Welcome To The Gin Ignite Podcast

Whether you want to party or have a quiet night in gin will ignite

News

Welcome

• Hello and Welcome to Episode 28

Maidstone Distillery

• Discovered through Tammy @forcocktailsake
• Happy Thanksgiving Post
• George Bishop London Dry which boast 15 botanics and a warm Mediterranean orange combine with delicate spice
• Ranscombe Wild Small Batch Gin - floral notes on the nose are deceptive, as at first sip descends into dark pine forrest notes
• Sharps Toffee Liqueur - based on toffee created by grocery shop Edward Sharp

Black Friday

• Hope you got a good Black Friday deal
• Stockport Gin had some great deals and I managed to bag three bottles on Black Friday - 25% off
• Lavaspirits had some great deals with 20% off
• The Only Way Is Gin had some good deal with 15% off

Christmas

• Please support your local or favourite distilleries. Mine are growing by the day !!
• Stockport Gin - their lockdown boxes are amazing as well as their gin filled baubles. Lots of things selling out so be quick. They have loads of gifts from stocking fillers, secret Santa's gifts, to luxury gift boxes, glasses, mugs and much more!
• The Edge Gin - great offers for their gins as well as liqueurs, glasses and chocolates. Lockdown 2 offer and Free Shipping over £40
• Pitwheel Distillery - new Orange and Ginger gin as well as all their old favourites
• The Gower Gin Company - 6 of their gins all in one box, Sloe Gin and festive 3 (Sloe Gin, Bara Brith and Pinwydd)
• Massingberd-Mundy get a £10 voucher back

Review

• Reviews really help the podcast in a given podcast directory. So if you did have a chance to review the podcast I would be most grateful

Weekly Gin Recommendation

Weekly Gin Recommendation - Lind & Lime Gin from the Leith Distillery

• I was introduced to this gin by Brit from The Botanical Trading Company. It was my November box.
• For some reason whenever I get citrus gin I think it is going to be too full or sugar or it will be so citrus that the juniper will just get lost.
• I should not really think like this the l’Orange gin from The Edge Gin or Twist of Lime from Stockport gin.
• So I have to say initially I was a tad disappointed when I received this. I had an initial taste and can say that this pre-conception was misguided because it was absolutely lovely.
• As you will see this is very versatile gin with the martini’s I will be putting out this week.
• The nose of the gin is a subtle lime
• The flavour profile is really interesting. It starts with a brief moment where there is no apparent taste, then the lime lingers. The lime is not sweet and it is not tart it is just delightful. The flavour profile continues with a dry taste and then here is a brief heat from alcohol.
• This gin is so versatile. I would be quite happy to have this as a sipping gin either with or without ice
• I added some Mediterranean tonic and the G&T is sensational. It lifts the lime. I could drink this all day. It would make a great summers day drink.
• This gin is so smooth that I would love to have this in a dry martini.
• It is also so versatile and can be put into cocktails. I have tried in a Tom Collins, Breakfast Martini and a Dry Martini of Sorts
• This is a sensational gin and one which has a proud place on my gin shelf. I heartfelt thank you to the Botanical Trading company and a slight worry on my behalf that there will not be a lot left because I am enjoying it too much

Charlie and Mike from Charles & Mike Distillers

How did you start on your distilling journey ?

• Invited on a Christmas party to City of London Distillery
• Really enjoyed process to choose botanicals and create a gin
• Mike admits that his gin was not as good as Charlie’s
• Decided that it was something that they wanted to do
• Bought a still from eBay, vodka and botanicals and started experimenting
• Made a few types of gin some good, some bad
• Came up with one gin and gave out to friends and family to check that it was not just their view that this gin was ok
• Decided that the wanted to do this properly so went on HMRC site and found quite easy to setup a distillery
• Got licence for personal consumption first
• Quite easy to get licence for commercial use. HMRC were really quite careful
• Used Dymo label to create first bottle label. Look like what you would find in a science lab
• Really popular so continued to make whilst obtaining the licences they needed to go commercial
• In order to get the licence you need a VAT number and in order to have a VAT number you have to incorporate a company
• One thing led to another and they ended up with a fully incorporated company and one thing led to another and by 11th March 2020 had all licences in place 
• Thing really crazy when first received shipment of duty stamps
• At that point Big 7 Version 1.0
• How do we turn into something different ? Wanted to add Chamomile but had to be careful too little can’t taste but too much get liquorice taste
• Took 12 runs to get to Big 7

What difficulties did you have filling bottles ?

