A STUNNING new sculpted bottle for the Isle of Wight's popular Mermaid Gin has been unveiled.

The Isle of Wight Distillery revealed the new bottle, which is now available to purchase, after a year-long redesign project headed up by Distillery founders Xavier Baker and Conrad Gauntlett.

The pair aimed to create a environmentally friendly bottle, using 100 per cent plastic-free materials.

With extensive research and drawing on a wealth of expertise, the new bottle is created exclusively from sustainable, recyclable materials. The bottle was designed to be repurposed, with brilliant colours and a striking shape.

In addition, the Distillery will soon be piloting a refill scheme, enabling Island customers to have bottles refilled on site, providing their Island customers with both economic and ecological benefits.

Mr Gauntlett, co-director and owner of The Mermaid Bar and the Wishing Well, said: "We would like to say a huge thank you to Islanders and Island businesses for all the support they have shown us over the years.

"The warm response we have had to our spirits, especially Mermaid Gin, has been really overwhelming and we hope our customers will welcome this development."

Co-director Mr Baker added: "We worked hard to create a brand new bespoke Mermaid bottle, trying to capture the essence of our beautiful Island by representing the sea, mermaids and our marine environment – with sustainability a key focus.

"This is a very exciting time for us as Mermaid Gin gains recognition on the mainland and overseas. We hope our Island customers will be as proud and excited by the new bottle as we are."

While the bottle design has changed dramatically, Mermaid Gin is still crafted using the same distinct recipe.

The small batch gin is hand-crafted, distilled and bottled at the Distillery using ten ethically sourced botanicals, including rock samphire foraged from Island cliffs, Boadicea hops from Ventnor Botanic Garden and locally grown elderflower.

The other Isle of Wight Distillery spirits – Mermaid Vodka, HMS Victory Rum and HMS Victory Gin – will continue to be sold in the original Nocturne bottle.