To celebrate a decade of distilling, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin recently unveiled their new Panda Conservation Edition bottle during rapturous Chinese New Year celebrations at Dublin Airport Duty Free.

Drumshanbo has signed an historic agreement with the Sichuan Green Foundation in partnership with the Giant Panda National Park in China, to support the conservation of endangered giant pandas. The donation will be generated from sales of the new Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Panda Conservation Edition Bottle, which was exclusively unveiled at Dublin Airport Duty Free. This first-to-market launch sees Dublin Airport Duty Free being the first retailer in the world to sell the release, which will also be available in Cork Airport Duty Free for an exclusive period.

Chinese New Year festivities in-store coincided with the launch. Passengers and cabin crew from Hainan Airlines, bound for Beijing, especially enjoyed the celebrations. Against a backdrop of red lanterns, decorations and bespoke bilingual signage, passengers were gifted red envelopes with gold chocolate coins and fortune cookies. They were also treated to an energetic Lion Dance and traditional musical ensemble, which was performed throughout the store.

The donation from The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo Co. Leitrim will go directly to the Giant Panda National Park Public Welfare Fund, to support the local indigenous people who take care of the pandas. The welfare of these communities is an integral part of China’s Giant Panda Conservation programme, where residents are now identified as ‘Panda Guardians’. Pat and Denise Rigney, founders and owners of the family-run Shed Distillery, made a special trip to China last November to meet with the Sichuan Green Foundation in Chengdu and signed the historic agreement, ahead of the launch.

Located deep in the Sichuan mountains, the Giant Panda National Park ( 大熊猫国家公园 in Chinese) is home to the largest giant panda population in the world, stretching 27,134 km² across the Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces and is one of China’s richest ecosystems. Other globally endangered animals living in the reserve include the red panda, the golden monkey, the snow leopard and the clouded leopard.

Established in 2021, the reserve protects and preserves the giant panda’s natural habitat and has succeeded in bringing the species back from the verge of extinction. In the 1980’s, the global population plummeted to just 1,200 pandas. Now, with the support of China’s Panda programme and investment in their ‘national treasure’ it has grown to more than 2,400.

Zhou Zhigang, Secretary General of The Sichuan Green Foundation, Chengdu stated that “In November 2023 Pat and Denise Rigney travelled thousands of miles from Ireland to Chengdu to sign a donation agreement at the foundation in person. We felt true respect & support for the natural environment and the Giant Panda cause in China. As a national treasure of China, the Giant Panda is a flagship species for global biodiversity conservation as well as a symbol of the friendship between China & Ireland. The conservation work requires significant funds and manpower. Like a timely rain, the donation from Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin has injected strong motivation into our work. We will employ these funds to help the surrounding community develop green industries and improve the living standards of residents to support the special harmonious existence between human beings and nature.”

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, the first-ever brand from The Shed Distillery, which celebrates ten years of distilling this year, began its journey in China where PJ Rigney discovered gunpowder tea, the first of 12 botanicals that would make-up the final recipe for the leading Irish gin brand, which is now selling in over 100 countries across the world, and launched in China last year.

Available in 70cl ceramic bottles and priced at €45 (Duty Paid) & €35 (Duty Free), Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Panda Conservation Edition is also available to purchase online [for departing passengers] https://www.dublinandcorkdutyfree.ie