Aberdeenshire-based husband and wife team Nick and Emma Smalley, who launched the brand in 2016, have supplied 6,000 bottles to Total Wine & More for the initial phase of the their first export deal.
The premium gin will be on sale at 214 Total Wine & More stores across 26 states from May, with further stock being shipped over the next three years.
Nick Smalley said: “Our clientele is mostly small independent shops and high-end hospitality venues, both of which have had their operations significantly disrupted over the last year and will take some time to return to the productivity levels we were used to pre-Covid.
“This agreement with Total Wine & More is hugely significant for us as a brand, not only because it positions The Teasmith prominently within the expanding US gin market, but it also gives us the security to continue to develop the business and explore further opportunities.”
The brand is now targeting export opportunities in Canada and Asia, while deals in the EU look unlikely given ongoing complications following the Brexit transition period concluding on December 31, 2020.
Smalley added: “Our bottles are made in Spain and our corks are produced in Italy so both items were tied up in lengthy delays caused by Brexit. We then faced issues with our packaging supplier who had a shortage of cardboard stock due to increased online shopping sales.
“We had to do quite a bit of renegotiating on the timeline with the client, who has been incredibly supportive and understanding of the situation, but it has been a very stressful couple of weeks, and we’re relieved to have fulfilled this initial order.”
