UK-based Mermaid Gin has tempted Jim Clerkin back into the spirits industry as its first CEO.
Mermaid, which is based on the southern English island of the Isle of Wight, has recruited Clerkin (below) to lead the business, now in its tenth year. Clerkin, whose alcohol-related career includes time with Allied Domecq and Beam Global (the forerunner to Suntory Global Spirits), will work with co-founders Xavier Baker and Conrad Gauntlett, both of whom will “remain fully involved in the day-to-day operations and development of the brand”.
The appointment comes on the heels of the recent conclusion of an investment round that sees venture capital business Fourward Ventures gain a seat on the board of Mermaid owner Isle of Wight Distillery. At the same time, the brand is commencing a nationwide rollout across the US, thanks to a distribution tie-up with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.
Prior to his two years as CEO of Allied Domecq and three years with Beam Global – having transitioned with the former when acquired by the latter in 2005 – Clerkin joined Moët Hennessy as North America CEO in mid-2008. At the start of 2020, he also took on the role of president of strategic development, before leaving the group in December 2020. Since early 2023, he has sat on the board of directors at tequila producer Jose Cuervo.
“Mermaid Gin brings together craftsmanship, story and distinctive flavour – exactly what today’s premium gin consumer is seeking,” said Clerkin. “We see exciting opportunities for the brand in the US, where the super-premium gin segment – defined by IWSR as gin priced between US$30 and $45, the tier where Mermaid competes – grew 57% between 2020 and 2024, reaching more than 1.25m nine-litre cases and delivering a compound annual growth rate of 12%. That’s double the growth rate of super-premium tequila over the same period, even as tequila remains significantly larger overall.
“As younger, design- and values-driven consumers enter the category, gin is playing an increasingly important role in American cocktail culture, and we’re excited to build Mermaid’s future in the US.”
Late last year, the European Court of Justice ruled that alcohol-free versions of juniper-led distilled spirit would not be permitted to be marketed using the term ‘gin’ in the European Union.
