Sipsmith

Prudence, patience and constance are the key concepts of the Sipsmith distillery, which is one of the few producers of gin located within London. In 2007, in a small workshop in Hammersmith, in the western area of the English capital, Fairfax and Sam, who have been friends since a very young age, shared a passion for doing things the right way and following tradition in the old-fashioned way. They decided to realise their dream of turning their passion into a job and opened a traditional distillery with copper stills. Their mission was simple: to bring London Dry Gin of unique quality and character back to the City, just like it was when it first gained its reputation. The only thing missing was a Master Distiller. Fortunately for the two Cornish-born entrepreneurs, they met Jared, who soon discovered that he shared their love of artisanship, and in the blink of an eye he joined them on this wonderful adventure.

The trio of Sipsmiths handcraft each of their creations. Every drop of every batch is lovingly produced by passionate distillers who love their work. There are no time constraints or automatic cuts, just the talent of the craftsmen and their passion for quality gin. The uniqueness of the products is primarily due to the use of vodka as a base and, of course, the 'one shot' distillation process. The three stills are named after the distillery's motto: Prudence was the first copper still in London in the last 200 years and its design is unique because it was created by the oldest family of still makers in Germany. It is ironically named as such because in the period of recession that Europe was entering, during which the British Prime Minister advised the British people to be financially prudent, the three protagonists of Sipsmiths were embarking on a crazy idea and financing it by selling their houses. While not exactly prudent, it was a far-sighted decision, despite the fact that it took Patience, as the second still was called, to lead the company to its current success and the new, larger premises in Chiswick. With the fruits of their labour now reaped, came Constance, which was necessary for continuity.

The gins of the Sipsmith distillery are distinguished by their floral, green, almost grass-cut scents, with a fresh twist of citrus, lemons and orange peel. There is a dry finish that distinguishes the London dry, while in the Sloe version this combines with the almondy notes of marzipan and is sweetened by berries. This is the true essence of the English spirit, in a tradition that goes back hundreds of years. It is definitely worth trying again and again, with its British elegance and the ironic spirit that characterises this nation.