There are many good examples of Outer Hebridean optimism at this time of year.
Hanging out washing to dry in November, shopping for fresh milk after a storm stops the ferries, and trusting you’ll get through the winter with just a handful of candles, are just a few.
So, it’s safe to say we’re a pretty resilient bunch here in Harris, with a healthy predilection to say “Obh, obh, it'll all be just fine!"
But, perhaps planning to open a new cocktail experience in these crazy COVID times pushed the limits of our positive outlook on life just a little too far.
After weeks of setting up our ‘sense of place’ in the beautiful attic bar above Glasgow’s legendary Cafe Gandolfi, the second wave of the current coronavirus crisis has forced us to alter our initial intentions.
Respecting the Tier 3 advice and guidelines of the Scottish Government, we’re sadly no longer in a position to launch our series of evening events with creative serves, seafood and storytelling as planned.
However, in true island style, we’ve been quick to adapt and overcome and are delighted to say we opened our first Isle of Harris Gin Pop-up Shop earlier today!
Set firmly in the heart of the Merchant City, we’re inviting Glasgow's gin lovers to take a walk through the old wooden revolving doors of Cafe Gandolfi and head upstairs to discover our wee hidden winter wonderland.
Brand ambassadors Calum and Iona will be there to greet you in a safe and cosy environment, freshly decorated to stamp our distillery mark on this special space.
Surrounded by the warmth of Harris Tweed, and the wonderful wooden interiors of artist Tim Stead, visitors will find shelves straining happily under the weight of our iconic Isle of Harris Gin bottles.
Iona tells us...
"We were delighted to open our pop up shop today and have been thrilled with the response so far. We are very excited to be here over the coming weeks and hope our customers will enjoy a taste of the Isle of Harris in the big city, and the novelty of purchasing their gin off the shelf!"
There are also twin sets of hand-blown matching glassware created to complement your favourite cocktails, as well as our curated gin gift sets, combining both bottle and glasses.
Customers can also find other exclusive wares, normally only available from the distillery shop in Tarbert, with everything being wrapped and bagged in our own packaging to take home securely.
And, as if all that wasn’t enough, we’ll soon be revealing the next exciting stage of our Harris Tweed Project as we unveil the first creative collaboration using our unique local cloth.
We’re proud to be partnering with award-winning Scottish designer Judy R Clark to bring a bespoke tailoring service to the pop-up shop every Saturday until Christmas.
More information on that particular project very soon…
Meantime, please help us spread the good word to friends and family, and we look forward to meeting some of you on Albion Street to share our spirit and story in person very soon.
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The Isle of Harris Gin Pop-Up Shop is open until Christmas.
Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11am to 5pm.
You’ll find us upstairs at Cafe Gandolfi, 64 Albion Street, Glasgow G1 1NY
Cash accepted but contactless card payments preferred, thank you.