Samuel Gelston’s Christmas Gold Fever Competition
Samuel Gelston’s has unveiled some gilded glamour to the UK, since the start of Autumn, via a series of exciting collaborations and events that explore the golden roots of its Irish Whiskey. On the 15th December, Samuel Gelston’s Irish Whiskey continued this celebration of the ‘gold fever’ of its historic founder with the unveiling of a spectacular one-off golden bottle, which one lucky whiskey enthusiast stands to win this festive season.
Handcrafted by wild gold expert and jewellery maker Mark Bell, the bespoke bottle has been gilded with a version of Gelston’s unique star logo made from pure Irish river gold and engraved to pay homage to the whiskey’s unique heritage.
Established in Belfast in the 1830s, Samuel Gelston’s was purchased by daring young Irishman Harry Neill in 1869 who had made his fortune in Australia’s famous 1851 Gold Rush.
Having previously celebrated this history with a special gold panning event and ‘gold rush’ cocktail campaign earlier this year, Samuel Gelston’s has now commissioned wild gold expert and jewellery maker Mark Bell, the Co-Founder of ethical jewellers Jacqueline & Edward, to embellish Samuel Gelston’s signature star on a bottle of their blended Irish whiskey for a sensationally festive competition this December.
The finished piece weighs approximately 8g and is half pure Irish river gold from County Down and County Antrim, and half 18ct yellow gold alloy, made from purely recycled materials.
Mark explained:
“When I heard that a fantastic whiskey brand wanted to do a collaboration, the whiskey lover in me was over the moon. Simplicity seemed like the key with regards to the design, so we re-created their signature logo…. but in solid gold.
Having now sampled some of their whiskey thanks to Samuel Gelston’s generosity, I can say with my hand on my heart that it is a fine tipple and I’m proud to be part of their journey.“
To be in with a chance of winning the striking bottle, UK-based whiskey fans who are over the age of 18 are encouraged to either email: gelstonsgold@burtgreener.co.uk and state where or how they would most like to enjoy a dram of Gelston’s liquid gold or enter via Gelston’s Instagram @samuelgelstons.
The deadline for entries is 29th December and the lucky winner will be notified the following day.
About Samuel Gelston’s
Samuel Gelston’s Old Irish whiskey was founded in 1830 by Samuel Gelston. It was a time when Irish whiskey was famous around the world. Samuel, a wine and whiskey merchant from Belfast, made it his mission to source, blend and bottle the best Irish whiskey from across Ireland. At the time there were 88 licensed distilleries on the island, and Samuel selected the very highest quality liquids for each bottle.
In 1869, following Samuel’s death, the business was bought by Harry J. Neill. Harry J. Neill. had previously set sail from Ireland’s shores with his younger brother Percival in order to make their fortunes in the Australian Gold Rush of 1851. Having established and subsequently sold his successful provisions business in Melbourne & Geelong, Harry returned to Belfast and purchased Gelston’s using his new-found wealth to build the Gelston’s business and export his own ‘liquid gold’ for the world to enjoy. Percival, however, travelled on to New Zealand to establish Messrs Neill & Co in Dunedin in 1882.
At the start of the 20th century, however, the landscape for Irish Whiskey faced a number of serious challenges, such that the combined effects of World War I, the Irish War for Independence and finally Prohibition, brought about the near collapse of the Irish Whiskey industry – which, subsequently, led to the demise of Samuel Gelston’s Irish Whiskey. The brand remained with the Neill family, and five generations later it has now been revived by Harry’s great-great-grandson, Johnny Neill.
Johnny and well-known master distiller Frank McHardy made it their mission to journey across Ireland again to source, bottle and blend the best liquids they could find and Samuel Gelston’s Old Irish Whiskey was reborn. Samuel Gelston’s Blended Irish Whiskey, is made from a blend of locally sourced Irish malted barley and grain that is triple distilled for smoothness, then matured in the finest quality ex-bourbon oak casks. The combination of triple distillation, in addition to the finest ingredients and cask ageing, creates an elegantly smooth yet expressive whiskey with rich flavours that can be savoured neat, over ice or mixed into a long refreshing drink.
The current collection includes Samuel Gelston’s Single Malt, Single Pot Still, 5 Year Old Single Malt, 10 Year Old Single Malt, 15YO Single Malt, 26 Year Old Single Malt. Cousins, Johnny & Sam Neill, descendants of Harry and Percival have joined forces on the latest launch that marries Johnny’s Irish Whiskey with Sam’s Pinot Noir New Zealand Wine Casks.
This exciting brand is back doing what it did best.
About Jacqueline & Edward
Mark Bell together with his wife Jacqueline represent the family company which is Jacqueline & Edward. They focus on creating handmade wedding rings from eco-friendly recycled precious metals and sustainably panned alluvial river gold. Mark has been panning and prospecting for gold since he was a boy.
Contact details
Address:
Halewood Artisanal Spirits
First Floor, Tennyson House,
159 – 165 Great Portland Street,
LONDON, W1W 5PA
Telephone: +44 (0)151 480 8800 (Customer services)
Email: info@hjneill.com
Internet: https://samuelgelstons.com
Facebook: @SamuelGelstons
Instagram: @samuelgelstons
References:
- https://samuelgelstons.com
- https://halewood-int.com/
- Press release from Burt Greener Communications
Images:
- https://samuelgelstons.com
- (Other images kindly provided through Burt Greener Communications)