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Manchester
Gins
& Gins From the Surrounding Area
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With the current gin craze, there are now a number of Manchester gins on the market, however, the history of the popular tipple in the city can be traced back to the 1760s, with the oldest distillery in Britain, located in the region and still using their original copper stills.
Incredibly, today, a fifth of the world's gin is reportedly produced barely 20 minutes from Manchester city centre (including Winston Churchill's favourite gin) and the world's first ever female Master Distiller is a University of Manchester graduate who has gone on to become the most prolific creator of gins on the planet.
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"At the corners of nearly all the principal streets are gaudy buildings, with enormous lamps, and into these Gin Palaces, as they are called, a continual stream of living beings enter. And oh! what a wretched procession! Old men and little children, drabbish women and young girls; youths of besotted appearance, and men in the very flower of life, bowed down to the dust, energies quenched, strength prostrated, minds half destroyed.
"Just follow me into a Manchester gin palace, and let us watch for a moment what is going on..." |
Below, we list all the best gins from Manchester and the surrounding area to add to your collection.
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| ~ Gins listed in order of distance to Manchester Town Hall ~ |
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Distillery & Gin School: Spirit of Manchester Distillery, Temperance Street, Ardwick
Established: June 2016
ABV: 42%
12 locally hand-foraged botanicals: Juniper, dandelion and burdock, liquorice, ground almond and orange and lemon.
When Warrington girl, Jen Wiggins, met Blackpool boy, Seb Heeley, on the dance floor of The Liar's Club; in 2013, little did they expect to fall in love with each other, move in together, and launch their own gin in tribute to their adopted home city.
From a bespoke-made copper still, called "Wendy" (after Jen's mother), in their Chorlton dining room, they moved to the Spirit Of Manchester distillery, in Ardwick - ironically on Temperance Street - before relocating to their own bespoke gin distillery bar, Three Little Words, in September 2019, underneath the railway arches on Watson Street in the city centre.
Their Double Gold winning handcrafted signature Manchester Gin, incorporates North West flavours, with locally hand-foraged botanicals including dandelion and burdock, liquorice, ground almond and orange and lemon.
Adding two more stills: "Emmeline", (after Manchester suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst) and "Victoria", (after Bury comedian Victoria Wood), they also produce a 57% ABV "Overboard" Navy Strength gin, together with limited edition infused gins, such as raspberry, and a herbaceous "Wild Spirit" version.
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 = £31+ | buy online |
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Distillery & Gin School: City of Manchester Distillery, Red Bank Parade, Manchester city centre
Established: July 2016
ABV: 40%
11 Botanicals: Macedonian juniper, coriander, angelic root, orris, Spanish orange peel, Madagascan vanilla, ground almond, cardamom, cinnamon, Cheshire oats and black pepper.
Pefect G&T: with Fever Tree Tonic, garnished with a single fresh cherry, or gin soaked dried apricot and fresh rosemary.
 Pefect Cocktail: Negroni, Dirty Martini or Aviation
Dave Rigby went from being the owner of Cuckoo bar in Prestwich to being Master Distiller at the City of Manchester Distillery & Gin School, which he set up with three friends, in a disused city centre railway arch at Red Bank in the Green Quarter, next to Manchester Arena. Their international award-winning small batch dry gin, distilled in a beautiful custom made copper pot still, combines 11 botanicals, including oats - inspired by the staple diet of the working class residents in the surrounding slums during the Industrial Revolution - producing a spicy, black pepper finish, great for Martinis.
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| = £35+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Fenney Street, Broughton
Established: March 2018
ABV: 42%
13 Botanicals: Juniper, Spanish coriander, angelica root, Indo-Chinese cassia bark, liquorice root, cubeb berries, cardamon, grains of paradise, rose petals, elderflower, lavender, lemon peel, orris root (all sourced by G Baldwin & Co., London, purveyors of natural products since 1844):
Pefect G&T: with Schweppes 1783 Tonic, served in a tumbler glass with a lemon peel or cucumber
Pefect Cocktail: Hemingway Daiquiri (substituting rum with Fenney Street Gin)
Working in a Manchester hospital for the past 4 years, young Carlisle couple midwife Becky Brown and nurse executive Paul Carruthers, were inspired to create their own gin after stumbling across an old country foraging book at Paul’s grandfather’s farm in Cumbria. A recipe for wildflower cordial prompted them to create their very own gin based interpretation, setting up a nano distillery in their own kitchen on Fenney Street, Broughton.
The handpicked botanicals and wild flower petals are hand grinded in a pestle and mortar, before being allowed to infuse in the base spirit, and added to the tiny copper still – lovingly named ‘Ada' after Paul's grandmother. Fresh spring water is used from the idyllic Vale of Eden, near Penrith, to add even more of a Cumbrian connection. Each batch produces only 85 bottles, and the result is a subtle and delicate gin, with an exceptionally smooth finish.
