THE MAKING OF
MERSEY
The Poole family is steeped in exploration, adventure, and entrepreneurship. It all began with F.A. Poole, the patriarch of the Poole family.
FA Poole’s parents emigrated from Edinburgh, Scotland to Auckland, New Zealand in the late 1800’s – at a time when the opportunity of a new world invited the adventurous and courageous to set sail. During this time, the Queen of the Mersey plowed the seas, ferrying the aspiring across the equator and delivering them to the new world. As a young man growing up in New Zealand, F.A. Poole yearned for even more adventure and prosperity. He left his native country, bound for South Africa and the promise of wild adventure , more opportunity and a new life.
On his arrival, on the advice of a ships acquaintance he took up an apprenticeship in blacksmithing, learning the trade and later on moved into horse farriering and wagon building. As technologies evolved and needs changed, wagon building became truck building creating a new generations of metal working Pooles.
The legacy of F.A. Poole’s entrepreneurial spirit, his sense of exploration, and his love of adventure were forged and set into the Poole family heritage.
Gavin and his family members carry the spirit of F.A. Poole with them even today, and out of it Mersey Craft Spirits was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 2018.
We’re guided by these values handed down by F.A. Poole and we seek to create authentic experience for our customers, reward the spirit of adventure and celebrate the athlete in all of us.
We’re driven by new flavors, the stories of the artisans that craft them, and the promise of adventure and exploration that each new spirit brings with it.
FOLLOW
YOUR
SPIRIT.
The hero of our story is the adventurer / athlete
Terroir is the influence of a place and its people on our whiskey.
It’s the idea that each batch is uniquely created from its environment; it tells a distinctive story that cannot be replicated.
Our fifth generation of intrepid explorers, pioneers and artisans endeavors to bring this to you and reward the spirit of adventure.
We believe brands should generate experiences and build a better world that’s why its important to us that our spirits embrace the grain to glass method of distilling
We invite you to join us outside. You can find us exploring new locations and adventuring outdoors. We’d love to pour you a drink, but we’d also love to meet you on the road, exploring our world, and celebrating a life well-lived.
“There’s a Spirit of Adventure inside of everyone. Follow Your Spirit.”
MERSEY
QUEEN OF THE
The Queen of the Mersey, An American-built ship of 1227 tons, was built in 1860 for Mr. H. Melvain, of Newcastle. In the late 1800's she was chartered for two voyages to New Zealand. On July 3, 1862 she sailed from London for Lyttelton with 349 Government immigrants under Captain Aitkin, and arrived on October 19, 1862, making the passage in 108 days. Ten deaths occurred, mostly children, from measles, During the passage a serious mutiny took place among a portion of the crew. The cause of the offence was the old story, "grog," some of the crew having contrived to broach cargo and get at the spirits. After the men had been placed in irons Captain Aitkin was violently assaulted and struck by one of the sailors with the handcuffs, by which he was seriously hurt. On arrival of the ship at Lyttelton five of the men were brought up at the Police Court and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. The following year Captain Aitkin brought the ship to Auckland. She sailed from Gravesend on August 1, 1863, having on board a number of returned adventurers and a full complement of immigrants. The ship occupied nearly four months on the passage, and the provisions became very scarce. After leaving the Downs she experienced a succession of light and variable winds until crossing the Equator on September 17, 47 days from Gravesend. She encountered a fierce gale off the Cape, during which the cargo shifted, and the vessel was thrown on her beam ends, her yards dipping in the water for nearly 24 hours. With a lull in the weather she was righted, but strong easterly winds continued for a week. The ship then had a good run to the Three Kings, which were sighted on November 23, thence baffling winds to the Little Barrier, when a gentle northerly breeze brought her into port on November 26.