The “sip-smiths”, as the team behind Sipsmith gin call themselves, met over a common interest: to bring back gin distilling to London. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ‘Singapore Sling’, Raffles Singapore partnered with Sipsmith to create a custom gin named Raffles 1915 Gin. They do plan to reopen it once more for the next batch of eager sippers, so click on the link to see when their follow up subscription entries go ahead once more: Sipsmith Sipping Service. Perhaps most satisfying of all however is the bottle top, with its wax coating and a cork that makes a faint sound so appealing that it has come to mark the beginning of Martini time here at Gin Foundry HQ. Bootleggers made spirits using portable pot stills — a fact that allowed them to flee raids at a moment’s notice, escaping on horseback with their equipment dragging behind them. Talking of the human touch… the Sipsmith team host 1.5h tours, which can be booked via their website. For example, less than a year beforehand Chase Distillery had been after a similar licence and had been denied, forcing them to buy in much larger apparatus off which to distil. It’s quite hard to get hold of as it is made exclusively for the hotel to use as part of a limited release, however keep a look out for the red wax top and red label (to echo the Singaporean flag) as it’s more than worth the £44 price tag. The higher ABV suits the resinous qualities of juniper and the Gin is a great addition to both the Sipsmith range and well worth seeking out. The collaboration is rooted in history, with Sipsmith’s co-founder Sam Galsworthy being the great, great, great nephew of Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore for whom the Raffles’ flagship hotel was named. Shop Now. Much larger than her sisters, Constance can make just under 1,500lt of Sipsmith Gin per day and helps future proof the distillery. Made using Dartmoor Sloe Berries and their London Dry Gin, Sipsmith Sloe Gin is the perfect balance for those looking for a versatile offering. In addition to its three main stills, Sipsmith also uses a much smaller 50-liter still named Cygnet for experimental batches. Patience came next, when the brand needed to step up production. So what about their Gins then? In the end, he settled on a formula that uses “10 classic botanicals that wouldn’t be unfamiliar to a 19th-century distiller,” which he believes produces a “quintessentially classic” London dry gin. While it may sound like a Cognac classification, V.J.O.P is the name of a 2013 addition to Sipsmith’s permanent lineup. Each season’s sipping gins are a surprise to those who receive them. The initials stand for “Very Junipery Over Proof,” and perfectly describe what the gin’s all about. If you get the chance, it’s worth visiting them and enjoying a Gin and Tonic directly next to the still. For more information about Sipsmith, visit their website: www.sipsmith.com. BUY NOW Gordon's Sloe Gin, £18, Tesco . The company itself was formed when two childhood … It hasn’t got the sugary sweetness of most industrial commercial or even homemade versions, but just enough to bring out that ripe fruity tone and almond-like depth. The botanical lineup is inspired by the Malayan peninsula and includes ingredients such as jasmine flowers, fresh pomelo peel, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaf, nutmeg and cardamom – distilled alongside some of Sipsmith’s classic gin botanicals (including juniper, coriander seed, angelica and orris root). BUY NOW GREENALL’S SLOE GIN, … It’s hard to underestimate the impact that this change in legislation has triggered in the UK since. Sipsmith Sloe Gin: Made using Dartmoor Sloe Berries and their London Dry Gin, Sipsmith Sloe Gin is the perfect balance for those looking for a versatile offering. A month later and 300% oversubscribed, the Sipsmith sipping service began with 600 thirsty fans. Whilst it marked a year of exciting ginnovation (and the launch of our book, SIP), we also raised glasses to our vow never to change the Sipsmith London Dry Gin … We like serving it with a lime wedge in a Gin & Tonic for that crisp edge, but for those who enjoy more adventurous garnish combinations – dehydrated orange wheels are also a treat. When Sipsmith launched in 2009, it became London’s first copper-pot distillery startup in nearly 200 years (189 to be precise.). Prudence (named after former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s favourite watchword) was the team’s first still. Receive 10% off on Gin Kiosk when you sign up too! The name refers to a process in which only the end distillate is cut with water, bringing it down to bottling strength. BUY NOW Sipsmith Sloe Gin, £24.50, Waitrose . On special occasions, such as London Cocktail Week, the taxi delivers gin and cocktails to drinkers around the city, and also makes appearances at summer music festivals. "The Sipsmith operation is obsessive about gin" Credit: James Bedford Of particular interest is the story about how the gin craze started in 1689, when William of Orange dropped the … Many others have tried to emulate this, most even do so openly as without doubt Sipsmith is now “the” reference for a craft distilling success story. There’s a distinct nuttiness to taste, with the classic gin shackled by dusty spiced elements and fleshy fruits. His research covered everything from 17th-century juniper-infused spirits to late-Victorian London dry recipes. Check your inbox and confirm the link to