Gin is an extraordinary alcoholic beverage when it comes to the craft spirits industry. The versatility of gin motivates distillers to come up with new combinations and flavors. Originally introduced as ‘cheap liquor’ the gin now is actively becoming popular as part of the cocktail culture. Earlier it wasn’t accessible enough due to the customs set by HMRC which made it difficult for gin to be produced in small quantities making it extremely hard for new distilleries to prosper. 2009, however, witnessed a major change when West London-based distillery – Sipsmith won a historic two-year legal battle with HMRC which allowed new and small distilleries to produce and sell gin in small quantities. Well now that you know why gin’s being a lot more in the talks, read along to find out about this amazing gin expression by ‘Sipsmith’ that has coffee in it. Right, coffee!
The story of Sipsmith
“The beginning of Sipsmith marked the rise of a modern-day gin-renaissance, and the two are not a coincidence. Discover the part we’ve played in inspiring a new generation of sipping with over a decade of marvelous milestones.”
By Sipsmith
The story started in 2007, Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax Hall were introduced to renowned drinks aficionado Jared Brown at a Negroni party and the three of them ventured to create the world’s best London dry gin. Shortly after they faced a huge obstacle in the form of a pre-existing British law, An excise act still in effect from 1823 made it impossible for distillers to obtain a license for a still under 1,800 liters. The battle against this law to support their 300 ltr still (at that time) was known as the historic battle against HMRC which turned in Sipsmith’s favor. On the 14th March 2009, the final recipe was made with their first still, Prudence. ‘Sipsmith’ the gin and the brand was born.
“It is a labor of love, with so much passion, care, and attention invested in every drop.”
By Jared Brown, Master Distiller
‘Sipspresso’ – The coffee gin
This coffee gin might just turn out to be a blessing for those who love coffee and gin. For others, it’s good to try new things, right? Sipspresso gin is a beautiful combination of Sipsmith and Pact Coffee.
A clear espresso martini is distilled before starting the process of harmonizing coffee beans with a variety of botanicals. With the help of Niki Segnit’s Flavour Thesaurus, Sipsmith paved their way through exceptional flavor combinations with a sole focus on the coffee bean. The highlight of the process is the bond with Pact Coffee through which Sipsmith discovered their Fruit & Nut Espresso Blend – a modern twist on a traditional Italian espresso, sourced from two different producers, Planalto Estate in Brazil and Ngara Nyarusiza in Rwanda. Along with coffee as an exceptional flavor profile, other flavor profiles used during maceration are – cinnamon, coriander, vanilla, and banana. The result is an aesthetic, wonderfully aromatic, and smooth spiced coffee gin. . Enjoy as a G&T or shake up a creamy White Russian.
Tasting notes by Sipsmith
Nose – Velvety chocolate, green coffee bean with rich liquor-ish and smoky star anise.
Palate – Aniseed blends into a warming chai latte, cacao nib, and smooth vanilla
Finish – Spiced ice coffee finale with liquor-ish and absinth undercurrents
The ABV of this gin is 37.5% and is priced at £29.00 for 700ml. This gin was only available to those who are members of the sipping society but now you can find it on their website as well. Visit their website.
An absolute winner! This really works and needs to go onto your regular list – more please……! – Review by Sipsmith’s Sipspresso consumer.
How things work at Sipsmith ?
“Our team of dedicated Distillers watches over every drop of every batch and we passionately believe this is the only way to handcraft spirits of this quality. Inspired by the two hundred years of London distilling history we have inherited, we balance modern technology with traditional recipes and techniques.”
By Sipsmith
- Botanicals – The botanicals used in Sipsmith’s range of gins are carefully sourced from around the globe. The technique used is known as one-shot distilling where they load the stills with pure English wheat spirit and only enough botanicals to make one batch of gin in each still.
- Maceration – The crafted recipe in harmony with botanicals is added to the stills the evening before to allow them to macerate overnight which imbues it with flavor. They typically macerate for around 14 hours.
- Distillation – Each morning at 8 am the process of distillation begins at Sipsmith. The stills heat up to 80°, allowing the alcohol, which boils at 78.3° to turn into vapour, but leaves the liquid water behind. As the vapour travels around the still it makes contact with the copper surfaces and condenses back into a liquid, each time becoming purer, soother and more sippable.
- The journey through the still ends – Gin finally reaches the condenser where the vapour turns back into a liquid for the final time and runs off a pipe known as the ‘point of pleasure.’ The liquid comes in three distinct parts – the heads, the hearts and the tails. Only the very best ‘heart cut’ is used which is then brought to bottling strength with the addition of pure water and is finally ready to be bottled and sipped.
The amazing range of Sipsmith’s products
