WHILE tonnes of strawberries head for Wimbledon at this time of the year a select few are being kept back to create a luscious new Welsh gin.
Welsh entrepreneurs Ross Porter and James Williams are harvesting the tastiest and most succulent berries in Wales to make Jaro premium strawberry gin.
And if initial feedback is anything to go by their strawberry tinctured tipple appears to be a straight sets winner with customers
Serial entrepreneur recruitment firm boss Ross, and business partner tattoo artist and studio owner James distilled their Ginius drink idea during the long months of lockdown.
Ross, from Blackwood, Caerphilly, Director of JARO Spirits Ltd. said: “While Most people used the lockdown period to relax and catch up on those home DIY chores we spent our time developing our brand of gin to bring to market.
“Having been gin enthusiasts for a long time and with the guidance of our wives, who were the real gin experts, we set out to achieve their dream. After 12 months of testing gin recipes and lots of jumping through official hoops to obtain the necessary licences and approvals, the JARO journey began.
“Creating a premium gin has always been a dream of mine and when I mentioned it to my friend James, I discovered that he was as passionate about the idea as I was. The gin has been nearly a year in the making with plenty of experimenting and tweaks along the way, until we were happy with the end product.”
“We knew that it would be a challenge to introduce a new product to an already saturated market, however, we are really pleased with the way things are going.
“Our client base is growing steadily and we are hoping that more and more bars, clubs and pubs will stock our premium strawberry gin. Most importantly, the feedback we are receiving from customers is amazing; they’re loving the taste.
“The 37.5% proof gin, which is available on our website priced at £25.99, is made using fresh Welsh strawberries and distilled in the heart of Wales.”
James and Ross spent time with award winning distillers, whose dedication and passion for crafted gin is infectious. This helped them develop their recipe and moved them toward to discovering their own unique flavour combination. This collaboration evolved into the distillation of JARO premium gin.
They’ve started with a strawberry premium gin and are already working on an additional flavour of gin to add to their offerings.
Ross, a native of Barmouth and graduate of Newport College of Higher Education, is a former winner of the Gwent Young Entrepreneur of the year. Ross has several business interests including in the recruitment sector, work wear and a boutique candle business based in Blackwood, Caerphilly.
James, who is from Fairwater, Cardiff, is a tattoo artist and owns Three Jacks Tattoo Studio in Cardiff.
The meaning of JARO:
“Light in the night” in Old Irish
“Fierce and glorious” in Slavic
“Sun and peace” in Old Russian
“Spring” in Czech
It is also the first two letters of JAmes and ROss…
www.jarospirits.com