Samuel Gelston's reveals golden offer for whiskey fans

Samuel Gelston's Irish Whiskey is offering one lucky whiskey fan the chance to win a unique golden bottle of its whiskey this festive season.

The bespoke bottle has been gilded with an engraved gold piece resembling the Gelston's star logo. Weighing in at 8 grams, it is made from half pure Irish river gold, sourced from Co Down and Co Antrim, and half 18-carat yellow gold alloy made from recycled materials. It was handcrafted by jeweller Mark Bell, a wild gold expert and co-founder of ethical jewellery company Jacqueline & Edward.

This unique vessel pays homage to Gelston's founder Harry Neill, an Irishman who made his fortune in Australia's 1851 gold rush and brought his new-found wealth back home to Belfast to build a whiskey business. The golden bottle giveaway follows other recent activities by the blended Irish whiskey brand to celebrate its connections to the precious metal, including a gold-panning event and a 'gold rush' cocktail campaign.

Bell said: “When I heard that a fantastic whiskey brand wanted to do a collaboration, the whiskey lover in me was over the moon. Simplicity seemed like the key with regards to the design, so we re-created their signature logo.... but in solid gold. Having now sampled some of their whiskey thanks to Samuel Gelston's' generosity, I can say with my hand on my heart that it is a fine tipple and I'm proud to be part of their journey."

Samuel Gelston’s owner Johnny Neill said: “Harry Neill was my great-great-grandfather so to brings his (and our) whiskey’s golden past to life through this collaboration is really exciting. Jacqueline & Edward jewellers were the perfect fit for our project. Not only are they also a family business, they are experienced gold prospectors who specialise in creating ethical pieces made from wild and Irish gold. Their bespoke bottle is a real one-off and we are excited to add some sparkle to somebody’s Christmas by gifting it to them.”

To be in with a chance of winning the bottle, whiskey fans should email gelstonsgold@burtgreener.co.uk and state where or how they would most like to enjoy a dram of Gelston’s 'liquid gold'. Entries can also be made via Gelston’s Instagram @samuelgelstons. The competition is open to people aged 18 or over who live in the UK. The deadline for entries is Thursday, 29 December and the winner will be notified the following day.