rutterkin
The Story
York Gin is a small independent distillery using traditional and sustainable methods to make some of the world's best gins. The award-winning York Gin shop is in a beautiful 16th Century building in central York.
The idea for York Gin began in one of York's independent pubs, The Swan, between a group of friends and the landlord. The cat on the York Gin logo is inspired by a 17th century cat called Rutterkin, which means ‘a swaggering gallant’. This cat was the familiar (a familiar is a companion that protects and assists the witches) of the Bottesford Witches, who were accused of bewitching the Earl of York and his family. While York Gin co-founder Emma Godivala was researching the creative for the logo, she found a woodcut based on this story which suited her vision. Cat statues can be seen on many of York's buildings and are an unofficial emblem of the city.