Wessex Distillery London Dry Gin, 41.3% ABV, 70cl

Product Information

And all of a sudden Wessex is no longer a quaint, vague and marketable geopolitical concept, but an actual serious political entity. Governed by a tribal chief who’s built popular legitimacy, I suppose, on the basis of rooting out illegal immigrants from Sussex and Northumbria. Coming over here. Taking our jobs. (Yeah, okay, so our jobs are actually mostly in London. But taking the jobs that would be ours if we wanted them.) Bloody Northumbrians. The Clark family has developed a classic and exceptionally smooth gin in honour of Alfred the first King of England known to be ‘The Truth Teller.’ Hence why this gin comes without the fuss. It contains a precise balance of core botanicals, with a strong initial thump of juniper, followed by enlightening coriander and lively citrus endnotes. In this oft-overlooked historical era, folk wisdom and fervent religion made sense of the chaos and pain of a war-torn world. It was a time of hopes and prayers, spells and enchantments, potions and alchemy, where the bounty of England’s forests and fields could mean the difference between life and death – and the Anglo-Saxons documented all their hard-earned herbal remedies in an ancient text called the Herbarium.

It was intoxicating stuff. As Jonathan says, “With its fascinating history, myths and stories, the idea of Wessex caught the imagination.” As Jonathan explains: “This Old English text focuses on herbal remedies, and catalogues more than a hundred plants, their healing properties and how to use them. We’re using the Herbarium to help us find the Wessex twist for each of our gins.” Created in Surrey by Wessex Gin Master Distillers and presented in a stunning rainbow bottle, RESPECT Gin contains juniper, coriander, angelica, orange, and lemon, to create a smooth and well-balanced gin. Think traditional London Dry Gin with a refreshing citrus twist! Wessex Distillery began in 2017, but we’ve been in the gin making business for years. For us, making gin is more than a family business, beyond our love of taste testing the gins we truly have a passion for the best of the best English gin. So do our customers. We love meeting fellow gin lovers that visit for a gin making experience day, or meet us when we are hosting events.The Anglo Saxon Chronicle is silent as to Alf’s alcoholic preferences, but we can be pretty sure he didn’t drink gin, since it didn’t exist. He did, however, foster scholarship, personally translate religious texts, and implement an organised network of fortifications for the repelling of invading Danes. Which is almost as worthwhile as drinking gin. The makers of Wessex Gin tie their booze into the legendary king by incorporating botanicals such as coriander (which ‘represents his appreciation of the importance of learning and scholarship’). Hmm. Wessex Distillery’s Alfred the Great Gin is a citrus-led gin – a nod to Jonathan’s palate – and the supporting botanicals have been selected to pay tribute to its namesake. This includes the classic gin botanical of juniper, which is notable in this spirit for its power.

Awarded the IWSC 2022 UK Gin Producer of the Year trophy, Wessex Distillery is more than a mere producer of gin; it's a guardian of traditional English gin, an innovator of new flavour profiles, and a steward for sustainable, responsible production in the modern age.Wessex Gin is a multi-award-winning craft distillery based in the heart of the Surrey Hills. A former holder of the prestigious Gin of the Month title at Craft Gin Club, the distillery was named UK Gin Producer of the Year 2022 by the IWSC (International Wine & Spirits Competition). You can find more of their delicious range of craft gins on the Craft Gin Club online shop. We love it in a gin and tonic,” says Jonathan. “Apple and juniper are delicious, or a twist of orange zest.”