Smeaton's Dry Gin recreates a hand-written 1870s gin recipe that was discovered in the historic Bristol Archives on Smeaton Road. Crafted according to the original Bristol Method, fresh botanicals are individually distilled in traditional copper pots according to their season. And it's won 5 Gold Medals!
This single-minded approach to distillation captures the pure essence of each botanical, from Tuscan Juniper to hand-cut Valencia Orange. Rested for three months before release, Smeaton’s is a dry gin of exceptional balance, complexity and length.
"I taste a lot of new gins and none came close to this... crystal clear, with pure botanicals singing from the glass. Mix it with a mild tonic or appreciate its true brilliance in a very dry martini." Hamish Anderson, Telegraph Magazine
Juniper, Italy, Macedonia
The finest juniper is prized for its notes of pine, heather and lavender. Tired berries lose their aromas, so it's important to distil in season.
Coriander, Morocco
The perfect complement to juniper with fragrant flavours spanning citrus to spice.
Orange, Spain
Fresh Valencia late oranges are individually halved by hand to ensure only fresh fruit reaches the still.
Cinnamon, Sri Lanka
Mixing thick and thin whole bark (never ground) provides complexity. The thick bark is powerful and warming, while the thinner bark provides a floral, menthol note.
Orris, Italy
Highly valued in perfumes, the root provides earthy notes and contributes to the gin's length and complexity.
Liquorice, India
Notoriously varied from batch to batch, we blend batches to achieve consistency with wonderful mouthfeel.
Calamus, Holland
Rare in gins, though much admired in Italian bitters, calamus is complex with early nutmeg preceding ginger and allspice.
Angelica, Spain
Contributes complex citrus and pine with base notes that bind the other botanicals.
Try it in a French 75 cocktail:
30ml Smeaton’s gin
15ml Fresh lemon juice
15ml Simple sugar syrup
60ml Champagne
Combine the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake vigorously and strain the mixture into a champagne flute. Top up with champagne and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon twist.
For a deep dive into the difference between a single pot distillation where all the botanicals go in together vs. a blend of different distillates that are distilled separately, check out this excellent article from Everglow Spirits: London Dry vs. Blended distillates: Two unique ways of making gin