Virtual Gin Tasting Programme Saturday 23rd March 2024

What is your favourite product and why?

Tayport Distillery produce a range of spirits including Vodka, Gin and Liqueurs. Personally, my favourite product is our Malt Barley Vodka and Mum’s is the Raspberry Liqueur. If we had to choose between our gins, I think it would also be a 50/50 split (haha) as Mum designed and created the Wild Rose Gin, but I think we have all collectively agreed the Scots Pine is more popular and is a more interesting gin to taste! This is because of the complexity within the gin, lots of tasters will talk about gins being three dimensional and this gin is definitely that so there is more of an experience for the customer when trying it.

How long did it take you to finalise your Scots Pine Gin recipe?

The Scots Pine Gin took 6 attempts over the course of about 3-4 months to perfect. Alasdair was new to the business, Mum had just finished training him and we decided to task him with making our next gin. We said to keep in mind trending botanicals and try to keep it as locally inspired as possible. Well, Alasdair being a millennial through and through looked at the closest Starbucks for inspiration and tried to create a ‘Pumpkin Spiced Gin’. We initially thought ok, pumpkins do grow in the area maybe we could make this into something trendy…. but we were wrong. He gave that 3 attempts before we convinced him to move on. Lots of people had suggested pine as a potential botanical, so we tried that out – went through our method of blending to get a vague idea of how we might want to it come out and then developed the recipe from that point. Mum was very annoyed because this was Alasdair’s first gin, and it ended up winning higher awards than hers! It was safe to say he passed the test!

What inspired you to start making gin and what do you love about distillation?

Everyone in the family is a massive foodie, we love cooking – Mum gave us free rein as children, I loved to bake and Alasdair can cook up some pretty incredible savoury dishes. So I would say that flavour is what drew us into the gin business. Mum has always been adamant about creating products using local produce, she loves the idea of picking up delicious food from the market and creating a great dish that evening, not that she gets a lot of time to do that now! That is how the business began, creating spirits using local fruit and grain and it grew arms and legs from that point. Something we also discovered during this process is how much botanical flavours change when distilled. We have ironed out the majority of our recipes now but every day is a school day in the distillery, if the botanicals have come from a different supplier they might turn out different in the still so you have to have your wits about you when distilling.

We did not start with Gin, we actually began with Eau de Vie which is a fruit based product. It wasn’t until a local charity approached us to make a gin for them, combined with the COVID pandemic that we moved into the gin world. So I would say it came around by circumstance and we are very grateful it did because it really kept us in the game during the pandemic!

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

The biggest challenges for us so far have been the rising costs in our industry and juggling all the different workflows within such a small team. Starting production two months before a global pandemic was less than ideal, but ironically played to our strengths as we had a very healthy social media presence, giving us an early advantage. Inflation has been a major issue, with spiralling costs of bottles, cardboard, transport, fuel, and energy, finding smart ways to overcome these challenges without having to reflect on increased pricing is a regular conundrum. On top of that, there has been the recent rise in alcohol duty…

The wide-ranging knowledge and different hats required to keep a gin business and distillery running effectively has been a constant challenge. Juggling production schedules with a heavy event schedule, including over 156 events and shows last year, as well as handling strategy, procurement, product development, design, marketing, administration, licensing, logistics, and more has certainly kept us on our toes.

And let’s not forget the physical challenges – gin is really heavy! One of our favorite event locations is on a hill with a squillion steps… we always find a way to make it work, keep smiling and keep the gin flowing even if this year I spent a good deal of the event on crutches!

Do you have a favourite product? 

Asking me to choose my favourite product is like asking someone to pick their favourite child…

G1, our inaugural gin, holds a special place in my heart as it was inspired by my Mum and has an incredible back a tory and provenance. Then there’s GForce, a gin I hold dear as it is pays homage to my Dad, my hero, and the catalyst behind the inception of Withers Gin. Dad’s battle with pancreatic cancer and the exceptional support we received from Macmillan spurred us to give back, leading to our commitment to donate at least 10% of our profits to cancer charities. GForce soared to popularity in 2023, buoyed by our presence at prestigious air shows and the story of Dad’s gin.

This year, a new favorite of mine is emerging, one that truly encapsulates the spirit of craft gin and conveys significant messages that I’m eager to unveil. Stay tuned on our social media for the latest updates and be on the lookout for our pre-order launch in early April and the release date on St George’s Day (23rd April).

What is your favourite cocktail with G1 Gin and how do you make it?

My go-to cocktail with G1 gin has to be a classic Martini. It holds a special place for me, particularly because my initial encounter with it was at The American Bar at The Savoy, which was the first place to ever stock G1 Gin. I’ll never forget how Maxim Schulte, the Head Bartender there, crafted the Martini with such skill. It was a stark contrast to the ones my dad used to make at home, which, were very potent and lacked a refined touch.

Maxim shared some wisdom on the art of Martini-making. It all hinges on the temperature; both the glass and the liquid need to be chilled to perfection. It’s not just about the chill, though. When you sip a Martini, you should let it linger in your mouth briefly. This allows the cold to subside slightly, awakening the gin’s botanicals on your palate.

When I make my Martini, I prefer to give it a good shake, though whether to stir or shake is a matter of personal preference. Both methods provide a necessary bit of dilution. I follow Maxim’s advice and use a 2:1 ratio of gin to dry vermouth, with a dash of orange bitters for complexity. I garnish with a lemon zest, making sure to express the oils over the glass before letting it float in the drink.. And then I make sure to add one final touch – fine straining to ensure not a single fragment of ice makes its way into the glass. It’s these little details that transform the simple act of making a drink into the craft of cocktail artistry..

