Legends surrounding elder are many and wonderful. It was said that if you burn elder you would see the devil (maybe because of the way the wood spits), but if you planted elder by your house, you'd keep witches away. Some suggested specifically that the elder should be planted behind your house (and Rowan in front) for maximum effect!  Elder is associated with both fire and air in legend. The Greeks claimed that Prometheus stole fire from Mount Olympus by carrying the coals in a hollowed elder stem, while Pliny endowed it with the name Sumbucus after the Sambuca flute, which was made by r ..read more

Hawthorn (genus Crataegus) is native across large parts of the Northern Hemisphere as over 100 different species. With flowering starting in May (and through to June) its many names include the May tree, May blossom, the Fairy Tree and in Welsh draenen wen (white thorn). Its flowering time means its associated with May Day festivities, and was used by witches to ward off evil spirits.  The young shoots and leaves (like the top left in the picture) are edible*, and we've heard them referred to as 'bread and cheese', while the berries I have seen being given to children to eat* in Portugal ..read more

When we talk about the modern gin revival, it might be better thought of as a gin and tonic revival, such is the popularity for this harmonious blend.  But in our own experience at our cellar door, we have more and more conversations about what other serving options there are for gin. You can find lots of these ideas throughout our blog posts on this site, but in this article we'll look at two classics which almost never see the light of day anymore, and what a shame that is, because they are both utterly delicious. Gin & French  A short drink (although sometimes used to be sligh ..read more

We get asked a lot about how best our navy strength gin works in the context of either a G&T or a martini.  Its probably best to start with what the original idea was with Navigation Gin, and perhaps why it then took three years of research and development to bring the first bottles to market. We had decided that if we were going to release a gin at navy strength (57% alcohol by volume), it could not compromise the textural quality our gins are known for, and it would not be just a higher strength version of one of our existing lines, but rather something which utilised that higher AB ..read more

I've had the privilege of knowing Bartholomew Broadbent and Gregg Perkins for many years (writes Danny), and we started chatting about making our gin available in the US market four or five years ago. Broadbent Selections is so much more than just a brilliant importer, and its been really enjoyable meeting (at least via zoom for the moment) their infectiously enthusiastic team recently.  We spent a full year refining a complex forage-led formulation, based around our existing Pollination Gin, and we couldn't be happier with the outcome. We have always favoured brightness, complexity and b ..read more

In recent times the market has been flooded with Pink Gin products. Some of these are technically gin liqueurs (anything with an %Vol alcohol less than 37.5% - or 40% in the USA - is not gin). Rumours abound in the trade that Britain's biggest gin brand sold more of its pink variant than its normal one in 2019.  Given 2020 is my 35th year working with booze (writes Danny), I'm quite familiar with meteoric rises (remember the alcoholic lemonade craze anyone?). And with alcohol, these rapid trends normally involve a lot of sugar, and one or two dominant fruit characters.  Let's back-pe ..read more

If you find yourself looking at the back of our Dyfi Original, Pollination or Hibernation gins, you'll find a different poetic couplet on each. We've posted here what their origin is (we keep the original translation at the distillery for those interested in seeing it). Dyffryn Dyfi (Dovey Valley), by Lewys Glyn Dyfi Dyffryn Dyfi is part of a much larger work of poetry, published in 1852, by Lewis Meredith: ‘Blodau Glyn Dyfi’ (Flowers of the Dovey Valley). Lewis of the Dovey Valley (Lewys Glyn Dyfi), wrote the introduction to the book of poems in Cemmaes, most likely at the Penrhos Arms. Dyffr ..read more

The Espresso Martini was almost certainly created in London by bartender-extraordinaire Dick Bradsell, in the 1980s. Its traditionally made with a base of (flavourless) vodka, and not technically a martini at all. But it has achieved iconic cocktail status.  Should we mess with icons? Can icons be improved? Let's see. 25ml Hibernation Gin 25ml Kahlua (or other good quality coffee liqueur) 25ml Espresso coffee Cherry Brandy (such as de Kuyper XO) (optional) Powdered Praline (optional, see below) Handful of ice Cocktail Shaker Small atomiser (optional, see below) Martini or Coupe Glass, chi ..read more

In this post, we'll cover some of the long drinks and cocktails we make. Sometimes we adapt classics to highlight characteristics of our gins.  Gin and Tonic, disrupted 1 part Dyfi Original, Pollination Gin, Hibernation Gin or Navigation Gin* 1 part good quality plain tonic water 1 part soda water or fizzy mineral water Lots of ice Large goblet Garnish   This makes a fairly ‘short’ G&T, but one where you get to really taste the gin, by not diluting heavily, and toning down the quinine and sugar content of the whole drink. If you like the drink longer, try 1 part gin to 2 parts e ..read more

In this post, we'll cover some of the short mixed drinks and cocktails we enjoy the most, sometimes adapted to highlight characteristics of our gins. Some of these things have been learned working with world class bartenders over many years. The Martini 50ml Dyfi Original, Pollination, Hibernation or Navigation Gin* 10ml Dry Vermouth (eg Noilly Prat) Lots of ice Mixing glass and cocktail stirrer Strainer Martini glass or wine glass (chilled) Twist of lemon peel, or an olive One of the greatest of all cocktails, and a true acid-test for any gin. Load a mixing glass with ice, and add the alcohol ..read more