The Market Buildings
We were delighted to take possession of our new premises. Situated in the historic Market Buildings and right in the heart of Maidstone, it feels like the perfect location. Distilling has played a significant role in our county town as far back as 1785 when George Bishop built a large Distillery here and gained international acclaim for his Maidstone Gin. Then to Thomas Grant and sons who continued that legacy in 1853 and erected a new Distillery and warehouses in Maidstone, making gin, brandy and whisky. They again gained world wide acclaim for their spirits, in particular with their Grants Morella Cherry Brandy. Today we aim to add to this legacy, celebrating this amazing past, and our vibrant future together.
There is Pride In Our Spirit.
Welcome to our ninth newsletter and to those who have joined us recently as well as our existing readership, thank you for your support. The Maidstone Distillery community continues to grow and we are delighted to be sharing this journey with you.
The Refurbishment Begins
Maidstone Distillery will at its heart be a working production line with our bespoke 450 litre copper still taking pride of place. Pictured here during its manufacture and designed by our Master Distiller, Gerard Evans, it will be capable of making a full range of spirits, including amongst others gin, vodka, liqueurs, brandy and whisky. As we begin the refurbishment we have thought carefully about positioning the still in the centre of the action, it will look truly spectacular when its installed. Our efforts initially will be to create a modern production line with storage vessels, a research and development area, and a small bottling and packaging line. Once our production facility is established we hope to open to the public so you can meet us and see our progress. At the earliest opportunity we aim to add an experience room where visitors will be able immerse themselves in our history and our modern craft; to complete tours and take part in experiences ranging from mixology to creating your own gin on miniature copper stills. Finally we aspire to open a special bar where you can relax in an inspiring setting, surrounded by and immersed in our world. As we began to expose the four tall brick arches at the rear of the Market buildings this week, we knew we were in the right place. We will be sure to keep you posted as the works progress.
Our Spirits
We are delighted to let you know that Gerard has finished working up the recipe of our London Dry gin. This signature gin had to be truly special and unique. It is the quintessence of the gin category, where nothing can be added to the spirit after distillation apart from water. This gin is our interpretation of where George Bishop’s Maidstone Gin would be today. He was a pioneer and a gifted distiller. His gin gained international acclaim through its character and quality at a time when Gordons and Plymouth Gin were also created. His gin was the one that people were talking about. We look forward to testing this product very soon with a specially selected panel including some of our founding members. Expect some classic botanicals as well as some rather rare and unique ones. In the mean time we are working carefully toward the bottle and label design. It’s going to be truly special and a real talking point…Not long now.
On a separate note, our Ranscombe Wild gin is still in ongoing development, but its already creating a stir. This contemporary gin will be a true taste of the wild! Using wild foraged botanicals and celebrating a partnership with Plantlife, Europe’s largest wild plant conservation charity. We hope to reveal more in the coming weeks.
Our Founding Members
This totally unique piece of art was created by local artist Sharon of Baden Art. We love the way she works with copper and allows the natural oxidisation process to show off the vibrant hues of blues, oranges and reds. So inspired by her work that we incorporated the colours of oxidised copper into our branding. Copper plays such an integral role in a spirit still and in the distillation process, and what better way to celebrate that process than through this visual art. Sharon will add our logo to this piece and the names of our founding members. It will proudly hang on the Distillery wall, a monument to the journey of how this Distillery was set up.
Our Story and Social Media
It’s our best intention to keep you up to date and interested via our social media, so that you can follow the unique journey of our business start-up. This newsletter is the best way to stay informed and you can check out previous issues of our newsletter on our Website blog.
Thanks once again for coming along on our journey. Please help spread the word of Maidstone Distillery and feel free to contact us at any time.
Maidstone Distillery
Pride In Our Spirit Since 1785.