On April 20th, the distillery officially launches a standout bottle design internationally, inspired by this unique story of people and place. One of these people is Geraldine Kavanagh, a full-time forager based in Wicklow who hand picks the botanicals that crafts Glendalough Irish Gin. Her work is so prevalent in their distillation process that the new bottles are partially inspired by her work. The base of the bottle has an embossed woven pattern to represent the handmade woven basket Kavanagh uses when picking, with the actual botanicals picked, including sorrel, elderflower, and fir, decorated all over the bottle. In this sense, the new design pays a true homage to Glendalough, both visually, and in taste. Kavanagh is also meticulously sustainable, looking at each cutting before she takes it to make sure she doesn't cause unnecessary damage to the land that inspires and embodies the gin. She says this of the new gin bottle:

"The inspiration for the flavour of our gin comes from the scents, sights and tastes of Glendalough and it's my job to put that essence of place into the bottle. The ingredients that we use grow in the wild and we take a lot of care to ensure that we don't adversely affect the areas we forage from. To see the story of Glendalough and our process come to life in the new bottle design is really special and a reminder of the significance of preserving the beautiful, wild land around us."

If you're interested in picking up one of these gorge bottles, which will look simply stunning in your drinks trolley, or even on your kitchen counter, you can find the new Glendalough Distillery Irish Gin in Supervalus, O'Briens, Tesco, Celtic Whiskey Shop, Carryout, Molloys, and all good independent off licences from today, April 20th. Each bottle retails for €44. You can also place an order on their online shop. Header images via Hive Agency READ ON: - Gin and tonics shown to alleviate hayfever symptoms - 10 of the most beautiful places to see bluebells in Ireland - Irish-owned UK pub voted best in London by Time Out Magazine