complete the process. Incidentally, this original licence still hangs proudly on the wall and is actually partly handwritten, because up to that point there were none in existence. We will update this section of the article once we know more. In this case there is a stronger cinnamon and drier finish – with a more pronounced lime note lingering instead. It was the legendary beer and whiskey journalist MJ who previously used the address as his office space. The liquorice is not just used for its own flavour nor solely for its sweetness but also for its ability to counter some of the tannin in the other botanicals thus allowing for a truer, zestier taste. Distilled gin is produced exclusively by redistilling ethanol of agricultural origin with an initial strength of 96% ABV (the azeotrope of water and ethanol) in stills traditionally used for gin, in the presence of juniper berries and of other natural botanicals, provided that the juniper … Bold, complex and aromatic. In retaliation, an Edinburgh excise official made all stills with a capacity lower than 1,800 liters illegal. They are not core releases and are intended as both fun experimentation and educational prototyping to better understand their still’s capacities and what they could make from their lab. Sipsmith gin is made from a barley grain base (the same as malt whiskeys) and made in very small batches of 200-300 bottles at a time. Sipsmith London Dry Ginwas distilled on the first copper still in London in nearly two centuries. The Popcorn Gin was inspired by Cannes Film Festival and saw Sipsmith employ a whole new method of gin making! Sipsmith Gin - YouTube Pioneers of London’s gin revival, we were the first Copper pot Distillery in London for nearly 200 years. 15th March. Many others were forced to halt their plans altogether, as the fiscal barrier to entry was too high. Sloe gin is a British red liqueur made with gin and sloes.Sloes are the fruit of Prunus spinosa, a relative of the plum of Prunus spinosa, a relative of … The location for Sipsmith’s original West London distillery was once owned by Michael Jackson (the brand has since expanded to a location in the suburbs). It’s bottled at a higher strength of 57% ABV, and uses around 75% more juniper than their original London Dry. Prudence was the brand’s first still, designed in collaboration with Christian Carl, one of Germany’s oldest distillery producers. To start, much more juniper is added to the usual recipe which is left to macerate for slightly longer than with their original gin. After securing a location, copper still (more on these later), and distilling license, Galsworthy and Hall had to find a master distiller. At 40.7 percent, the bottling is (thankfully) slightly lower ABV than the brand’s standard London dry, and is also available for the public to buy at the Houses of Parliament’s visitor center. Bold, complex and … The resulting product has a less-concentrated flavor. Standing tall with a 300lt capacity, Prudence barely fit into the original distillery (in Hammersmith) with the swan’s neck mere centimetres away from the ceiling at the time. Founded in 2009, the Sipsmith Gin company now located on Cranbrook Road, Chiswick has been creating high-quality gin ever since it began. A fact that made the process of being granted a license a long and tiresome affair. Undeterred and feeling inspired after spending time in the US, where a change in licensing laws led to small craft distilleries gaining popularity, Fairfax Hall and Sam Galsworthy even sold their homes to fund the project. The trio bonded over a passion for “all things well made.”. From how the duo became a trio, to how the brand defeated archaic distillation laws, here are 10 things you should know about Sipsmith gin. Each set comes with six, 5cl bottles, accompanying Sipsmith-branded ribbons for hanging the baubles on trees, all inside a beautifully crafted Sipsmith … The cassia bark and cinnamon help with the finish and the overall impression is that of a classically styled gin that’s well rounded and smooth. wbs_cat Spirit, wbs_type Gin, wbs_brand Sipsmith, How to Celebrate the Holidays in Style With Mionetto Prosecco | VinePair, https://vinepair.com/articles/how-to-celebrate-the-holidays-in-style-with-mionetto-prosecco/, wbs_cat Wine, wbs_type Prosecco, wbs_brand Mionetto, holidays, Infographics, prosecco, wine pairing. Sam and Fairfax had to lobby to change this, eventually getting the law changed. It’s a story about people who made their dream a reality and are now living their passion, their craft and ultimately – their smithery on a daily basis. A group of British aristocrats is behind London’s first copper pot gin distillery to open in over 200 years. To create all their spirits, Sipsmith use a one-shot method (they only mix their end distillate with water to cut it to bottling strength, whereas the two-shot method used in some larger distilleries sees the distillate being stretched with more base spirit, then cut with water). Although the chamber is not used for either the creation of their vodka nor their flagship London Dry Gin, Prudence is capable of being both a pot still or a Carterhead-style still as it also has a vapour infusion chamber. More on this later…! Be warned however, the effortless charm and personable nature of both the team and the distillery is something that might just have you dreaming of what could be possible, should you give up the day job yourself…. Their main advantage isn’t