A fruity blush version includes fresh strawberries, raspberries and apples. Inspired by Cumbria, made in Manchester.
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| = £31+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Salford
Established: December 2015
ABV: 42.2%
6 Organic Botanicals: Croatian juniper, Austrian coriander, Polish angelica, Spanish liquorice, Paraguayan lemon verbena and Sicilian mandarin peels.
Pefect G&T: with Double Dutch Indian Tonic, and grapefruit zest to garnish
Pefect Cocktail: Dirty Martini with Nocerala olives
This boutique one-man-band, one copper still, micro-distillery is ran in a small Salford lock-up by former Lisbon bartender Filipe Sousa, who came to Manchester to work in the city's bars (Australasia, Dusk Til Pawn, and Panacea). With just 200 bottles per batch, this really is a gin made for cocktail makers and has even found itself on to the shelves of M&S.
Being such a small operation hasn't stopped Filipe from expanding and he has a huge selection of flavoured gins - coffee, mango, pineapple, raspberry & rosehop - as well as chocolate & orange gin liqueurs, rums and vodka.
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| = £34+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Salford
Established: July 2018
ABV: 40%
Botanicals: juniper, lime tree flowers, sandalwood & more
This small batch gin from Salford born & bred native Nicholas James is another made on license by Felipe Sousa at his micro-distillery in Salford, In typical Salford fashion, this is no nonsense premium gin with nothing artificial and no fairytale story to match; just a superb recipe of some unusual botanicals including lime tree flowers and sandalwood, fresh fruit juices and zest. A raspberry gin is also available,
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| = £32+ | more info |
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Distillery: Salford
Established: November 2018
ABV: 18%
10+ Botanicals: Macedonian juniper, Bulgarian coriander, Polish/French angelica, Italian orris, Spanish orange & lemon, Italian liquorice, Chinese cassia bark, Indian nutmeg, Seychelles cinnamonn + individual ingredients for each liqueur
As if Filipe Sousa was not busy enough with his Faith & Sons gin (above), and making bespoke gins for others, he is also behind this beautiful quality gin liqueur company, which uses a different London Dry recipe as the base for the liqueurs, distilled at his one copper still micro-distillery in Salford.
With a nod to Manchester, the liqueurs use classic local retro sweet flavours like Dandelion & Burdock, (parma) Violet, Fruit Salad, Raspberry Ripple, Spiced Orange Marmalade, and Pineapple & Coconut (Pina Colada). Absolutely delicious.
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| = £16+ | buy online |
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Distillery & Gin School: SIS4ERS DISTILLERY, Salford Quays
Established: November 2017
ABV: 40%
11 Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, orris, liquorice, cassia, orange, lemon, almond, blueberry, mastiche
Born and bred in the heart of Salford, this is a gin from, not just four sisters, but also four sisters to the SEVEN BRO7HERS brewery - making the eleven of them combined the largest family of direct siblings in the global alcohol industry! Their parents obviously never owned a TV.
Their environmentally friendly hand-made, hand-bottled and hand-labelled small batch smooth Signature Gin, has a tast of blueberry, and, together with a range of four infused flavoured gins, is distilled in two beautiful copper pot stills, 'Frederica' and 'Venetia'. A range of the botanicals are sourced locally and , when overused, are sown back into the soil, by local Salford farmers.
New flavoured gins - Caramel Espresso, Strawberry, Passion Fruit & Cardamom, and Lime & Thyme - have been added to the collection,
Tours of the family distillery in Salford Quays, where you can make your own gin, are also offered.
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| = £37+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Edgeley, Stockport
Established: February 2019
ABV: 40%
14 Botanicals: Organic Macedonian Juniper, Moroccan Corriander, Lemon and Orange Peel, Orris, Liquorice & Angelica Root Cardamom, Elderberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Rose and Elderflower, Cheshire Honey
Pefect G&T: with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic, ice and one or two raspberries
Using berries, rose and the finest Cheshire honey, harvested by Steve Mead from his happy bee hives in Mill Brow, Marple, this micro-batched handcrafted Stockport gin takes distiller Sacha Mannion 6 months to perfect in his cellar (after popularity meant production outgrew his kitchen). The botanicals are steeped for 18 hours and slowly distilled, hand-filled, labelled and wax-dipped to create a premium gin with classic gin notes of juniper and coriander but with a fruity and slightly floral finish.
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| = £34+ | buy online |
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Bottled: Robinson's, Bredbury, Stockport
Established: 1905
Pefect G&T: Fentiman's Connoisseurs Tonic Water with Bombay Sapphire, garnished with lemon & mint
It is a little known fact that Northumberland-based Fentimans, famous for its Ginger Beer, Victorian Lemonade, Dandelion & Burdock and Curiosity Cola, actually use the Robinson's Brewery in Stockport, 165 miles away, to bottle their tonic waters. In fact, many of the company's drinks were even brewed by "Robbies" (which dates back to 1838), until the Hexham business introduced their own laboratory in 2010. Both companies still remain in the ownership of their respective family members.
