‘Gunpowder’ for ‘Sausage Tree’
The second brand from The Shed Distillery follows the now iconic Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin launched just under two years ago.
This time Shed Distillery proprietor PJ Rigney’s quest to create ‘Nature’s Purest-Tasting Vodka’ led him to Africa to discover the Kigelia africana or the “Sausage Tree”.
Known for its curative & purifying powers (just like the wild Irish nettle in the Drumshanbo woodlands), PJ brought the two together back in The Shed Distillery and slow-distilled them by hand with Irish grain.
Every bottle of Sausage Tree will be slow-distilled by hand, carefully hand-bottled, sealed and labelled at The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo Co Leitrim.
The unique deep red glass bottle bears curious markings and the striking label boldly proclaims ‘Nature has no place for the weak’.
As with Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin the super-premium vodka will be distributed in Ireland by Dalcassian Wines & Spirits which is co-owned between PJ and its Managing Director John Dillon.
Reflecting “the superior quality of this super premium pure Irish vodka” the 43% ABV vodka will retail at between €44 & €49 on the Irish market.
The launch of Sausage Tree spells further good news for Ireland’s Northwest. Together with the opening of The Shed’s new Visitor Experience next year, an additional 22 jobs will be created at the Drumshanbo distillery.
From just two employees when the Shed first opened in December 2014 there are now 18 full-time employees (many were previously long-term unemployed, some for as long as eight years). The new jobs will bring the total number of employees to at least 40 in 2019.
The prestige of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin was celebrated in Washington last week when it was chosen to feature at The Ambassador’s Patrick’s Day reception, served to 600 dignitaries and special guests including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