just that they came first – it is that they, even years after their launch and the countless number of brands that have emerged, still offer a very human alternative in what remains a relatively faceless market. Due to their success, Sipsmith has had to add two more Stills to their distillery, and Prudence now has two sisters, Patience and Constance. Sipsmith Sloe Gin Miniature - 5cl Sipsmith Sloe gin is hand-crafted in small copper stills in London. This may seem strange to have three separate stills making the same spirit but this (now quite large) operation wasn’t always the case and is a result of the distillery’s uncompromising stand on maintaining a single shot distilling process. A particularly dry gin with a zesty, citrus finish, Sipsmith London Dry Gin was born from a desire to see gin production … These Stills are used to make both Gins and Vodka, but when the Sipsmith team switches from one to another, the Stills are given a day’s rest in-between so that the distinctive taste of the gin … A milestone moment in the story of British Gin distilling, in 2009 Sipsmith became the first copper-pot based distillery to start up in London for 189 years. They were introduced to Jared Brown, a renowned spirits writer, historian, and all-around drinks aficionado, at London’s Beefeater Negroni Bar. Sipsmith’s answer to an old-fashioned gin is this juniper heavy (VJOP = Very Juniper Over Proof) sipper. They were eventually awarded the first licence to distil gin in small batches, and then Sipsmith … The major stumbling block was HMRC. It's the distillery that helped spearhead the London gin revival and Sipsmith … Bold, complex and aromatic – smooth enough for a Martini, but rich and balanced, perfect for a G&T. stands for Very Junipery Over Proof – and in a nutshell describes what the product is all about. BUY NOW Ableforth's Bathtub Sloe Gin, £27.95, Master of Malt. A superb collection of our award-winning gins, perfect for any gin lover. As Prudence can only create 300lts per day, increasing production while staying true to this philosophy, means increasing the amount of stills on hand. Sipsmith also owns a classic London black cab, which it converted to a fully functioning, driveable pop-up bar. Every 3 months the distillery selects the 4 best gins they have trialled during tours that season – and send them directly to subscribers in 4x 90ml bottles. The coriander seed and angelica root gives the Gin a more traditional London Dry profile. It may be an aside to their current story, but worth recording for the history books as in years to come, that little garage may well become the stuff of legend given its role in the history of craft distilling in the UK. There has been Truffle Gin, Smoked Venison Gin, Mince Pie Gin and Lemon Drizzle Cake Gin to name just a few of the ones we’ve tried on their flavour wall, yet as they are made as experiments, all of these gins are seldom allowed out of the building. Product description The quintessential expression of a classic, traditional London Dry Gin. Discover our Range of Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Including Easy to Make Non Alcoholic Cocktails with Recipes. Commercial sloe gin from the British distillery Sipsmith Sloe gin is a British red liqueur made with gin and sloes. The key fact that many other distilleries don’t realise is that Sipsmith’s real success is not just in producing high quality spirits or riding the “craft” wave, but in their ability to convey their story which is, fundamentally, about people. In 19th-century Britain, tax officials were tired of battling illegal distillers. In some ways, Sipsmith Gin was the beginning of Modern gin in London. Discover the part we’ve played in inspiring a new generation of sipping with over a … The property also once housed a microbrewery that supplied the neighborhood’s pubs. On the palate Sipsmith has strong notes of juniper but there is also a definite citrus zing and a depth to the liquid that lingers beautifully. The pair grew up as friends in Cornwall and both ended up working in the drinks industry in America (they were formerly of Fuller’s and Diageo respectively). Thank you for subscribing. There is also a tiny (50lt) still named Cygnet, which the team use for more experimental ideas and trial recipes. Sloes are the fruit (drupe) of Prunus spinosa, a relative of the plum. The distillery has a few expressions in their portfolio, along with a transient series of experimental gins that are part of the “sipping” service they offer to subscribers and for those who visit the distillery. They created a business template for craft distilleries that was (and still remains) incredibly savvy and intelligent, making use of their niche and harnessing their know-how in the drinks industry. Each botanical plays its part but the noteworthy few being liquorice, coriander seed and angelica, which play distinctive roles. We found it is at its best in a Gimlet.