Bottling of Fentiman's mixers takes place at Robinson's Bredbury plant, with a choice of:
- Premium Indian Tonic Water - the world’s first botanically brewed tonic - made with a blend of herbal infusions and lemongrass
- Naturally Light Tonic Water is based on Fentimans Premium Indian Tonic Water but with 30% fewer calories
- Botanical Tonic Water is a complex mixer containing a delicate combination of floral and herbal flavours with notes of Hyssop and Myrtle counterbalanced by a natural sweetness and the sharpness of Quinine
- Connossieurs Tonic Water has a clean and balanced taste which enhances the botanicals in premium spirits
- Elderflower & Rose Tonic offers a floral and aromatic serve
- Pink Grapefruit Tonic is ideal for a zesty long drink
- Valencian Orange Tonic pairs perfectly with citrus and herbaceous gins
- Pink Rhubarb Tonic is reminiscent of vintage sweets and will give a London Dry gin a unique and refreshing dimension when served over ice and garnished with lemon and a sprig of mint
- Oriental Yuzu Tonic is ideal for mixing with a strong London Dry or botanically rich gins. Served over ice and garnish with a lemon twist
- Rose Lemonade offers an alternative to tonic water and is perfect with premium London Dry gins, violet or rhubarb gins
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| = £0.90+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Fairhills Trading Estate, Irlam
Established: 2014
ABV: 40%
20 Organic & Homegrown Botanicals: British juniper, coriander, caraway, raspberries, angelica, orris root.
Established by Master Distiller Aaron Darke in Irlam, as Manchester's first craft distillery, this two man operation started out as Britain’s sole craft mead maker in 2012, with a nod to the Manchester worker bee. Honey vodka is also the base for the 20 secret botanicals in their complex rich Original Manchester Gin, which is made by using eco-friendly methods, such as importing non-perishable goods down the nearby Manchester Ship Canal. Their extensive range also includes meads, vodkas, ciders, craft beers, and many novelty flavoured gins and gin based liqueurs, such as gooseberry, sweet violet, rhubarb & cranberry, strawberry & mint, pink grapefruit, citrus, marmalade, quince & Jamaican ginger,, Turkish Delight and Cherry Bakewell, "FlaGingo Electric Blue & Scottish Raspberry" and "Realm of the Unicorn Marshmellow".
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| = £19+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Northern Spirit Partnership, Woodrow Business Centre, Irlam
Established: November 2018
ABV: 42%
Botanicals: Juniper, orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit oil, coriander seed, cassia, liquorice root, grapefruit peel, bergamot and lavender
Although painting a picture of tranquil pastures in the beautiful countryside far away from the rush of urban life, this stunning gin is actually made next to Lidl and a Tesco filling station in Irlam, by the Mitten family - the same people behind The Cheese Court artisan cheese shop in Urmston.
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| = £36+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Tyldesley
Established: June 2017
ABV: 40%
Botanicals: Juniper, cinnamon, lavender, Jaffa oranges and more
Pefect G&T: with Fever Tree Indian Tonic, twisted basil leaves, crushed pomegranate or raspberry, orange slice & ice
The Fashhou family, behind Sweet Little Drinks (below), also own this orange gin range, which is presented in a bottle that represents the entrance to the Old City of Jaffa and is made in homage to their father, Khamies, a refugee from Palestine, born on the 25th December 1947, and immigrated to Manchester due to the unrest that came after World War II. Growing up on a staple diet of Jaffa Oranges, he always made sure the only oranges in his Manchester family home was Jaffas.
With no artificial flavouring, no artificial colouring, and no glycerol, it is a 100% natural orange gin which is macerated for two weeks and combined with a selection of additional botaicals including cinnamon, lavender and juniper. Flavoured liqueurs are also available including Not Terry's Chocolate Orange, Club Tropicana Pineapple & Orange, Raspberry & Orange, Fresh Lemon, and Sunrise Grapefruit & Pistachio.
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| = £27+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Tyldesley
Established: July 2018
ABV: 18% - 42%
Botanicals: Various Gin Liqueurs
Bringing nostalgic flavours to the adult world, this Manchester gin liqueur company serves up a huge and ever growing range of cheekily labelled retro flavours, (which seem to sail dangerously close to the wind of EU Trademark laws). Their heart shaped bottles include the first colour changing Parma Violet Liqueur, Bubblegum, Jammie Dodgers, Manchester Tart, Cider Lollies, Iron Brew, Jelly Babies, Pink Candy Floss, Popcorn, Marshmallow, Cola Cubes, Dandelion & Burdock, Lemon Refreshers, Blak Jaks, Ice Pop Blue Raspberry, Turkish Delight, Fruit Salad, Rhubarb & Custard, Pear Drops, Cream Soda, Custard Creams, Toffee Apple, Very Cherry Baked Well, American Pie, Peanut Butter Jelly, Treacle Toffee, Pumpkin, Granny Smiths, Candy Canes, Apple Zappa, Flamingo Tropical, Pancake, Maple Syrup & Bacon, Pornstar Gin, and many more.
