THE SOUTH DOWNS WAY:
The Goliath and 2 Davids of London Dry Gin
For many years I’ve had the hankering to do an Inn-to-Inn walk in a rural setting, letting my thoughts roam as I take in flora, fauna, and landscape. I’m not an avid hiker, but I can walk for miles and found just the right venture in the South Downs Way – a 100-mile footpath from Winchester to Eastbourne in the very south of England. The Way follows a chalk ridge that gives unending panoramic views of rolling fields separated by hedgerows and a series of small millennium-old villages in the river valleys below.
Most of the SDW is along public rights-of-way at the edges of fields; at the time of my trip brilliant yellow chest-high rapeseed or the knee-high green of cereal rye, or grazed by sheep, cows, and horses. The series of steep hills in addition to the ascent to the ridge line each day, proved more challenging than I expected, but this enhanced the accomplishment I felt during that last mile walking into Eastbourne on the English Channel. It was a wonderful way to break out of the confining regimens of Covid.
One of the attractions of walking the SDW was the opportunity to visit a few gin distilleries located at the beginning and the end of the trail. The fact that they represent two opposite ends of the scale of production made it particularly appealing. Just 15 miles from Winchester is Laverstoke Mill, which houses the sole distilling operation of Bombay Sapphire Gin. Similarly, 20 miles from Eastbourne is Brighton, home of Brighton Gin, and 15 miles beyond that is Worthing, where Slake Spirits is located.
As you may imagine, a visit to Bombay Sapphire is a pleasant but fairly impersonal and institutional experience. Whereas visits to Brighton Gin and Slake Spirits were engaging, inspiring, and good fun. My visits were a perfect reward for successfully completing the 100-mile South Downs Way.
Bombay Sapphire Gin, Laverstoke Mill
As befitting one of the world’s most ubiquitous premium gins, the Bombay Sapphire distillery at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire County occupies an impressive and historic facility. The brick mill itself dates to the 11th century, and was expanded twice in the 19th century to accommodate the printing of British bank notes (and later Indian Rupees) for 200 years from the early 18th to the early 20th centuries. It was purchased and converted just 20 years ago to distill Bombay Sapphire. Renovations necessary to house two huge and two large copper stills and accompanying distilling equipment has left the beautiful exteriors of the mill intact. Two eye-catching greenhouses were added to the historic complex and house samples of the 10 botanicals in Bombay Sapphire’s unique flavor profile.
Indeed, those botanicals were the focus and highlight of a visit to the distillery. Time spent in the greenhouses discussing the sourcing and properties of each botanical was followed by time in a lab with dishes of each in nut, berry, or root form. Their aromas were released when crushed between fingers. This tactile experience of the botanicals increased the impact on the senses. Importantly, the artisanal method of Vapour Infusion of the botanicals, rather than steeping them in the neutral spirit, has been used by the distillery that created Bombay Sapphire since its founding in 1831.
A visit to the Sapphire Gin distillery would be incomplete without a stop at their bar, which features a dozen cocktails with Sapphire gin and their two recent releases Bombay Sapphire Premium Cru and Bombay Bramble. I found their Ultimate Collins – Premier Cru, fresh lemon, sugar water, sea salt and soda water with a lemon twist and a cherry – particularly refreshing.
Brighton Gin, Brighton
Brighton Gin’s motto – “Unusual, Playful, and Fiercely Independent” – was evident from my first communications with Charly Thieme, Operations Manager, and was entirely borne out when meeting them in person. One doesn’t often feel welcomed, have fun, and make a real connection when visiting a spirits distillery. Charly was very generous with their time, freely sharing details of the sourcing of ingredients, all the while expressing the love that goes into artisanal small-batch distilling and their pride in not only creating great tasting gin but also their role in reflecting and boosting the unique energy that is Brighton.
Founded a dozen years ago when a change in English law permitted the marketing of small-batch distilling of gin, Brighton was at the forefront of the boom in local distilling in the UK. Since then they have not only built a strong regional following (I encountered their gins on menus in the better restaurants on my travels through the South Downs countryside), but exports (to Europe, Hong Kong, Canada and Australia) now comprise 20% of their sales.
What I found particularly refreshing was Brighton’s determination to create gins that shine on their own, and not crafted to be mixed with tonic. On our last, pre-Covid tour of several gin distilleries in England, makers were keen to point out how their gins really “open up” when mixed with one tonic or another. As a committed martini drinker, I much prefer a gin that impresses simply chilled with a dash of vermouth. Brighton’s zesty London Dry “Pavilion” strength gin (40% ABV) and their “Seaside” Navy strength (a robust 57% ABV) both deliver distinctive taste in a martini glass and also mix well in G&Ts and other cocktails.
Impressive also are the values behind the fun-loving spirit(s) evident at Brighton Gin. Vegan and sustainable production include not only the gin itself, but the glass of their beautiful bottles, the glue used to affix the labels, the sealing wax, bicycle delivery within Brighton, and the ability of local customers to refill their bottles at the distillery. The city of Brighton on the south shore of England has a distinctive reputation that attracts an eclectic crowd of residents and vacationers. It’s hard to imagine an enterprise that more closely reflects the unique character of a location more faithfully than the playful, irreverent project that is Brighton Gin.
Slake Spirits, Worthing
I particularly wanted to visit Slake Spirits because it is as fine an example as one can find of what a knowledgeable, highly motivated person with a distinctly unique and independent vision can accomplish. With a determination to create spirits that highlight the flora and terroir of a particular locality, Tom Martin-Wells has successfully parlayed his background in biology, chemistry, and ecology into distilling gins and brandies like no other. One cannot help but be infected by Tom’s enthusiasm and his approach to making organic, sustainable, excellent tasting spirits that can, like Brighton Gin, be enjoyed neat (as well as mixed in cocktails).
Starting with ongoing foraging expeditions and building a “library” of locally grown and harvested botanicals, Tom then runs tests after tests to determine which may enhance the flavor profile of his gins, which are comprised primarily of juniper and other ingredients that are not grown in England. I found Tom’s scientific orientation, respect and knowledge of what nature produces locally, and his devotion to crafting spirits that reflect that particular natural bounty a unique and refreshing approach.
Still in its early stages of growth, Slake Spirits continues to expand its offerings. In addition to his ongoing development of gins highlighting various local botanicals, Tom has embarked on a project using the recent expansion of vineyards in West Sussex to produce a locally-sourced brandy.
At present, much of Slake Spirits’ production is purchased by local upscale restaurants that specialize in serving food and spirits from the South Downs area. At the time of my visit, Tom was busy ramping up distilling and bottling for two major UK exhibitions. Among several delightful offerings, I predict that his Wild Elixir, a unique blend of local Bacchus grapes and his Sussex Dry Gin will be very well received. A visitor will be rewarded by Tom’s extremely engaging enthusiasm, intrigued by his botanical library, and taste several distinctive spirits in a most hospitable atmosphere.
