How did rebellious sailors inspire a Craft gin movement?

Driven by the desire to create an unpretentious, high quality Irish craft gin, Blood Monkey cuts through the saturated gin market with its bold branding and refreshing outlook on the way that gin should be enjoyed.

Currently consisting of two products (Blood Monkey Irish Gin and Blood Monkey Irish Spice Storm), the Blood Monkey range is created by the Dublin-based Outcast Brands in partnership with the Master Distiller of West Cork Distillers, Deirdre Bohane.

These sophisticated spirits with complex characters, reveal various details as they evolve on the palate. Blood Monkey goes against the grain and challenges the consumer to try the gins “straight up”. 

These premium, no nonsense Irish craft gins have also caught the attention of judging panels, having claimed medals at the World Gin Awards 2023 and Global Gin Masters 2022 in the Ultra-Premium and Contemporary categories.

The name “Blood Monkey” and drill-bit logo design are a nod to the act of ‘bleeding the monkey’, when sailors drilled into the officers’ barrel of grog to steal the liquor inside. It was these rebellious spirited sailors who brought gin to England and Ireland from the Netherlands in the 17th Century.

Speaking on Blood Monkey’s positioning in the craft gin market, brand owner, Jason Kidd notes, “The craft gin category has become tired and saturated with too many brands peddling the same old thing. With Blood Monkey we are calling time on the category conversions and are proud to produce a gin that tastes how it was meant to, in a style that hasn’t been distilled in Ireland or the UK for almost 350 years”.

Curious to try these rebellious spirits for yourself? Get in touch to request a sample or ask a question.