Our Gin
Our unique Irish artisanal gin is distilled in small batches and hand-finished here in our home of Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry. Each local botanical has been carefully chosen, filled with flavour that truly captures the essence of our homeland.
Our location on the Skellig Coast has a landscape rich with natural ingredients from the woodland to the Atlantic seashore. Collaborating with sea foragers, land foragers, chefs and fishermen we have been on a journey of discovery, selecting a range of unique local botanical ingredients for our gin. We partnered in the early stages of our gin development with Michelin-starred Chef, Ross Lewis, to craft a flavour that pairs perfectly with food.
Harvested sustainably from the clear Atlantic waters in Derrynane, Kerry, dillisk is loaded with vitamins, minerals and protein.
Yarrow brings a bittersweet finish, with tones of citrus and anise to our Skellig Six18 gin. Traditionally in Kerry, this plant was known as a good luck charm, for keeping travellers safe while on the road. You would pull ten leaves of yarrow, throwing one away and putting the rest in a white cloth, and tying it around your neck.
Generations have used the wood of the Douglas Fir tree for boat building, enabling Kerry people to fish and travel. However today, Douglas Fir needles give notes of citrus and pink grapefruit for a herbaceous finish to our Skellig Six18 Gin.
Birch trees have a caramel-like sap which we use to infuse in our Skellig Six18 gin.
This gives our gin a mild, sweet and mineral finish.
The old legend says that it was from this Kerry coastline, that Oisín and Niamh took to the sea on their white horse to Tír Na nÓg – the land of the youth
Juniper berries are the primary flavouring agent in gin, providing its characteristic piney, resinous, and slightly bitter taste.
Each step of the way, our team have been hands-on, working together on a gin of which we can be proud. We collaborate with our farmers and foragers, getting our hands dirty deep in the heart of our woodlands. Our locally-based sea-foraging experts, John and Kerryann Fitzgerald, supply Irish Dillisk to us from the pristine beaches of Derrynane.
Paul Quinn from Nádúr Collective shared his vast foraging knowledge and helped us experience all that our beautiful landscape has to offer. Our gin reflects what we learned and truly represents this place we call home.
At Skellig Six18, our signature serve is a classic with a twist; Skellig Six18 Gin, tonic water, ice and a slice of grapefruit. This simple combination brings out the crisp, fresh flavours in our gin, and the citrus burst gives it the perfect finish.
Creating cultural ties and fostering creative talent is something that we strive for. Our award-winning gin label features original artwork relevant to our location, entitled “Headland” developed by Irish artist, Cormac O’Leary. The original painting is on display for you to see at our Distillery & Visitor Experience. We label every bottle of gin and whiskey with the hands of local people, providing employment in a remote part of the country.
“We keep our Foireann Six18 “in the know” with first news of our distillery Exclusive whiskeys, special online speaker events, and our Aonach Fuisce at the distillery. You can join here….
