A new distillery is making the first batch of its own branded spirit ahead of opening a new bar next month.
A 700 litre copper still at the Bond Street Distillery in Hinckley, west Leicestershire, will produce some 600 bottles of the Hinckley Number One gin, which will be sold in painted and numbered bottles.
Owner and distiller Sally Faulkner said: “This is a monumental day personally and for the business.
“For the past year, we have been restoring, rescuing and renovating 127 Upper Bond Street and it seems such a long time ago that this dream started.
“We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Bond Street Distillery to enjoy what we have created in Hinckley, and can’t wait to meet all the gin enthusiasts, budding distillers and the community.”
This blend has seven botanicals including fresh orange peel, and Sally hopes to do another two distillations before the end of the year, with the next one including different ingredients, for their Signature gin.
The business is based in a three-floor red brick former hosiery factory and has a ground floor bar , with a window where you can view the still.
There will also be a gin school, and a top floor function room known as the ‘Crow’s Nest’, which also has a bar.
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Managers say the renovation has meant a lot to people who live nearby, many of whom used to work at the factory, which was previously occupied by Bond Street Glass and Glazing Services.
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Stills are traditionally given a name, as they are said to each have a personality and variation in how they operate, and Sally decided to name their first one Clair, after her late sister.
She hopes to install another two if the business takes off, and said there are bookings already in the diary, including a couple from Australia who want to visit in the new year.
Sally previously worked in the hospitality industry before developing her passion for gin.
She said: “I wanted to bring something new to Hinckley, dazzle them and give the local community something to talk about and be proud about.
“So many people have told me how exciting it is to have a new industry, somewhere different to go and most of all something that will grow and develop and be synonymous with Hinckley.”
The gin making process
- 200 litres of ethanol, at 95 per cent alcohol, and 200 litres of water are poured into the pot still, along with the botanicals (These were the volumes for the first batch at Bond Street Distillery, although their Holstein still can be filled up to 700 litres)
- The mix is heated to the boiling point of ethanol, at around 80C
- Vapour from the mix moves into the bottom of a copper chamber, which it rises through and is purified. Sulphites react with the copper and are removed, taking away any biting flavours
- The purified vapour moves into a condensing chamber, where a stream of cold water cools it into a liquid
- The neat spirit flows down and is collected in containers at the bottom, coming out at about 85 per cent alcohol initially, which reduces to about 50 per cent as the ethanol is used up
- Distillers mix the spirit with purified water to bring the alcohol content down before it is bottled
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The bar area features wine dispensers where you can use a top-up card to sample different wines before choosing if you want a whole glass or a bottle to take home.
Gins from the distillery will be sold through wholesalers and online as well as being available at the venue.
The business will open on Friday December 6, with the ground floor bar, called Bond Street Social, initially opening on Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to midnight.