• Both new to this. Had to become experts in everything from environmental health to food safety
• Alcohol can change volume dependent on ambient temperature
• Initially filled by volume but when the temperature changed the alcohol went up or down
• Always having to top up
• Discovered after visiting another distiller that needed to do measurement by weight and not volume
• Some Big 7 1.0 may have more gin because topping up.
• Thought distilling would be the hard part
• Now the issue is bottling and labelling and all the other items that go from filling to getting the bottle to consumers

What issues have you had with labelling ?

• Shared label with friend in Scotland but wanted to improve the design.
• Put in touch with Andrea who works at Avian in Dundee, Scotland
• Really amazing 
• Have to sign the label off about twelve times before goes to print
• Got to printers but the printing machine has broken
• Waiting company to fix it
• Do think it is a conspiracy
• This is where naivity shows up because everything takes longer when larger commercial quantities
• Had to adjust to bigger quantities
• Decided to reduce remaining stock once had final designs and labels and sold through in a couple of days thinking they would go live
• That was 3.5 months ago
• Have had time to move into new distilleries and get new website setup

What have you changed on the website ?

• Website setup really quickly. First website was online shop
• New website was more about the spirits
• A bit about our story
• Botanicals used and service

How is the new distillery ?

• Originally worked out of their friends Matt’s outbuilding in his big garden
• Took about a month to setup
• Matt was a great host and made coffees and teas
• Setup all the licences etc and the fire certificates
• Then were looking for new premises 
• Found quite a few but were quite large
• Went walked in. Had holes in the wall, sofas and a dead fridge
• Said would take it and landlord said would fix it before moving in
• When moved in was imaculate. All the wall had been fixed. painted. Plastic wall guards
• Biggest issue was most places wanted 6 months deposit in advance
• Fully licensed to go. Much swifter this time because new what doing

How do you distill the Big 7 ?

• All botanicals directly in the still at about 93 ABV. No maceration.
• Take out of still and bring down to 40% ABV
• Were going for 42% originally but found much nicer at 40%
• London Essence Grapefruit and Rosemary tonic
• Have to be careful not to take too much gins which did in future runs
• Re-use the tails

What are the stills called ?

• Two stills
• One is called Ham after a friend
• The other one is unamed
• May have a competition

 

How did the bottle delivery go ?

• Nervous
• Did not have a forklift
• Farmer resolve this and dropped out of the still
• Quite uneven ground so a bit worried
• 1 ton of glass
• All went well in the end
• Going to bottle up today
• Hopefully labels will be coming

How did you get into gin in the first place ?

• Mike has been to loads of distillery
• Always stands out when see gin lane
• Edinburgh gin did tour and tasting
• Spending time with distillers and brands
• Charlie was strictly a Stella Artois man until about 5 years ago when started at the airport
• He was a Whiskey specialist
• Ended up into whiskey and then vodka
• Then started to get into gin
• Versatile spirit
• Gordons was the only gin brand before that
• Different relationship with alcohol
• Both have move to cognac
• Love tequila

What are your flavour go to’s ?

• Charlie had bland flavours before that is why went for big flavours. Appreciate big flavours in gin.
• Mike likes citrus like flavour.
• Trying to go for a more masculine bottle of gin.
• Chamomile gives long lasting finish

How would you describe the flavour profile for the Big 7 ?

• Called big 7 because have 7 big flavours
• Juniper is key and cuts through all flavours
• Chamomile also huge flavour so had to balance the flavour with juniper
• Once achieved that and got the lemongrass and bay leaves involved then started to create citrus charactristic neat with ice or tonic

What’s the influence for Sloe gin ?

• Charlie’s Mum likes this
• Would not be true distiller if did not create a Sloe gin at Christmas
• Mike in lockdown kept on passing sloes when walking with his 5 year old daughter
• Decided to pick them
• They have been in the gin for ages
• Not just with neutral spirit actually Big 7 gin
• At 28 percent
• Very clear colour
• Put through filter to make sure that no residue from Sloes

What prompted you to re-brand rather than going with existing label and website ?

