@TheSpiritCellar's Top 5 English Spirits
- Apr 22, 2015
- 3 min read
By David Coveney
I know it may seem a bit crazy but did you know that here in England we actually produce some great spirits that aren't gin? Spirits with no juniper inside and that do not have the words 'London Dry' on the bottles? I know right, hard to believe. But it is actually very true.
There has been no better time to drink English spirits than now, and you don't have to travel the globe to get drinks that you would normally expect to come from Italy, France, Russia or other parts of the world.
So to celebrate St. Georges Day, originally I was going to find a dragon, slay the beast and return home a hero, but alas, I have decided to bring you my top five English spirits that are hurtling our expectations way out of the box, from some of the greatest producers our country has to offer. So in no particular order, here are five spirits that should be on all of your shelves at home.
Black Cow Vodka
We at We Are Distilled, recently reviewed this insane vodka (so can read much more about it here), but this is one of my all time favourite sipping vodkas. Inspired by the traditional practices of a nomadic Siberian tribe, this vodka is made from 100% cows milk. It's creamy, rich and powerful. This will guarantee to take your love of vodka to whole new level, and if you didn't like vodka before, this is likely change your life for ever.
Sacred Spiced Vermouth
So your shelves are packed full of brilliant English gin and you love to enjoy a Negroni, well with Sacred's Spiced Vermouth you can now add a little bit of England to your favourite drink. This vermouth is produced in a kitchen in Highgate, London, by the Sacred Microdistillery. Its base of English wine is flavoured with thyme and Wormwood from Somerset.
With some other botanical's added, this vermouth does wonders when twisting some of our beloved classic cocktails. Oh yeah and before I forget, they make a great alternative to Campari too, so you can now make a truly brilliant English Negroni.
Tarquin's Cornish Pastis
This hilariously named Pastis from the heart of Cornwall, is the brain child of Tarquin Leadbetter from the South Western Distillery. It is the only Pastis to be made outside of France and is distilled just like their gin, in tiny batches, using a flame heated still. They even forage their own gorse flowers from the Atlantic cliff tops and then finish it off with a touch of liquorice for that classic colour. The bottle is absolutely bloody brilliant too, don't you agree?
Adnams Absinthe Verte
There was a time when Adnams produced some the greatest beers in the country. Now though, they also have a whole host of sensational spirits that they produce at their purpose built distillery on their farm in Southwold. Their vodka is amazing, their gin is one of my favourites but the product that really stands out to me is the Absinthe Verte. Inspired by a classic French recipe this massive 66%ABV spirit is packed full of complex aromas from the wonderful mix of anise, fennel and lemon balm. Although this absinthe smacks you in the face with the classic anise punch, there is still freshness and sophistication to it. This is something truly unique and absolutely fantastic.
Bramley & Gage Slider
Being from the West Country, I love a bit of cider. So when I first tasted this giny, cidery, sloey liqueur from Devon, I was totally blown away. They take the sloes they use to make their already fantastic sloe gin, and infuse these very alcoholic little buggers in cider. This is a very unique product on the market but it is a drink that has been produced in Devon kitchens for many years. Once again Bramley & Gage have managed to bring a very traditional drink a little closer to the mainstream.
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