As well as manufacturing the (official) Thornton's Chocolate Liqueur, they also make a selection of flavoured rums (Cream Egg anyone?), and a Glitter Bomb gin liqueur range with Before Eight Mint Chocolate, Luv Heartz, Christmas Pudding, Mulled Wine, Bubblegum, Razberry Ripple, Blingberry, and Unicorn Dreamz flavours. Owned by the Fashhou family, who are behind the 247 Enterprises bar suppliers, their other brands include Jaffa 2512 Gin (see above), Skuna craft brewery, Sweet Little Mermaid tropical and pink gins, Kimono lychee gin liqueur, and Space Cake CBD Birthday Cake Gin Liqueur - the world's first Cannabinoid (CBD) gin liqueur, with CO2 extracted industrial hemp.
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| = £15+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Compstall, Stockport
Established: March 2019
ABV: 40%
Botanicals: tbc
Pefect G&T: with Fentimans Connoisseurs Tonic Water
This small batch craft gin, distilled in a family home in the Stockport countryside village of Compstall, is one to keep an eye on. Manchester city centre based architect Paul and his wife Cheryl Sharrocks have seen demand for their gin increase so much, they've moved from distilling in the garage to a dedicated storage unit, with Cheryl having to give up her day job as a hairdresser to focus on the business full time, At the moment there are three editions: Original, Giant Leap and Pink Edition
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| = £39+ | buy online |
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington
Established: 1761
ABV: 37.5%
8 Botanicals: Italian Juniper and orris, Moroccan coriander, German angelica, Spanish almonds and lemon peel, Indo-Chinese cassia bark, Chinese liquorice.
Pefect G&T:
Pefect Cocktail:
Thomas Dakin, the forefather of quality English gin, started making his original gin, on Bridge Street in Warrington, in 1760, founding what would become the oldest gin distillery in Britain. Following his death in 1790, his family continued making the gin, maintaining his legacy by pioneering a new filtration production method.
In 1836, they invented a unique vapour infusion process, which would set their gins apart from any other, whereby, instead of boiling the botanicals directly in the spirit, they would instead be placed on baskets above the steam-heated still. This way, the distilled spirit, would rise upwards through the botanicals, picking up the essential oils and aromas along the way.
Family friend, Edward Greenall, from the St. Helen's brewing dynasty, bought the company in 1870 and continued to make the gin under the Dakin name, until 1894; when it was rebranded as "Greenall's 1761 London Dry Gin", by his younger brothers, Gilbert & John Greenall, keeping Thomas Dakin's original recipe.
By 1960, the gin was so popular, production was moved to a larger distillery at the beautifully grand Greenall's Wilderspool Brewery alongside the Manchester Ship Canal in Stockton Heath, Warrington, where, as well as Vladivar Vodka, the company would also produce Bombay Gin, using exactly the same 1761 recipe as their house brand. In fact, it is this original recipe that would go on to be the base spirit for many of the world's most famous gins (as you will find out, below) as well as supermarket's own brands for Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Waitrose.
When a large fire, lasting three days, destroyed the bottling plant and a warehouse, in 2005 - together with the original Dakin and Greenall recipes, family records and six million bottles of spirits - the original copper pot stills were thankfully saved, and moved to a new production site in Birchwood, just 15 minutes from Manchester - where 70% of the UK's gin would be produced. These are still used today, with eight botanicals added by hand, with the recipe remaining a secret, only shared by seven master distillers in the company's history.
Now with alternative infused flavoured versions, including Wild Berry, Pink Graprefruit and Sloe gin,
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| = £12+ | buy online |
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Supermarket Own Brand Gins
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington
Botanicals: Various, however all include Italian Juniper, Moroccan coriander, German angelica
You might be surprised to learn that, just 15 minutes from Manchester, amongst the 11 million litres of gin coming out of G&J's Birchwood site each year (70% of the UK's gin), they make over 300 brands, including the gold award winning private label gins for many of the world’s largest retailers:
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood (since 1998?)
Established: 1845
ABV: 40% (UK) / 45.2% (USA)
9 Botanicals: Italian Juniper, Moroccan coriander, German angelica root & seed, cassia bark, caraway seed, nutmeg, rosemary & sage
Pefect G&T: 1 part Boodles gin, 2 parts Tonic Water, shaved ice and a peppermint leaf
Pefect Cocktail: Boodles Martini (120ml Boodles gin, 30ml Dry Vermouth, garnish with lemon peel)
G&J Distillery in Birchwood produces this historic gin at two strengths for Proximo Spirits in New Jersey. One of the most exceptional gins in the world, it has always been distilled and produced in the UK - originally by Cock Russell & Company - but was only available in the USA and Japan until 2013, meaning British drinkers effectively had to pay duty twice to import it. There are also Mulberry and Rhubarb & Strawberry versions.
