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North coast entrepreneurs James Richardson and Martha Garbe are celebrating the European launch of their unique Giants Basalt Rock Gin at an international event which opened in Paris on Monday.

The gin has already won its first business in France ahead of the launch.

Coleraine man James (26) and Martha (25), who founded the gin business in 2020, will showcase the spirit, produced in black hexagonal-shaped bottles to reflect the iconic Giant’s Causeway, close to the distillery, to an array of French and International wine and spirit professionals taking part in Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris, a three-day show, in the French capital.

Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris, the flagship international event for the wine and spirits industry, will be welcoming over 30,000 visitors from across the globe, including many bartenders and restaurateurs. The 2023 exhibition will be rolling out innovative event formats for cocktails and other drinks.

Giants Basalt Rock Gin is taking part in Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris

Basalt Rock gin will be available at the show’s Infinite Bar everyday, where a talented Parisian bartender will be serving their classic drinks, as well as some

brand-new cocktails.

The opportunity to showcase the new gin came off the back of the Co. Antrim distillery securing distribution with Bordeaux-based BBC Vins and Spiritueux (BBC Spirits). The young entrepreneurs shipped over 3,000 bottles to France at the tail end of last year following an approach from the French company for its extensive domestic and international operations.

BBC says it was “thrilled from the first moment we saw Giants Basalt Rock Gin”.

“It was an obvious choice to add to our premium product portfolio. At BBC Spirits, it is important to believe in the products we distribute, and Giants Basalt Rock Gin is a product we believe in.

“With its unconventional, highly recognisable and powerful design, but also with its complex but perfectly balanced flavours, we want to promote this product, its history and its quality through our network of specialist retailers, key accounts and via e-commerce. We make a point to promote this product through tastings, whether at trade fairs, directly at wine merchants or through on-trade activations to ensure growth of the brand.”

Martha continues: “Vinexpo in Paris is a great event for us to showcase our flagship brand in France and to other international markets."

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