In a busy market, hunting down the best quality, small-batch gin is sometimes tricky. We asked gin expert and cocktail bar owner, Lloyd Brown, to decipher what we actually mean by ‘craft gin’…
“The term craft seems to be everywhere these days; attributed to beers first and now to spirits with a key focus on gin. But how do we know if a gin is a ‘craft gin’ and is there any reason to buy one of these instead of a big name brand?
The term ‘craft gin’ can be attributed to Sam, Fairfax and Jared, the creators and producers of Sipsmith Gin. They took the idea from when they were working for Fullers and launching London Pride in the US. Here they saw the craft beer movement; lots of small-scale breweries creating a truly artisan product that garnered the interest of drinkers and swayed them away from the big traditional US brewers.
The Sipsmith chaps came up with the idea of recreating this in the UK with our quintessential spirit, gin, to create the first copper distillery in London for 200 years; the last distiller being the global giant Beefeater. It was a tricky process getting started as the production size was considered so small by the outdated laws that it was on par with bootlegging. After many years of back and forth, they used the example of whiskey stills, much smaller scale, and eventually got their first still ‘Prudence’ warmed up and producing.
Sipsmith getting their license was a breakthrough and not long after small-scale distilleries were popping up all over the UK. They now number in the hundreds, but are they all good?
The answer simply is, no. Distilling is a science, you can’t simply chuck together botanicals and expect them to sing in harmony. There are so many variables: when were they picked; how does the flavor change when they are dried; how does the flavor change when they are distilled; does one work with another? Some big producers will also simply take their base spirit and infuse with a flavour such as raspberry; hardly worth the extra £15.
Speaking of cost, we must remember that around £8 of a 70cl bottle is duty, so when you see a large-scale producer making one around the £10 mark, you must question the costs involved for the glass, production and profit, leaving you wondering what is the quality of the base spirit.
When it comes to the base, gin can be made of many things, including grain, barley and wheat, but also sugar beet and less favourable ingredients. The gins below plus Morrish and Banham’s selection all use a good quality British wheat base, have well-chosen botanicals that complement each other without one dominating and are produced in a copper pot still by true distillers who care about the product. The following gins also have a smaller ‘body’; when distilling the first and last liquid that runs through, known as the ‘heads’ and ‘tails’, these are essentially the waste from the gin, methylated and full of sulphur and should be disposed of, however, not all distillers do so as this is all taxable product.
Pothecary
Lukasz and Martin have created a thoroughly unique gin, bringing together lavender, mulberries and tilia flowers. It’s perfumed and deep flavored, and you can find it in on the cocktail list of the capitals top bars.
Lilliput Dorset Gin
For me, this is my Sunday gin. Andy Woodfield has created a unique Mediterranean-style gin with rosemary, thyme, basil and olives alongside the best juniper you can get, fantastic in a Red Snapper.
All of these can be enjoyed while learning more about gin and sipping on a cocktail at either of the Dark Bear bars, found at Bridport or Lyme Regis, where Lloyd Brown and David Smith host tasting sessions.
From the drinks cabinet…
With South West gins on the rise, we asked Mark Banham of Dorset-based wine and spirit merchants, Morrish & Banham, what gins he’s sipping this summer.
Fordington Gin, Dorchester, Dorset
£36.99
Fordington Gin is made in Dorchester around the old village of Fordington. It is handcrafted in small batches using nine botanicals, including wormwood, lemon balm, mint and aniseed. We recommend serving with Fever Tree Original, a wedge of grapefruit and a sprig of basil.
Salcombe Gin, Salcombe, Devon
£36.99
Made right beside the water on the estuary, Salcombe Gin is a delicious product. A single-batch gin is created from a 450 litre copper pot, still using fragrant botanicals, such as juniper, coriander seed, cubeb, grapefruit and lime. A broad and enticing flavour, try with a splash of sweet vermouth to create a Devon Negroni.
Conker Gin, Southbourne, Dorset
£36.99
Rupert and the team fashioned this Dorset dry gin from elderberry, gorse flower and samphire. Clean and fresh with a wonderful citrus flavour it is perfect with a shot of Prosecco and their house-made ginger, lemongrass and black pepper syrup!