Interestingly, whilst Boodles Gin was one of the gins to shape the flavour of the modern London Dry style, it actually contains no citrus. Originally established in 1845, it was distilled exclusively for the Boodles Club, one of the most prestigious gentlemen's club in London. Founded at 50 Pall Mall by Edward Boodles in 1762, it boasted many British aristocrats and politicians among its members, including Winston Churchill - for whom it is said, Boodles was his favourite gin) - William Wilberforce, Jack Profumo, David Niven and Ian Fleming - who references the club in the novels "Moonraker" and "You Only Live Twice".
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| = £17+ | buy online |
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington
Established: 2007
ABV: 40%
12 Botanicals: Italian Juniper and orris, Moroccan coriander, German angelica, Spanish almonds and lemon peel, Indo-Chinese cassia bark, Chinese liquorice, dragon eye, and lotus leaves, French lavender, Turkish white poppy
Pefect G&T:
Pefect Cocktail:
Made just 15 minutes down the road from Manchester, in Birchwood, this multi-award winning, super-premium gin was set up in New York by Indian-American Wall Street banker Anshuman Vohra, after an investment of just £300,000. G&J Distillers in Birchwood were chosen for production with the 5 additional exotic botanicals handcrafted with Thomas Dakin's 1761 recipe, by only the seventh Master Distiller in G&J Greenall's history, University of Manchester educated biochemist Joanne Moore.
The gin, named after Sir Winston Churchill, has gone on to become one of the most famous in the world - available in 95 countries - and was sold to Campari in 2017 for £46.8 million - not a bad return!
Anshuman Vohra has continued his partnership with Joanne Moore, working closely with her to develop his new HALO Sport electrolyte drinks company.
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| = £15+ | buy online |
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington
Established: 2008
ABV: 40%
11 Botanicals: Italian Juniper and orris, Bulgarian coriander, Belgium and German angelica, Spanish almonds, lemon and orange peel, Indo-Chinese cassia bark, Chinese liquorice, "Northern European" blueberries and blackberries
Pefect G&T: with Schweppes Indian Tonic, garnished with a twist of pink grapefruit and 2 blueberries
Pefect Cocktail: Bramble, garnished with blueberries and blackberries
This famous gin, which is third-party distilled in its own 100 year old copper still at Birchwood, was set up in 2008 by Neil Everitt - who, amongst many other big international companies, set up Poland's famous Stock vodka company - with three other friends including London-based brand consultant Bob Fowkes.
Soft on the juniper, it is more fruity, thanks to the blueberries and blackberries, which sit alongside G&J's traditional botanicals and citrus peels from Thomas Dakin's recipe. A great introduction to gin for non-gin drinkers.
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| = £26+ | buy online |
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington
Established: April 2009
ABV: 40%
7 Botanicals: Italian juniper, German angelica, Moroccan coriander, Indonesian cubeb berries, chamomile, honeysuckle, pomelo
Pefect G&T: with Fentimans Tonic, garnished with 2 strawberries
Pefect Cocktail: French 75, Pear Bellini, or Clover Club
Only the seventh Master Distiller in G&J Greenall's history, University of Manchester educated biochemist Joanne Moore's award-winning delicate London Dry gin is light and floral, inspired by her love of nature and experimenting with new botanicals, such as chamomile and honeysuckle, and the citrus fruit pomelo.
It is distilled at the G&J Distillery in Birchwood, using demineralised fresh spring water and is notably less juniper dominant than their other gins.
New variations include limited edition Jasmine & Rose gin, and Lemon & Elderflower gin liqueur.
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| = £20+ | buy online |
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington
Established: 2013
ABV: 46%
8 Botanicals: Italian juniper, Moroccan coriander, German angelica, Indonesian cubeb berries, kaffir lime leaves, basil, sage, lavendar
Pefect serve: Straight over ice garnished with single basil leaf
Pefect Cocktail: Dry Martini garnished with single basil leaf
If Bloom is Joanne Moore’s ultimate ladies gin, then her 2013 creation, named after the historic Mayfair gin of the 1700s, is most certainly marketed as the aristocratic English gentlemen’s choice of gin.
G&J's small batch premium gin is distilled in Birchwood, under the watchful eye of Head Distiller Dermot Hegarty (since 2018), using the same tradition as a single malt Scotch whisky, earning it the moniker of "the single malt of the gin world".
Made by using the unusual method of ‘bouquet garni’, where the herbaceous aromas of the hand-picked botanicals are obtained by wrapping them in muslin and submerging into the triple distilled spirit for 48 hours, the end result is complex, yet ultra smooth, and ideal for sipping straight or in a Dry Martini.
