Craft Gin Club Summer Road Trip: Chilgrove Dry drenches Sussex in gin and wine
Jun 23, 2015
Summer time = traveling time! What's better than throwing your gear in a suitcase and throwing your work into the dustbin as you leave your stress and troubles far behind in exchange for a sun-filled season of new adventures? We can't think of much - except sipping a cool, craft G&T. But what makes that G&T even better? Drinking it at the distillery where the gin was made!
This summer, we're taking a trip through the regions of our craft distiller partners, the places where they make the delicious, small-batch gins that Craft Gin Club Members enjoy every month.
We begin with our June 2015 Gin of the Month, Chilgrove Dry Gin, the only gin in the UK made from grapes. Chilgrove's newlywed husband and wife founder, Christopher and Celia Beaumont-Hutchings live in the tiny hamlet of Chilgrove in West Sussex and the South Downs. It may be small, but there's plenty of activities in the area to keep you busy, keep you entertained, and - most importantly - keep you fed well and sated with amazing craft gin!
The White Horse Pub & Inn in Chilgrove was recently voted the UK’s Pub of the Year at the GQ Food & Drink awards. It holds a AA Rosette as well as 5 AA Gold Stars. Most importantly, it has an extensive G&T menu featuring none other than the local gin, Chilgrove Dry.
England’s newest National Park opened in 2011, South Downs National Park celebrates the region’s geologically wondrous chalk ridge that runs through West Sussex, East Sussex and Hampshire.
Officially the UK city with the most sunlight per year, the beachside town of Bognor Regis thrills its residents with 1,900 hours of warming sunshine while maintaining a fairly moderate temperature. The town tacked on “Regis” after King George V spent time by the beach recovering from surgery.
The closest large town to Chilgrove and the county town of West Sussex is Chichester, a cathedral city that was settled as far back as Roman times. The cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, dates back to the 11th Century.
Located in Chichester, the South Downs Planetarium has been fascinating visitors with its heavenly projections since 2001.
