This content was produced for Visit Britain by the foundry @ Meredith Corp. Food & Wine editorial staff was not involved in its creation or production.
This content was produced for Visit Britain by the foundry @ Meredith Corp. Food & Wine editorial staff was not involved in its creation or production.
The Cotswolds Distillery, located under two hours from central London, is one of 300+ gin distilleries in Great Britain, many of which feature great tasting rooms, educational tours, and unique gin experiences.
Copper plays an essential role in a more efficient gin-making process. This is Dolly, a 1250-liter German-made copper still named after the country music legend. It works 9 to 5 (and then some) producing the distillery’s namesake dry gin. All of The Cotswolds Distillery’s stills are named for beloved female icons.
Gin production begins with a neutral alcohol that’s usually made from wheat. The Cotswolds Distillery’s distillers fill Dolly three-quarters of the way with this base alcohol. The extra space inside the still ensures vapors have plenty of copper contact during the distillation process, which produces a more aromatic gin.
The Cotswolds Distillery’s signature Dry Gin features nine carefully selected botanicals: juniper, angelica, coriander seed, bay leaf, cardamom, and black pepper, plus locally grown lavender, freshly peeled lime, and pink grapefruit. They give The Cotswolds Distillery Dry Gin fruity notes.
The Cotswolds Distillery isn’t the only distillery playing with interesting botanicals and flavors. Chase Distillery, located west of The Cotswolds Distillery in Hereford, England, uses bitter almond and ginger botanicals for an extra, extra dry gin. And Eden Mill, St. Andrews located in St. Andrews, Scotland, ages its Oak Gin with botanicals in a barrel for notes of caramel, vanilla, and fudge. Chase Distillery offers small group tours and, in Glasgow, Eden Mill hosts virtual experiences and tastings.
Base botanicals macerate for 15 hours overnight in the still before the others are added. The mixture is then boiled, which liquefies the vapors that contain the alcohol and flavors. The heart, or best part, of this liquid rests for five days before filtered water is added to reduce the spirit’s alcohol content before bottling.
Botanicals don’t always need to come into direct contact with the spirit—they can be vapor-infused. Distillers such as Bombay Sapphire, located in Hampshire, England, use a method wherein the botanicals are placed in baskets above the flavorless grain alcohol, where the infused vapor condenses into a liquid.
The Cotswolds Distillery is one of many distilleries that offer virtual and in-person gin encounters. Check out Food & Wine’s list of Great Britain’s immersive gin tastings and activities here.
Cotswolds Dry Gin is non-chill filtered. Essential oils and esters give it a rich taste, a robust mouthfeel, and a pearlescent appearance when combined with ice or chilled tonic. That’s why the distillery’s signature cocktail—served both in the distillery’s cafe and enjoyed during Gin Blending Masterclasses —is the Cloudy G&T.
No region of Great Britain is more quintessentially English than the Cotswolds, which is known for its charming market towns and villages, rolling hills, and thatched roofs. Learn more about the area here and get excited for your next big trip!