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| = £38+ | buy online |
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington
Established: October 2013
ABV: 40%
8 Botanicals: Italian Juniper, Moroccan coriander, Indonesian cubeb berries, Indian black pepper, cardamom, orange, grapefruit zest, ginger
Pefect G&T: Fever Tree Indian Tonic & garnished with thick slice of fresh ginger
Pefect Cocktail: Cinnachai Flip (40ml Opihr, 20ml Chai syrup, 20ml whole milk, 1 egg white)
Opihr, (pronounced "o-peer"), was created by the world’s first female Master Gin Distiller, University of Manchester graduate Joanne Moore, at G&J's Birchwood distillery.
The London Dry gin delivers the intensity of the Orient by using hand-picked exotic botanicals, herbs and spices inspired by the ancient Spice Route, where merchants would travel thousands of miles, trading exotic spices from distant lands. Great in a G&T or with a ginger ale.
New variations include an Arabian edition and a Far East edition.
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| = £18+ | buy online |
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood (since 2014)
Established: May 2013
ABV: 40%
8 Secret Botanicals: including Italian Juniper, Moroccan coriander, German angelica and British raspberries
Pefect G&T: Fever Tree Indian Tonic & garnished with a raspberry & a sprig of "well-spanked"
mint
Pefect Cocktail: Rampant Raspberry (50ml Pinkster, 70ml Apple juice, 35ml Hedgepig Rampant Raspberry gin liqueur, 15ml Lime juice, garnish with apple slices)
Another gin coming out of the G&J Distillery in Birchwood is the popular rasberry infused Cambridge-based brand from creator Stephen Marsh, a Hertfordshire based PR entrepreneur. He originally produced the gin with Thames Distillers in London, before switching to G&J in 2014, under the watchful eye of Joanne Moore.
Five secret botanicals are used in the base gin - of which juniper and black pepper are prevalent - which is triple distilled in Birchwood before being infused with three more botanicals including the raspberries that give it a distinctive pink colour and flavour. Not to be wasted, the gin-infused raspberries are then sold in bottles, used to make a boozy jam or added to their Hedgepig Rampant Raspberry fruit gin liqueur. With demand far outstripping supply, in December 2018, they secured £1 million in funding to expand the brand further.
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| = £33+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Currently G&J Distillers, Birchwood, but moving to Lloyd Street, Manchester city centre
Established: July 2015
ABV: 42%
11 Botanicals: Italian juniper, orange peel, English coriander, German angelica, grapefruit, Indonesian cubeb berries, Chinese liquorice, and red cole, otherwise known as horseradish.
Pefect G&T: 1724 Tonic & garnished with an orange peel & sprig of fresh coriander
Pefect Cocktail: Negroni (garnished with orange peel)
UMIST educated biochemist Joanne Moore, only the seventh Master Distiller in G&J Greenall's history, has created a new juniper led gin, inspired by the company's founder, and distilled in a baby pot still, using a secret recipe of 11 botanicals.
Production will eventually be moved in 2019 to a purpose built bar, micro-distillery, gin academy and live music venue on Lloyd Steet in Manchester city centre, next to the Town Hall
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| = £22+ | buy online |
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Distillery: The Wily Fox Brewery, Wigan
Established: May 2018
ABV: Not known
Botanicals: Not known
A Wigan craft gin that celebrates the town's famous confectionery. Wigan bar owner, Tony Callaghan, teamed up with Uncle Joe's Mint Ball maker, William Santus and Co., to create this minty gin liqueur - originally labelling the first batch incorrectly as "gin". Distilled by the town's Wily Fox craft brewery, it it perfect with a ginger ale, but currently only on sale at his many Fifteens pubs and bars in Wigan, Standish, Pemberton, and beyond (available to purchase by the bottle).
Dating back to 1898, the sweet is iconic with Wigan, however its creator, William Santus, most certainly wouldn't have approved of the booze - he was a strict methodist!
You can also buy special Uncle Joes Wildberry Gin and Uncle Joes Rhubarb & Ginger Gin flavoured hard boiled sweets [here]
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| = £28+ | buy online |
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Distillery & Tours: Batch Brew, Habergham Mill, Burnley, Lancashire
Established: November 2014
ABV: 40%
12 Botanicals: including Juniper, frankincense, myrrh, cloves, orange peel, lemongrass, coriander seeds, cardamom, angelica root, nutmeg
Pefect G&T: Fever Tree Indian Tonic, garnished with frozen raspberries and lime peel
Pefect Cocktail:
This family run distillery was set up by Ramsbottom-raised IT expert Phil Whitwell, in the basement of his terraced house in nearby Burnley (23 miles from Manchester), they have now moved to a renovated mill in the Lancashire town with a custom-made still, "Adrian", manufactured in Manchester.
