Owners of the only rum producer on the Isle of Rum are calling last orders following a “difficult” few years in the business.
Established in 2018 Askival Botanical Rum was the brainchild of friends Josh Kerr, Fergus McGowan and Ali Gray who “stumbled” across the Small Isle during a sailing trip around the West Coast.
At the time Josh said: “The inspiration to make a rum from The Isle of Rùm is somewhat self-explanatory and even unimaginative, although to our shock we discovered it had not been done before. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest and right in front of you.”
So began the mission to create Askival Botanical Rum and the first step on a journey to create a pure Scottish rum that is fermented, distilled and bottled on the island to which it bears its name.
Chef Craig Grozier joined the team during lockdown, using his foraging expertise to create a recipe based on Rum’s natural flavours in local flora and fauna.
Having fought their way through Covid, Brexit and the ensuing economic hardship, however the Askival team have decided to call it a day.
“Increasing costs and the aftermath of Covid have all combined to make it too difficult for us to continue the business in its current form,” said Josh.
“We do, however, still very much believe in the product and brand.”
Askival will produce one more batch in mid November before ceasing to trade, but the current team are still hopeful that they can hand the business over to someone who has a passion for the project.
“We would love the idea to continue in some way,” added Josh.
“People have really warmed to the brand and the story, and it would be a real shame for it to just end.
“We have had a few people noting an interest and we would encourage anyone else to get in touch through info@askivalrum.com.
“In the meantime we would like to thank everyone who has helped us along the way, from the locals to welcoming us on the island, our backers in the crowdfunder and, of course, all of our customers for buying our rum and following our story.
“We have met some amazing people and accumulated enough hilarious stories to last a lifetime, and ultimately produced a brand and product that exceeded all our expectations.”
To find out more about Askival Botanical Rum head to www.askivalrum.com or the Askival Rum Facebook page where a pre-order notice will be issued for the last batch over the coming weeks.
Featured image: Josh Kerr, one of Askival Rum’s founding members, gets down to business in the barrelling area. NO_F43_AskivalBotanicalRum_23_Josh Kerr