Â. Furthermore the Sipsmith team have an enthusiasm and a charm that is both contagious and inspiring, all of which contributing to why they are considered as some of the nicest gents in the drinks industry and why their gin is on everyone’s must-stock list. Sipsmith Gin review This gin is made in London and uses an unashamedly traditional recipe and approach. The heavy based, smooth labelled, embossed and tactile bottles are a masterful touch that really tantalises you into wanting to drink the contents. The brand offers drinkers the chance to sample these (occasionally weird) creations through its subscription service: the Sipsmith Sipping Society. V.J.O.P is bottled at 57 percent ABV and uses around 75 percent more juniper than the standard London dry during distillation. It is said to have a cedar wood nose with notes of zesty orange with a rich spicy … The botanicals are selected from all over Europe, including … The law stood for nearly 200 years, until 2009, when, after more than two years’ lobbying alongside other distillers, Sipsmith’s founders were granted a license to distill gin at a quantity of just under 300 liters per batch. It’s juniper lead all the way and makes for a complex and interesting proposition. Enter Patience, the second still, which is the same size and (more or less as to not go way too geeky here) the same design. Getting started was no easy task. Sipsmith London Dry Gin stays true to those roots. It’s vibrant and rich but underpinned by the gin’s inherent warming tones, which gives it a lasting finish and enviable depth. Production aside, (as with all good brands) the bottle designs haven’t let the liquid down in any way. 5 years on from their launch and some 800+ batches later – Sipsmith moved from their original home in Hammersmith, setting up in Chiswick in late 2014. Commercial sloe gin from the British distillery Sipsmith. Is Bourbon Barrel-Aged Wine Actually Wine? When they launched, Sipsmith became the first copper-pot based distillery to start up in London in over 180 years. Noticing a growing trend for “craft” everything in the U.S. — “from micro-brewing to craft distilling and coffee roasting,” Galsworthy said — the pair began discussing a shared dream to launch a small-batch distillery in England’s capital. Our story The beginning of Sipsmith marked the rise of a modern-day gin-aissance, and the two are not a coincidence. V.J.O.P is bottled at 57 percent ABV and uses around 75 percent more juniper than the standard London dry during distillation. More berries are then also added to the pot-still after the three-day maceration period has ended. The “two-shot” method, commonly used by larger distillers, sees the distillate first stretched out with more base spirit before it’s then cut with water. Each still can create their flagship London Dry Gin and are used separately to create the spirit depending on the distillery’s production demands (they also make a barley vodka). IT’S NOT JUST THE GIN THAT’S QUINTESSENTIALLY … It begins from a base spirit of wheat… England- A traditional London Dry Gin distilled from the finest English Barley with ten carefully selected botanicals with a wonderful burst of juniper and a zesty, citrus freshness. The result was (and still is) a gin full of flavour and grounded by authenticity, which is now on a seemingly unstoppable meteoric rise. The Sipsmith distillery is based in West London and boasts the first copper pot still to be installed and used in London for 200 years at the time (which they named Prudence). In December 2015, Sipsmith floated the idea of making an at home delivery service of these experimental gins and placed it on crowdfunding website, Indigogo. … Description This is the perfect marriage of a traditional recipe and a truly handcrafted process that delivers impeccable quality and is a classic example of the London Dry style. Her design was fine-tuned following conversations with Beefeater’s Desmond Payne, Plymouth’s Sean Harrison and using Jared Brown’s understanding of creating spirits. Inspired by New York bartender Don Lee’s bacon-infused take on the Old Fashioned, the team borrowed his method of “fat-washing.” In short: the gin … Having pledged to make each and every batch of Sipsmith London Dry Gin using the traditional one-shot method, the team took the opportunity of moving to a larger space to install their third still, Constance. In 2015, Sipsmith were awarded the contract to produce a gin for the House of Commons and released an exclusive bottling for the House of Parliament visitor centre. Talking about life behind the scenes at Sipsmith, Galsworthy refers to why the name still has resonance to all who work there today “Craft is a philosophy, it’s about making things by hand, it’s artisan – it’s a sort of smithery” and it’s this attitude that is followed through into all aspects of distillery life. For those reading on in envy and wanting a delivery of their own – Sipsmith has temporarily closed the option to sign up in order to implement the idea to those who subscribed. In 2019 we celebrated our 10th birthday in true Sipsmith fashion. Let us explain –. She was designed in collaboration with one of Germany’s oldest distillery producers Christian Carl (a family business which has been crafting stills since 1869 and which has since created many of the stills for the smaller craft distilleries) and is as complex as she is beautiful. Sipsmith helped pioneer the London Dry Gin Renaissance in 2009 with the launch of the city's first copper pot distillery in nearly 200 years. In 2009, Sipsmith was launched by Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax Hall. Ultimately, this is why they have captured the imagination of Gin fans around the world. They called the distillery Sipsmith after the name they gave themselves “sip-smiths” – a celebration of the craft of distillation and their artisanal methods. 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News, offers and events from Gin Foundry designed in collaboration with Christian,.