• Always the plan
• Label meant to be classic and to the best of their ability
• Re-branding on the cards and needs to be done at the right time.
• Re-branding early on not ideal but price worth paying if can only do well but can only be once
• Pull on strings of those people that already know

How would you describe the brand ?

• Two sides Charles & Mike Distilling and Big Seven
• Original idea just to distill spirit. Want to eventually have beer / Mezcal / other spirits
• Currently it seems as though they are a gin only brand
• As they have traction they will continue down this road but do eventually want to get back to distilling other things
• Can get access to them
• https://www.charlesandmike.com
• https://www.bigsevengin.com
• Big 7 is now a brand in it’s own right

What does the brand mean to you ?

• To Mike, his baby. The one they love and nurture until it leaves home
• From Charlie it has been a massive learning experience. Humbling to start from the beginning
• Really like to see what the brand is becoming

What is next for the brand ?

• Big things
• Quite a lot of interest in the gin itself
• Need to make sure have the right licences to supply and have the correct amount of stocks
• Next will get a licence to allow into wholesales
• Have wonderful sales manager Vicki who will be spearheading this approach as she has a lot of experience in the industry
• New flavours coming. Blackberry is scheduled for next year
• Most important in new flavours is what complements the gin
• Lots of ideas for limited editions with vodka and cognac

How can people getting in contact ?

• https://www.charlesandmike.com
• https://www.bigsevengin.com
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

What is your favourite gin other thank your own and how would you serve it ?

• Charlies favourite is Warners Rhubarb 
• Run by Tom Warner, who is a legend
• Would serve with ginger ale
• Mike The English Spirit Dr J’s Gin, Use Macadamia nuts
• Gives amazing flavour for gin
• Also use for base for Lemon gin
• Serve with a normal tonic not a light one
• Half measure of tonic

What does gin mean to you ?

• Hard one for Charlie but extension to love affair currently going through with spirits.
• Only started to appreciate spirit within last 5 years
• Likes Whiskey but not very social there is a time and place to have it
• With gin get the best of both worlds can drink high quality spirit with great depth of flavours and this can also be a long drink. Gin is no1 social drink
• For Mike gin is absolute madness. So many gins on market and so many different variations. People that you meet all the way are amazing. Crazy world
• Bought triple pack of The Edge Gin 
• Amazing backdrop to gin

Instagram Community Shout Out

• Maxine from @thetealbar
• I love your Christmas Countdown post with your great post of part of your gin collection. I can see the Whitley Neil shelf and also see Mermaid Gin, both versions and Martin Miller to name a few.
• I also liked your post on Aintree gin. I love the blue colour of blueberry blast and the juniper berries and a couple of other goodies which I am not sure what they are.
• I also love your other post of Aintree Gin Kiwi fruit. I can’t believe the colour of that one either a light green. It is also impressive that it has 15 botanicals. Love the serve with a couple of Kiwis
• I really liked November’s craft gin club with the Cape Town inspired backdrop. Really think the picture is sensational. I had not liked it for some reason because it got lost in my feed and not commented. Now rectified.
• I really loved the @crayshaw post of their orange zest gin and the miniatures. Loved the picture and loved the glass that came with it all from Hensol Castle Distillery
• Loved your Strawberry Laces gin from Asda and your display.
• Always love your displays at the Teal Bar and love the colour and the way you present the gins.
• Keep it up.
• I will be adding you to my stories all week.

Get In Contact

• IM me at @ginignite Instagram or @ginignite on Twitter
• E-Mail me at [email protected]
• If you have ideas IM me or e-mail at [email protected]
• If you want to be on the show then IM me or e-mail me at [email protected]

Final Thought

• The thing that I like about the gin community that I have met so far is that no one judges anyone for what they believe, what they look like or who they choose to be.
• The world would be a better place if everyone took that view.
• Grab your drink, toast those you love, enjoy your weekend and whether your decide to party or stay in I will be with you in spirit !!!
• Seriously though enjoy your weekend and I look forward to joining you for another episode next Friday.
• Cheers