What is your perfect serve?

One of the most popular serves for Campfire Old Tom Gin is with Lemon Tonic. We wouldn’t usually pair our gins with Lemonade but for those that aren’t keen on tonic, it does work.

The four-strong Campfire Gin range are superb G&T gins when served with Indian Tonic. However we prefer a 2:1 ratio 100ml tonic to 50ml gin! We use fresh lemon peel in the botanical recipe for Campfire Old Tom Gin but always garnish with a fresh lime wheel. The sweeter notes of the lime complement the sweeter notes of the gin which are obtained through a touch of cinnamon, malted barley and chamomile.

What do you love about gin and distilling?

We love developing the Campfire Gin range and our special edition gins to stay true to the gin category with juniper leading but the fun comes when combining the juniper with other botanicals to create new pairings. We love a challenge and our gin collaborations with local conservation charities and other local businesses certainly manage to do just that. We currently have Ultrasonic Gin – a collaboration with the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust who challenged us to theme a gin around bats! To do this Ben decided to pre-treat the botanicals with ultrasound. This means we extract more oils prior to distilling. The result being we can use 40% less botanicals that we usually would just by maceration alone. £2 from every bottle goes back to the Wildlife Trust.

Our other current conservation gin collaboration is with The Box Moor Trust, the oldest conservation trust at 430 years old. On their estate just 13 miles from the distillery they have some vary rare juniper plants which they allow us to harvest and incorporate into a gin recipe of five botanicals – local juniper, British angelica root, British coriander seed, fresh lime and orris root powder. We’ve used lime as nod to Rose’s Lime Juice who was once based on the Box Moor estate and used the Grand Union Canal to transport barrels of fresh lime juice. Again £2 from every bottle sold is donated back to the Trust.

Would you ever consider developing a Rum or Vodka?

Ahh well that would be telling!

Would you ever consider experimenting with other spirits such as Rum?

I have contemplated starting a rum several times over the last 18 months, however due to our current scale it wouldn’t be financially viable to do so. The other thing that deters me currently is the current surge in British produced rums. The market for craft rum in this country is becoming quite popular, and I would like to see how things develop before committing to producing a rum. The other spirit we have considered in recent times is a non-alcoholic ‘Gin’ and is most likely our next research and development route.

How long did it take you to finalise your Frodon Garden Gin Recipe?

Frodon as a gin was an idea I had for about 6 months before release. Herbaceous gins are a style I personally love and wanted to explore. Frodon was the sixth gin we launched and was initially planned as a limited release spring-summer gin launched in March each year for Women’s History Month. The gin pays homage to Bryony Frost, the first female Jockey to win a grade 1 race at the Cheltenham Festival,  and her horse Frodon. Frodon is one of my favourite horses of the modern era and it felt fitting to name a gin after this phenomenal pairing.

The gin itself has a relatively high juniper content to come through the depth of flavour from the herbaceous notes. We use entirely fresh herbs in this gin with the recipe centred around rosemary, sage, thyme, and our signature botanical spruce. Fresh green apple provides lighter, sweeter notes to the gin. In producing this gin, the most important part was getting the balance of the herbs right so that they are all present and evident in the palate without overpowering each other, or any of the other botanicals.

Which is your favourite gin to make and why?

The first recipe I conceived from our range was Kauto, our contemporary dry gin. When I started my distilling journey it was a recipe that I thought would work, and completely concocted in my head. As a more contemporary gin, with some prominent flavours, looking for balance in the profile was essential to me. With kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass providing deep, earthy citrus notes, pink peppercorns and ginger giving a robust spice to the palate, and evident floral notes of lavender and heather, this gin is my favourite of the range. I don’t think there is another gin like it on the market. We get a beautiful smoothness to the gin, and it is the most versatile to use in cocktails.

What made you want to start a distillery?

A bad day at work! I’ve always been a tinkerer and ‘shed inventor’ but I’ve never made anything useful – just ask my wife, Andrea. Late 2018, early Friday evening, Andrea was already home from work, and pouring a couple of gins as I walked in the door. Staring at the gin in the glass, a particularly crazy idea came to mind – I could make gin!!

The idea rolled around and gathered pace. Not long after the initial light bulb moment, Andrea announced she was going away with the girls for a lovely relaxing spa weekend. Rubbing my hands in a mad scientist style, the stage was set.

We have a 30-odd year old pressure cooker in the house, but thinking it might be of religious or cultural significance, didn’t dare touch it – so I bought a brand new one to make into a still. Using scrap parts from the junk box at work, and stuff off the internet where suitable junk was unavailable, I turned the new pressure cooker into a working 7 litre still. Taking pride of place, the shiny new creation was sitting on top of the cooker for Andrea’s return on Sunday.

Conversation went along the lines of – ‘why didn’t you use the scabby old one?!’ etc etc. once I’d explained it was a still, and we were going to make gin (which would need somebody to test) – I was forgiven and our gin journey began. We have been a home based Husband & Wife Gin team ever since.

Do you have any exciting plans for 2024?

We have signed up for more Gin To My Tonic events covering Dumfries, Newcastle and a much anticipated return to Glasgow! We are also trying new local markets out in different areas, still relatively local, but expanding. In an ideal world, I would also like to invent a bottle washing machine to make that part less time consuming!

Can you tell us about any new products in the pipeline?

We are working on lots of exciting new releases including ready mixed cocktails such as the Bramble and Ginaretto. We are also working on a new gin recipe inspired by local land with a flavour focus on nettles and healthier. We also want to develop a coastal gin inspired by the sea – incorporating seaweed and other savoury flavours.