Veteran Gerry unveils his new artisan gin

The revival in the fortunes of gin continued this week when veteran Belfast publican, Gerry White (57) unveiled his own brand at a function in the city’s Linen Hall Library, attended by the Lord Mayor, Cllr. Arder Carson.

Jawbox – made by Echlinville Distillery in KIrcubbin, Co. Down – is a classic, dry, premium gin and Ireland’s first ‘single estate’ variety. Presented in a Victorian-style medicine bottle, the new product takes its unusual moniker from an old local word for the kitchen sink.

Gerry is well-known to most in the trade. The long-serving manager of The John Hewitt in Belfast has worked at various bars in the city for the last 30 years. The arrival of Jawbox is the realisation of a long-cherished dream for him and he has been very involved in the design of the bottle, the recipe and the story behind the new gin:

“I know craft beer has been massive, but gin has always been my drink,” he said recently. “Jawbox was created to reflect something very special about Belfast – the real character of the city and its people. It’s a classic dry gin like no other. For a start, the makers actually grow their own grain, use water from their own well and distil their own spirit before adding fragrant botanicals such as Black Mountain heather, coriander seed and Angelica Root, all here in Northern Ireland.”

Gerry says that his ultimate goal is to be able to sit in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin and order one of his own products over the bar.

Jawbox is now available in Northern Ireland through Drinksology.