Greensand Ridge London Dry Gin

Product Information

Given our raison d’être is to use surplus produce, this was right in our comfort zone and once we had disgorged the beer from the kegs and de-gassed it, it was a case of pumping it into our still and skilfully distilling it to capture the best of the hoppy maltiness to achieve a refined, fine spirit. Will Edge: My spirits aren’t conceived in a boardroom and aren’t carried by esoteric botanicals and flavours – they are simply an honest reflection of where we are and the produce around us, reflecting our provenance/terroir directly. So, as well as the fruit brandies and rums we make, we will release barrel-aged gins and other gin expressions which capture a different aspect of our surroundings, much like the Salt Marsh Gin we developed for That Boutique-y Gin Company, which reflects a specific microclimate. Distilling surplus beer isn’t new. It’s been done for years and is part of distilling’s rich history of using surplus agricultural and food produce to make spirits. We’ve kinda lost touch with that in the UK, but in Europe, waste beer often ends up as an ‘Eau-de-vie de Bière’ or ‘Bierbrand’.

The company achieved carbon neutrality across its supply chain in 2018 through its support of a carbon offsetting project in India. It is working to reduce its direct carbon footprint (measured at 9.2 tonnes of CO2e, carbon dioxide equivalent, in its 2019 sustainability report) as far as possible. Our golden Rum is made in-house from scratch, using the surplus molasses from sugar production. This is different from most Rums which are often cheap, poor quality Carribean rum with sugar and spices added to create an intensity of flavour to mask the spirit.

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Will Edge: Also computer science, and all those disciplines have been essential for building a business and keeping costs down in the short term. We are exporting reactively, but we are going to spend 2018 consolidating our UK presence before turning our attention overseas. Will’s approach to using surplus produce or byproducts directs the spirits he brings to market. “We work with local farmers to mitigate their waste and so make a lot of fruit spirits like our Apple Brandy and Raspberry Ghost”, he says, “even our Wealden Rum is made from a locally sourced byproduct.” On the nose is the distinct character of apple blossom with the contribution of the cask reminiscent of hot buttered toast. The spirit is smooth on the palate with an initial sweetness giving and warmth of the spirit which gives way to the characteristic apple flavour which lingers in the mouth. The vanilla and caramel spiciness of the cask marries beutifully with the apple aroma and leaves the memory of warm apple crumble. The issue of food waste is such a huge one, I’m never going to make much of a dent in it myself. But what I can do is demonstrate with actions that great surplus produce can have a life beyond landfill, and get people to think about the effect of how we shop. At the moment, sustainability is not something people look for in premium products, but I’d like to be part of a shift in consumer perceptions.

The Greensand Ridge distillery was born in 2015 and is already producing award-winning gin. The Gin Guild talks to Will about his journey to eco-friendly craft gin production. The Folkestone Beds consist of seams of pebbles and sand. It is from here that the stone known as chert is found, familiar in the High Chart hills around Limpsfield, Surrey. In Surrey the Sandgate Beds and Bargate Beds, which lie on top of the Hythe Beds, have yielded a distinctive yellow stone seen in many local buildings. Ironstone, from layers embedded in the Sandgate Beds, is often seen in chips ( gallets) pressed into the mortar between such stones. To the east, especially around Maidstone, Kent, the Hythe Beds yield a blue-grey sandstone with a high lime content. Known as ragstone, this is seen in many local buildings. The team conceived Greensand Ridge Distillery by asking the question, how to you take an energy intensive process as distilling is, and not only reduce its environmental footprint, but have it make a positive contribution to sustainability? Fuller's earth, which lies interbedded between the Bargate and Sandgate Layers, was much quarried for the cloth industry. The seam, which lies about 20 to 30 feet below the surface between Nutfield and Bletchingley, was considered the best in the country and for several centuries large quantities were excavated. Resources are now running low and little is now extracted. [10] Settlements [ edit ] NCA Profile:120 Wealden Greensand (NE465)". Natural England. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019 . Retrieved 18 May 2020.A practice of treating the Greensand Ridge regularly as part of the Weald arose in geology when natural scientists, starting in the late 18th century, began to include it in their analysis of the geological history of the Wealden dome. Geology still confuses by using interchangeably the Weald and the "Wealden Anticline" that embraces all the land bounded by the chalk escarpments of the North and South Downs, including the Greensand hills. Greensand Ridge takes its’ name from the sweeping Weald hills where the team at the distillery source their flavours. We love the concept here – by adopting sustainable methods, Greensand are on a mission to reduce food waste by distilling and fermenting quality surplus produce, unwanted by supermarkets. THE SPIRITS We believe Apple Brandy is the rightful whisky of the Weald region, where apple orchards dot the countryside. We work with local farmers to take only fruit which would otherwise go to waste, ensuring we mitigate food waste while leaving the best fruit for culinary uses.

Greensand Ridge, a craft-distillery near Shipbourne, in the Weald of Kent, has achieved one of its original green goals by becoming carbon neutral, the first UK distillery to do so. Gallois, R.W., ed. (1965). British Regional Geology: The Wealden District. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 0-11-884078-9.We are excited to discover Greensand Ridge Distillery, situated just outside the pretty village of Shipbourne, near Sevenoaks. Not only is this micro-distillery entirely carbon-neutral, it is the perfect venue to enjoy a fun tasting experience with friends or a brilliant gift to give or receive. WHO? On the nose is a delicate raspberry aroma, more akin to an autumn raspberry on a misty morning then a bright summer berry. The first taste is much like a super premium smooth and creamy vodka, but as you swirl the spirit in your mouth the raspberry flavour bursts onto the palate and endures long into the finish. Serving Suggestions GG: You have also spoken of your commitment to reducing food waste. How is this reflected in your products and processes?