From its origins as a medicinal tipple for soldiers, to the gin palaces of the Victorian era, through to the rise of the cocktail in the 20s and its ‘mothers’ ruin’ reputation, the history of gin is long and convoluted. After going out of favour thanks to a certain 00-agent (more on which later), gin is becoming a favourite in hipster bars and swish hotels once more, with a deluge of new brands appearing in the marketplace.
But gin fans need look no further than Cambridge for a discerning drink, with The Cambridge Distillery leading the market from its home in Histon. This exciting independent business is run by Will Lowe – an industry expert who’s made drinks for the Queen – and his wife, Lucy. They’re passionate about making quality, bespoke gins using local ingredients to create flavours you won’t find anywhere else. When I call for a chat, Will’s bottling up a ‘Cambridge Gin’ for Selfridges, no less.
“It’s made in Cambridge, using things that we’ve grown or foraged in Cambridge,” he says. “And, by a wonderful stroke of fate, we bottled our first one the day Prince George was born. We’re only doing two a year of this kind: a spring/summer and autumn/winter. The spring/summer gin is full of elderflower, and also includes Earl Grey – which doesn’t come from Cambridge, but Earl Grey did study at Trinity, so we think that counts!”
The Cambridge Distillery was launched on the day of the Boat Race, 2012. Their aim was to use modern processes to create limited quantities of unusual gins, as well as holding taste tests for customers to come and design their own gin. “We believe we’re the only people in the world who make gin this way,” says Will.
“Though our main business is the gin tailoring, we’ve had a lot of interest from people like Harrods and Selfridges who want us to make something to sell on their shelves. “We’re a three-strong team: my wife, myself and our Labrador, Darcy,” he grins. “Darcy’s played an important role, as it’s through walking her that we’ve gotten more attuned to the seasons. So she’s on the label of every bottle.”
The story began when Will, who rose from humble bartender to coming second in the World Bartending Championships, created a special one-off gin for his father’s birthday. “I’ve worked in the drinks industry for 14 years and started distilling gin myself, just on a small scale, for family and friends,” Will says. “As my dad could never find one dry enough, I created one just for him. I called it ‘Professor Lowe’s Raspingly Dry Gin’ – and to say it went down well would be an understatement! That became my first bespoke gin.”
There’s a fine science to the distillation process: in a nutshell, Will uses a vacuum to achieve lower atmospheric pressure, thus enabling him to create purer, more aromatic flavours. As well as the science behind it, Will’s also able to fill me in on the history.
“It dates from 1689 when William of Orange brought it over from Holland,” he says. “He insisted that the gentry stop drinking cognac and drink something more ‘patriotic’. This was a spirit which mixed alcohol with juniper berries and was given to soldiers, coining the phrase ‘Dutch courage’. It was very popular again through the 40s and 50s, until vodka took over – which has been largely blamed on James Bond,” he laughs. “It’s only really in the last ten years that gin’s become popular again, and there are probably more gin brands now than ever.”
Will has created some unique gins in his time, but the most eccentric request came from Noma, a double-Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen. “Most gins have three key elements: juniper – which is what makes gin gin; a drying element and a citrus note,” explains Will. “For Noma, instead of using citrus for that zesty character, we used wood ants. They’re bigger than your average ant and their bite contains formic acid which, in small doses, can be used in food.” A year into his gin venture, Will is clearly delighted to be doing something he loves.
“About ten years ago someone asked me what I’d do if I won the EuroMillions and I said I’d build a distillery. But as the EuroMillions wasn’t exactly an odds-on bet, we just made it happen. We’re now dealing with some of the world’s top restaurants and we’re genuinely proud of everything we make.” Gin Tailoring at Cambridge Distillery, including a personal consultation after which you’ll receive your own personalised bottle, costs from £160.
