The makers of York Gin are launching a rum today (1st May) – and it’s named after the cat on their iconic gin logo.
Rutterkin Rum is a spiced rum flavoured with chocolate and orange. The flavours are a nod to the Terry’s Chocolate Orange, invented and made for decades in York.
Rutterkin the cat has appeared on every York Gin bottle since the brand was launched back in 2018. Bosses decided he deserved a promotion after years of loyal service.
The new rum is a collaboration with the Craft Gin Club – the UK’s biggest such club. As well as offering members a gin of the month, it has branched out into the world of rum. York Gin has worked with the club as their gin of the month and on their advent calendars. ‘When they asked us to collaborate on a rum, it was a no-brainer,’ says Director, Natalie Hall.
The cat has been an emblem of York for centuries. Many thousands of visitors each year follow the York Cat Trail of over 20 feline statues on many of its historic buildings.
And York Gin are supporters of North Yorkshire Cats Protection. As well as raising money for the charity, every new owner is offered a York Gin miniature bottle to help raise a toast to their new cat.
Says Natalie: ‘Rutterkin is the famous York cat who rose to prominence on the York Gin cat-and-castle logo, adorning hundreds of thousands of bottles of spirits. He’s now jumped off the castle wall on to his very own spirit label complete with rum barrel.’
Rutterkin was actually a 17th Century cat, the familiar of a coven of ‘Bottesford Witches’ accused of bewitching the Duke of York. His name means ‘swaggering gallant’.
Says Natalie: ‘Rutterkin embodies the spirit of his rum – spicy, full of character and with a beautiful sweet heart. We’re delighted with the rum – and collaborating with the brilliant Craft Gin Club has been a joy from start to finish.’
The 37.5% rum is available from the York Gin shop and the York Distillery website priced £42.
https://yorkdistillery.co.uk/rutterkin-spiced-rum-70cl
The makers of York Gin opened York Distillery in the city centre Midddleton’s Hotel earlier this month. The new distillery offers gin-tasting, gin-making and cocktail-making classes. York Distillery is also where they create new spirits and experiment with new flavour profiles.
Adds Natalie: ‘You can expect more exciting announcements and launches as our brilliant distillers really get cracking at York Distillery.’
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