Employing his nephew Oliver Sanderson and head distiller Emma Coughlan, before bringing in his sister and brother-in-law for distribution. each gin they produce only ever made in small batches, with no more than 240 bottles at a time, each of which is filled and signed by hand, and they now have an extensive range of flavoured gins, gin liquers and vodkas.
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| = £38+ | buy online |
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Distillery & Tours: Brindle Distillery, Holmes Farm, Brindle, Lancashire
Established: June 2017
ABV: 43%
9 Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, grapefruit peel, orange peel, oats, almonds, cardamom, chamomile and cinnamon.
Pefect G&T: Fever Tree Tonic & garnished with burnt tip rosemary & black pepper
Pefect Cocktail: Martini (with Nocellara olive)
This beautiful gin is made on an independent distillery situated on Holmes Farm, nestled in the beautiful landscape of rural Lancashire, in the charming, historical village of Brindle, just 30 miles from Manchester city centre. All of the raw materials that go into making the gin either come directly from the farm or are locally sourced, using sustainably and ethically sourced botanicals from across the world.
45 minutes from Manchester, the distillery, who also offer a Spiced Gin and a Sunshine fruity gin, offer gin making experience tours, and a couple of times a month, even open the farm up as a public bar.
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| = £38+ | buy online |
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Distillery: The Forest Distillery, Macclesfield Forest
Established: Summer 2015
ABV: 42%
16 Organic Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, Liquorice root, vanilla pods, + foraged wild bilberries, raspberries & blackberries, Peak District moss & ferns, wild flowers, spruce & pine.
Truly a family-made gin, Lindsay & Karl Bond are the husband and wife team who make, bottle and manage this delicious premium gin on their farm in the Peak District National Park. However, the real boss of the company is their 10 year old daughter, Hattie, who is in charge of all foraging missions, picking out wild berries, ferns and flowers which ensure that every batch (of 85 bottles) is slightly different.
The secret recipe is made from sourced and foraged botanicals, ground by hand using a pestle and mortar, before being distilled on the farm, with the alcohol vapour reaching the copper condenser, before being blended 24 hours later with Macclesfield Forest spring water (which they collect by jerry can). The finished product is then hand bottled into a beautiful white Staffordshire Porcelain ceramic (or a blue one, for their 39.5% ABV Earl Grey Gin).
An hour's drive (25 miles) from Manchester city centre, distillery tours are available.
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| = £50+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Langley Distillery, Langley Green, West Midlands
Established: July 2017
ABV: 43%
12 Botanicals: Juniper, bamboo, silver birch, spruce, coriander, orange, lemon, orris, angelica, liquorice, nutmeg, cinnamon
Based in Knutsford, but distilled in the Black Country, this Japanese-inspired London Dry Gin was set up by Craig Fell, a graphic designer and founder of Knutsford's Boxed Red marketing agency, together with his long time friend, John Thomson, a kitchen designer in Kirkaldy.
In late 2016, during a skiing holiday, in Hakuba, Japan, they were inspired to put their efforts into producing a gin together. In an attempt to perfectly capture the essence of the Japanese Alps, with botanicals such as bamboo, silver birch and spruce, the guys worked with the historic Langley Distillery in the West Midlands, who produce gins for over 80 different brands in some of the oldest working copper gin stills in the UK.
New versions include a Cherry Blossom pink gin and a soft peach gin.
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| = £29+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Langley Green Distillery, Birmingham
Established: October 2017
ABV: 41.6%
9 Botanicals: Angelica, cassia, coriander, grapefruit, iris, juniper, lemon, liquorice, orange
Pefect G&T: with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic and a wedge of pink grapefruit Classic
Pefect Cocktail: Any classic gin cocktail, from Martinis to Negronis / Rhubarb version simply served with Prosecco
The new gin from the UK’s largest independent drinks wholesaler, Openshaw's LWC's Signature Brands is headquarted in Manchester but distilled in Birmingham. Nine botanicals "pot-stilled to honour a pioneer" - the pioneer in question being one of the finest historians of her time, Agnes Arber, "Queen of Botanicals"; the first woman botanist to be elected into the esteemed Fellowship of the Royal Society, in 1946, and the first woman to receive the Gold medal of the Linnean Society for her contributions to botanical science. Born in London, we doubt she ever visited Openshaw.
Made with the same traditional method of gin distilling that was used in Agnes Arber's time, the juniper heavy gin is light and refreshing with lemon and sweet orange at the fore, with an unusual hint of liquorice. There is also a rhubarb and a pineapple version.
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| = £34+ | buy online |
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Distillery: Union Distillers, Market Harborough
Established: March 2017
ABV: 40%
Botanicals: Not known:
This small artisan Alderman's Didsbury Gin company was created by local gin enthusiasts Liam Manton and Mark Smallwood in their Didsbury home, inspired by the story of the botanical gardens of Didsbury Parsonage and Fletcher Moss, which were both gifted to the people of Manchester in 1919 by Fletcher Moss, an alderman (deputy mayor).
