Whisky distilleries and beer breweries often talk about the water but gin – that doesn’t happen too often unless you’re making gin around the northern Yorkshire town of Harrogate.  There, thanks to a horse taking a stumble in 1571, this led to a soldier taking a sip of spring water, which led to one of...

‘Find a way to regulate your marketing or we’ll regulate you’ was the threat made by the government to the UK alcohol industry. Thus, Portman Group was born. However, it hasn’t always been though an easy ride.  If ever there was an organisation stuck between a rock and a hard place, it is Portman Group....

For this week’s episode, we are bringing you some words from a man that has been the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery for almost 30 years…and words that have resonance which transcend from the brewing industry over to the distilling industry. In this episode, you’re gonna be hearing from Garrett Oliver who delivered the closing address...

It’s a big country with a small population, that’s why Norwegians are always looking outside of their country for a market. But instead of shaping their product for outsiders, they want to shape outsiders for their unique product. Case in point, the spirits being produced by Oslo Handverksdestiller – Oslo Handcrafted Distiller – better known...

We asked our customers for years to drink responsibility and now they’re asking us to distil responsibly; to produce a sustainable, green product. While instantly we think of the end product, of using recyclable glass bottles, avoiding packaging overload, and installing EV charging points in our visitors’ car park, there is much more to it...

In 2012, New York legendary cocktail historian David Wondrich signed on to be the editor of a book on cocktails for Oxford University Press. He figured it’d take him a few years at best. A few years later and nowhere near completion, he brought in his New York buddy, Noah Rothbaum, to help. Noah’s the...

The journey into craft distilling is seen as a way of being creative, of doing something you really enjoy and most importantly, of making a living. And for many this is the outcome they’ve achieved with few regrets. Indeed, at the recent Distiller’s Congress in London, speaker Matt Servini said that out of the 100+...

We’ve had 37.5% ABV gin since the Guild carved it in stone and recently alcohol-free gin-like beverages which are fighting for acceptance. Now, another disruptor has entered the gin scene, Steve Adams and his 20% ABV beverage that is made for gin lovers who want to reduce – but not eliminate – alcohol in their...

Depending on where it was grown, you can taste the difference in wines, coffee, tea, chocolate, and olive oil. Cheese and even some beef claim to have the effect of terroir. Winemakers universally accept that where a grape is grown influences its chemistry, which in turn changes the flavour of the wine. A detailed system...

You’re thinking of taking the plunge and join the ever-growing ranks of gin and rum distillers. But – understandably – you’re worried if you’ll succeed. Do you have what it takes?  The answer might surprise you. In this episode, we’ll be talking to Matt Servini, co-founder of The Craft Distilling Business, who has helped set...