Mermaid Gin Announces Strategic Growth Partnership to Accelerate US Expansion

Founded 10 years ago on the Isle of Wight, a unique island and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve just off England's southern coast, Mermaid Gin was created to capture a true taste of its island home. Each bottle reflects that origin, crafted with care to minimise waste and using local, ethically sourced botanicals to create smooth, complex spirits.

The partnership brings together experienced global and U.S. drinks industry leaders to support Mermaid Gin's continued momentum, with a focus on expanding distribution, strengthening trade relationships and building long-term brand equity across the on- and off-premise. The brand is currently available in 52 countries including Asia and Australia.

As part of the partnership, Jim Clerkin joins the brand as chief executive officer and board director, working alongside the existing leadership team to guide Mermaid Gin's U.S. growth strategy. Clerkin brings more than 40 years of global wine and spirits leadership experience, having held senior roles at Guinness, The Jim Beam Company, Allied Domecq and Moët Hennessy, where he served as president and CEO of Moët Hennessy USA before leading North America.

Pierrick Bouquet joins as chief operating officer, U.S, overseeing all American commercial, marketing and operational initiatives. Bouquet brings nearly two decades of experience building premium wine and spirits brands in the U.S., including leadership roles at 21Seeds Tequila and Whispering Angel.

Will Ward, Founder and Managing Partner of Fourward Ventures, joins the partnership as a Board Member and Lead Investor. Ward previously co-founded Z Alexander Brown and led the investment round in Mermaid, bringing deep experience in investing in and scaling consumer brands, with a differentiated background across capital strategy, entertainment, and strategic partnerships."Having been in marketing and the consumer business for decades, I've rarely seen many brands as powerful as Mermaid. I look forward to helping make Mermaid a leading brand in the global spirits market." says Will.

Founded by Xavier Baker & Conrad Gauntlett in 2014, the Isle of Wight Distillery is the island's first distillery and the home of Mermaid, a luxury craft spirits brand inspired by island life and the ocean that surrounds it.

With this new partnership, it will be business as usual for the co-founders, Xavier and Conrad, who will remain fully involved in the day-to-day operations and development of the brand. Xavier will be Managing Director UK & Europe and Conrad will be COO UK & Europe.  Xavier and Conrad will remain significant shareholders in the company based on the Isle of Wight. They are supported by Sales Director Malcom McClellan and Marketing Director Claire Layfield. Malcolm has been with the business since the start and Claire, previously Brand Director for Bombay Sapphire, joined in 2025.

The Isle of Wight will remain the home of Mermaid with all the benefits this brings, with the distillation, bottling and Visitors' Centre relocating under one roof in the near future. The Isle of Wight Distillery is proudly B Corp Certified with the distillery proactively striving to protect the environment, presenting Mermaid plastic-free and supporting seagrass meadow restoration projects locally and overseas.

"Mermaid was born on the Isle of Wight with a simple idea: to create a gin that genuinely reflects the place we call home," says Baker, co-founder of Mermaid Gin. "As we grow in the U.S., this partnership allows us to stay true to our island roots, our commitment to quality and our responsibility to the environment, while building a stronger long-term presence with American trade."

"From day one, the liquid has led everything we do. Our focus has always been on crafting a gin with real depth, balance and a sense of place," Gauntlett says. "This next phase is about sharing that quality more widely in the U.S., working closely with bartenders and retailers who value authenticity and provenance."

"Mermaid Gin brings together craftsmanship, story and distinctive flavour — exactly what today's premium gin consumer is seeking," Clerkin says. "We see exciting opportunities for the brand in the U.S., where the super-premium gin segment — defined by IWSR as gin priced between $30 and $45, the tier where Mermaid competes — grew 57% between 2020 and 2024, reaching more than 1.25 million nine-litre cases and delivering a compound annual growth rate of 12%. That's double the growth rate of super-premium tequila over the same period, even as tequila remains significantly larger overall. As younger, design- and values-driven consumers enter the category, gin is playing an increasingly important role in American cocktail culture, and we're excited to build Mermaid's future in the U.S."

Mermaid Gin's U.S. expansion is supported by a newly signed master distribution agreement with Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, enabling a national rollout across priority on- and off-premise markets.

"We are proud to support the next phase of Mermaid's growth in the U.S. market," says Mark Chaplin, president of commercial sales at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. "We are prepared to activate our industry insights, digital capabilities and logistics network to accelerate distribution, deepen customer engagement and help unlock Mermaid's full potential."

At the heart of every bottle of Mermaid Gin is its signature botanical, rock samphire, foraged from the island's shoreline and known locally as Mermaid's Kiss. This wild coastal plant brings a distinctive freshness and subtle hint of sea air to the gin.

Mermaid Gin's portfolio includes three award-winning, sustainably crafted expressions RRP £41. Mermaid Gin is a smooth London Dry with citrus, spice, and coastal rock samphire, awarded Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Mermaid Zest, a Double Gold winner, is bright and citrus-forward with bergamot and rosemary, while Mermaid Pink is infused with Isle of Wight strawberries for a naturally fruit-forward finish.

Since its inception, the ocean has been Mermaid's greatest inspiration. The brand is proudly B Corp certified, presented completely plastic-free and actively supports charities dedicated to protecting marine environments, including seagrass meadow restoration projects.

Notes to Editors

Mermaid and the Isle of Wight Distillery

Inspired by island life and the ocean that surrounds it, Mermaid was founded in 2015 by Xavier Baker and Conrad Gauntlett at the Isle of Wight Distillery. With a wealth of knowledge in brewing and winemaking, Xavier and Conrad set about combining their experience to embark on a passion project – hand-crafted spirits, made on a unique UNESCO island, using wild-foraged and ethically sourced ingredients. Mermaid Gin is certified B Corp and is presented completely plastic-free, reflecting a deep commitment to social responsibility, environmental stewardship and community.

Their small team distil award-winning spirits shaped by their stunning surroundings and rich provenance. Each bottle, endowed with shimmering sea-glass scales to make it unmistakably Mermaid, offers a taste of the island, created with care to minimise waste and using local ingredients to produce a range of smooth, complex spirits. At the heart of every batch is their signature botanical, rock samphire, foraged from the shoreline and known locally as Mermaid's Kiss. Since Mermaid's inception, the ocean has been the team's greatest inspiration. That's why they support charities dedicated to protecting it and ensure Mermaid is presented completely plastic-free. From sea to serve, a Mermaid moment awaits.

www.isleofwightdistillery.com

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