Moving from home bathtub distilling, production of the actual gin is now outsourced to Union Distillers, 130 miles down south in Market Harborough, and hand crafted in an eco-friendly copper still, with a range of gins and liqueurs available, including a Raspberry & Elderflower pink gin, a Manchester Tart, Christmas Pudding, Summery Gin, Blood Orange & Ginger and a Strawberry & Siciilian Lemonade Gin.
Hyde-born businesswoman Jenny Campbell famously bought a 33.3% stake in the business for £75,000 on the BBC TV Show "Dragon's Den" in January 2019. Her influence has seen the bottles totally rebranded.
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| = £30+ | buy online |
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Distillery: English Spirit Company, Cambridgeshire
Established: March 2018
ABV: 45%
10 Botanicals: Juniper, pink grapefruit, mandarin leaf, coriander, herbs, dandelions, buttercups, rose petals & 2 secret ingredients.
Taking inspiration from the Duke of Bridgewater's canal and the natural landscape of the leafy Worsley village in which he is from, Andrew "Ned" Niedzwiecki's exclusive and beautifully designed small batch hand crafted gin uses a unique cutting edge, single distillation process.
Distilled by the English Spirit Company, in a 300 year old barn 220 miles away in Cambridgeshire, unlike most other small batch gin companies, Master Distiller Dr. John Walter actually produces his own base spirit. The Oxford University biochemist - who was the first person in the UK to successfully map the genome of yeast, and make English rum and sambuka from scratch - then blends this with Ned's ten botanicals; each specifically selected for their molecular compatibility, including roses taken from his father’s Worsley garden, wild buttercups from Worsley New Hall and dandelions from a local wheat field.
It's all very scientific, unlike the bottling process - which is done by hand.
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| = £45+ | buy online |
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The following gins were once made in the Manchester area and have either moved distillery or disappeared completely. You will need to check out the auction houses or raid your Nana's booze cabinet for old bottles:
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington (until 2014). Now Hampshire.
Established: 1959
ABV: was 37.5% / now 40% (Export Strength 43%)
8 Botanicals: Italian juniper and orris, Moroccan coriander, German angelica, Spanish almonds and lemon peel, Indo-Chinese cassia bark, Chinese liquorice.
Fascinated by Dakin's unique infusion basket technique, in 1959, a U.S. lawyer named Allan Subin, who had worked for Seagrams, and Burton Brown, of New York's Gaslight Club, had a dream of producing a gin that evoked the colonial rule of India and 1920's London. With marketing focused on America, he contracted production to G&J Distillers in Warrington, using exactly the same original Thomas Dakin recipe as for their Greenall's 1761 London Dry Gin (above), with a 43% ABV export strength, to counteract the sweetness of American tonic water.
Originally made at the beautiful Greenall's Wilderspool Brewery, alongside the Manchester Ship Canal in Stockton Heath, the brand - which would later spawn the now more famous Bombay Sapphire - was sold in the 1980s to the company that would later go on to become Diageo. They, in turn, sold it to Bacardi in 1997 who, following the 2005 fire, eventually moved production to Laverstoke Mill, in 2014, a purpose built distillery and visitor centre in Hampshire, reproducing Thomas Dakin's copper stills.
Popular with bartenders, this under hyped gin, still uses exactly the same Thomas Dakin recipe as Greenall's Gin, albeit, since 2018, with a slightly stronger alcohol volume.
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| = £16+ | buy online |
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Distillery: G&J Distillers, Birchwood, Warrington (until 2014). Now Hampshire.
Established: 1987
ABV: 40%
10 Botanicals: Italian juniper and orris, Moroccan coriander, German angelica, Spanish almonds and lemon peel, Indo-Chinese cassia bark, Chinese liquorice, West African grains of paradise, Indonesian cubeb berries
Growing from the Original Bombay Gin brand (above), G&J Distillers in Warrington produced what was one of the world's most popular gins from 1987 until 2014, using Thomas Dakin's original 1761 recipe (still used in Greenall's Gin and Bombay Original), with the two additional botanicals; Grains of Paradise and cubeb berries.
Originally made at the beautiful Greenall's Brewery, alongside the Manchester Ship Canal in Stockton Heath, the Bombay brand was sold in the 1980s to IDV (later to become Diageo). They, in turn, sold it to Bacardi in 1997.
In 2011, Bombay Sapphire East was launched in the USA, with two additional botanicals, (lemongrass and black peppercorns), bottled at 42% ABV to counteract the sweetness of American tonic water.
Following the 2005 Wilderspool fire, Bacardi eventually moved production to Hampshire, opening Laverstoke Mill, a purpose built distillery and visitor centre in 2014, reproducing Thomas Dakin's original copper stills and vapour infusion techniques, and introducing the Star of Bombay gin.
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| = £18+ | buy online |
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