Accolade Wines branches into gin with ginger-flavoured expression

Having made its spirits debut with the launch of its flavoured Echo Falls vodka last year, Accolade is now moving into gin with the release of a product inspired by its Stone’s ginger wine.

Accolade has released its new ginger-flavoured Stone’s Gin into both the UK on- and off-trade and will be supporting the launch with a “consumer tasting experience”.

Rather than classic tonic water, the recommended serving for the new gin is a G&G – a gin and ginger ale – garnished with lime and a slice of fresh ginger.

The gin will be available in a 700ml green glass bottle with a recommended retail price of £18.

The product launch was inspired by the history of the Stone’s brand, which was first produced in London’s Finsbury Distillery in 1740.

Founded in the middle of the so-called London Gin Craze (c.1720-1751), Stone’s is now launching a gin in what has been deemed the second gin craze or ‘ginaissance’.

Whithair continued: “It felt natural that we go back and honour the distillers of Finsbury by blending our gin heritage and ‘roots’ in ginger, to create our own Stone’s gin using traditional techniques. The original mill stones, used to crush the ginger for our ginger wine, can still be found on display on the corner of Northburgh Street in EC1″.

Accolade launched its first spirit – a flavoured vodka under the Echo Falls brand – in November last year. Inspired by the success of its Fruit Fusions wine range, Echo Falls Summer Berries Vodka is bottled at 37.5% ABV and has an RRP of between £13.50 and £16.

David White, marketing director of Accolade Wines added: “The strength of our brand portfolio is demonstrated by our ability to branch out into other categories.

“Consumers are always on the look-out for new products or serves and by harnessing our brand heritage with the current trends in gin, and in bold flavours (ginger in particular), we are confident that this exciting new product will encourage both our current and new consumers to try Stone’s Gin.

“Our recent successful launch of Echo Falls vodka demonstrates that our approach is tapping into strong consumer dynamics and creating new profit opportunities for our trade partners”.

Sales of UK gin have doubled in value in the past five years with exports and domestic sales totalling £2.2 billion in the year ending 16 June, according to the latest figures from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).