Graycliff has become the first Caribbean home for the Watenshi gin through its recent partnership with Cambridge Distillery.

Roberta Garzaroli, Graycliff’s general manager, said the resort’s restaurant will be the first in the region to carry the exclusive gin, which retails for £3,000 per bottle in the UK, and will also become the distributor for the brand in The Bahamas.

She said Graycliff, which already boasts the third-largest wine cellar in the world, plans to offer the gin as part of its exclusive tasting experiences, extending its wine-making and distribution ventures.

“This historic gin is one of the world’s first luxury gins, and so we are honoured to be one of the first in the Caribbean and The Bahamas to be not just able to expose the public to this, but also to be the distributor here in The Bahamas. So any retailers or any hoteliers or other establishments that want to carry this gin would have to come through us,” said Ms Garzaroli.

“It’s a very good complement [to our brand]. We have the third largest wine cellar in the world, which is primarily made up of wines from France, Italy, etc. Last year, we expanded our British wine so we have some English sparkling wines.

“Now, in addition to all the scotches and whiskeys that we carry, we also have this wonderful gin. We had some gin, but gin is underrated. Now, it’s starting to come out on its own, and this is the ultimate gin to be doing it with.”

Ms Garzaroli said the company is “dipping our toes” into the distribution market and is currently unclear on how much the gin will retail for.

“Partially, we’re dipping our toes into that. Put it that way. So, yeah, it’s an extension. We make wine as well at Bahama Barrel. So, it’s kind of part of the whole experience of coming to Graycliff. So, yes, this will be one of the first things that we’re doing,” said Ms Garzaroli.

“The Watenshi in the UK is £3,000. So we’re trying to get the whole pricing structure done. Once that is set, it is the most exclusive gin going and the world’s most expensive gin. So, yes, it is very expensive and so I’m not sure what the retail price will be here or how much we’ll sell it by the shot, because we literally just received these samples and we don’t have our supplies yet. So once that comes in, then we’ll be able to do that and put it on our spirits list for guests to enjoy.”

Wenrick Clarke, sales director at Commonwealth Brewery, said the company is “100 percent” interested in connecting with Graycliff to offer the brand on its shelves. “So far, we’ve been able to sample the gin, and I have to say that the experience of it has been unlike anything that I tried so far, very, very smooth,” said Mr Clarke.

“We’re here to able to see if these products are a good fit for our company. We do a lot of really good business with Graycliff already, so this is an opportunity for us to see how we can deepen that relationship as well.”

Mr Clarke added that Commonwealth Brewery has carried high-end alcohol brands in the past, and individuals attracted to a brand due to its quality and exclusivity will not mind paying “top dollar”.

“There is a client out there for everyone. For example, you don’t see Rolls Royce advertising their product. Individuals that would know about the brand and would understand the quality of the product would be prepared to spend top dollar for it,” said Mr Clarke.

“We have been known to carry alcohol up to the cost of $40,000 a bottle. So, anywhere in that range, you would find that - whether it’s whiskeys or gins or vodkas - can range in the very pricey range.”

Cambridge distillery carries a full line of flavoured gins that will be available at Graycliff, including the Watenshi. Demand for Watenshi greatly exceeds supply as each bottle takes about two months to produce and about 30 bottles are produced annually.