Northwest Passage Expedition Gin | Orkney & Hudson Bay | Rowing
Sporting Connection
Imagine one of the most hazardous sea routes you could undertake in the world, the North West Passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and then take an intrepid group of world-class rowers who have committed to achieve this incredible feat, facing the harshest conditions on earth, in zero degree temperatures rowing up to 12 hours a day over a two-month period, completely unsupported, left to battle the elements whilst performing meaningful data collection for The Big Blue Ocean Cleanup, so that it can be used for future research…
Welcome to the awe-inspiring story behind the stunning Northwest Passage Expedition Gin.
Sporting Wine Club is setting out to help this incredible endeavour through the sale of North West Passage Expedition Gin, specially created to help raise funds and to celebrate what is called the ‘Last Great First’, the team’s attempt to row the 2,300-mile Northwest Passage, in the summer of 2022 – the ultimate ocean row
The Arctic explorers of the 18th and 19th centuries used Orkney as their supply base when launching expeditions to discover the Northwest Passage. Following in their footsteps, the Northwest Passage Expedition team together with Orkney Distillery have expertly distilled a Gin from rare botanicals found on the shores of Orkney and the Hudson Bay, bottled from the same water source that supplied the ships of Captain Cook and Sir John Franklin.
- Sugar Kelp
- Angelica Archangelica
- Ramanas Rose
- Burnet Rose
The unique flavours of Northwest Passage Expedition Gin are drawn from Sugar Kelp, Angelica Archangelica, Ramanas Rose, and Burnet Rose. The Angelica root adds a hint of sweetness that is balanced by a subtle, floral note from the roses. The addition of lemon peel and calamondin brings the bright, citrus notes to the gin and the sugar kelp, a seaweed, adds a mild saltiness to the palette, connecting the spirit to the sea – just one sip will transport you back to the Age of Discovery. It is truly the spirit of adventure.
Origin: Made in Scotland
This craft gin, made in the Orkney Distillery alongside the award-winning Kirkjuvagr brand, is for real gin lovers who will be intrigued by the pure, wild tastes of the Arctic shoreline. For all its flavour, there is one secret ingredient not listed: a spirit of adventure.
History of the Northwest Passage:
The search for the Northwest Passage began in the 15th century, as Europeans sought a route to Asia for trade.
Over the next centuries, some of the western world’s best explorers attempted the route: Sir Francis Drake, Martin Frobisher, Captain Cook, Sir John Franklin and John Ross.
But every one of them was foiled by the brutal conditions and the enveloping ice. The area was eventually mapped by the likes of the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company, and the existence of a route began to fall into doubt after so many failed attempts to locate it.
Then, in the 1860s, the Orcadian John Rae, hiking overland, finally found a sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the 1860s. It was fitting that Rae would find it, as so many employees and explorers of the Hudson Bay Company also hailed from his home islands.
It was not until Roald Amundsen set out in 1903 that the route was finally navigated from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It ultimately took three years to complete the route, as the sea froze around him time and again.
Distilled in Orkney as a homage to Rae and his fellow Orcadians, we take water from the same source that Cook and Franklin used to stock their ships.
What The Team say:
To be successful, all teams need support and we are pleased to have found that in Sporting Wine Club, who have a real affinity to the people behind the products they sell. When it comes to expeditions, getting to the start line can be almost as challenging as the event itself, and this has been particularly true when it came to us finding sponsors, with so many businesses effected by the current covid crisis. We developed our own gin, with Orkney Distilling, to help us raise funds and reach sponsors, and we are confident that having SWC on board marketing our gin will make a huge difference to our campaign. We are also delighted to feature amongst some of the legendary sporting figures, wines and spirit’s showcased by the Sporting Wine Club.
Phil Kite, crew member of the NWP team, who rowed the Atlantic Ocean in 2018/19
