Samuel Gelston’s Celebrates Gilded History with One-of-a-Kind Wild Irish Gold Bottle
Samuel Gelston’s Irish Whiskey continues to celebrate the ‘gold fever’ of its historic founder with the unveiling today (Thursday 15th December) of a spectacular one-off golden bottle which one lucky whiskey enthusiast can 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 made his fortune in Australia’s famous 1851 Gold Rush. Upon returning to Belfast, Harry used his new-found wealth to build the Gelston’s business and export his own ‘liquid gold’ for the world to enjoy.
Having celebrated this history with a special gold panning event and ‘gold rush’ cocktail campaign earlier this year, Samuel Gelston’s have now commissioned Mark, the Co-Founder of ethical jewellers Jacqueline & Edward, to embellish Samuel Gelston’s signature star on a bottle of their blended Irish whiskey.
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 explains “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 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 29thDecember and the winner will be notified the following day.
Samuel Gelston’s Owner Johnny Neill commented: “Harry Neill was my great great grandfather so to brings his (and our whiskey’s) golden past to life through this collaboration is really exciting. Jacqueline & Edward jewellers were the perfect fit for our project. Not only are they also a family business, they are experienced gold prospectors who specialise in creating ethical pieces made from wild and Irish gold. Their bespoke bottle is a real one off and we are excited to add some sparkle to somebody’s Christmas by gifting it to them.”
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, upon Samuel’s death, the business was bought by Harry J. Neill. Harry had previously left Ireland’s shores with his younger brother Percival in order to make their fortunes in the Australian Gold rush of 1851. Having set up and subsequently sold his successful provisions business in Melbourne & Geelong, Harry returned to Belfast and purchased Gelston’s. His brother travelled on to New Zealand to set up Messrs Neill & Co in Dunedin in 1882.
However, the Irish Whiskey landscape faced serious challenges as it entered the 20th century, and the combined effects of World War I, the Irish War for Independence and finally Prohibition, resulted in the near collapse of the Irish Whiskey industry – which, in turn, led to the demise of Samuel Gelston’s Irish Whiskey.
The brand remained with the Neill family, and five generations on it has now been brought back to life 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.
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.
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.