Everything you need to know about Cotswolds Distillery and its amazing gin!
Nov 1, 2023
In this fabulous feature, we are taking a look at Cotswolds Distillery and their incredible range of Cotswolds gins!
As many gin fans will know, we have some fantastic Cotswolds gins on the Craft Gin Club online shop and Cotswolds Cloudy Christmas Gin was even Craft Gin Club’s December 2020 Gin of the Month.
So we think it’s time to find out what makes Cotswolds gins so special. Scroll down to discover how Cotswolds gins are made, how to serve Cotswolds gins and where you can buy these magnificent craft gins.
Take a look…
The Cotswolds Distillery, where all of the Cotswolds gins are made, is in the idyllic village of Stourton in the Cotswolds. At the distillery, you can even go on a Cotswolds gin tour. Find out more here!
For those who have never visited, the Cotswolds is a picturesque area of the UK that covers 800 square miles across five counties: Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
Its countryside is the perfect place to forage fantastic gin botanicals!
Cotswolds gin is made by the Cotswolds Distillery, which was founded by Dan Szor.
At the Cotswolds Distillery, they take the French idea of “terroir” very seriously and make the effort to source local ingredients wherever possible for all of their gins.
One key local ingredient at the core of Cotswolds Distillery’s Cotswolds Dry Gin, which is itself the base for many of their other gins, is Cotswolds lavender. To the lavender, they add other botanical ingredients like lime and grapefruit peel, and that quintessential juniper, of course.
The Cotswolds Distillery team distils those botanicals in a base spirit in their copper still, which they have affectionately named Dolly.
Once the final liquid is ready, it is bottled in Cotswolds Distillery’s iconic dark-glass bottles, which are labelled before being sent out to gin fans all over the world.
Some Cotswolds Distillery gins become cloudy when mixed with tonic water or ice because of the high volume of essential oils in the liquid. The oils come from the use of lots of lime and pink grapefruit zest as botanical ingredients to make the gin.
Many distilleries filter these oils out of their gin before bottling, however, Cotswolds Distillery choose not to filter theirs as they prefer the flavour and texture the oils add to the finished gin.
Cotswolds Distillery makes a stunning range of craft gins, including an Old Tom gin, a barrel-aged gin and a range of Wildflower gins.
Cotswolds Distillery’s signature edition, Cotswolds Dry Gin is made with local Cotswolds lavender and eight other carefully selected botanicals, including lime zest and pink grapefruit peel.
This gin has a wonderfully fresh flavour profile, that is lead by juniper and elevated bright citrus and floral notes that are simply divine. It’s no wonder this beautiful gin has won so many awards!
What’s more, Cotswolds Dry Gin develops a pearlescent cloudiness when mixed with ice or tonic water, making it a real show-stopper when poured for guests.
This festive edition was originally introduced to gin fans as Craft Gin Club’s December 2020 Gin of the Month - and Craft Gin Clubbers have been in love with it ever since!
Called the Cloudy Christmas Gin because of the iconic misty hue that appears when Cotswold gin is mixed with ice or tonic, this merry tipple has an abundance of Christmassy spice and clementine citrus tones that are perfect for the festive season.
You can get the full low-down on this remarkable expression right here.
If you are a fan of sloe gin, blackberry gin or damson gin, you simply must try Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin - it is made with local sloe berries, damson berries, blackberries and bullace (a variety of plums)!
Created by mixing Cotswolds Dry Gin with locally sourced hedgerow fruit and berries, the gin is bursting with a symphony of baked plum and blackberry tones, all underpinned by a delightfully rich juniper and citrus base.
With that bold and wonderfully seasonal flavour profile, Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin is the perfect autumn gin - and it’s just as delicious at any other time of the year too.
That depends on the Cotswolds gin you are using. Here are some of our favourite Cotswold gin serving suggestions…
50ml Cotswolds Dry Gin
200ml premium tonic
Grapefruit, to garnish
Add everything to a copa glass with ice. Serve and enjoy!
50ml Cotswolds Cloudy Christmas Gin
200ml premium Indian tonic
Star anise and a slice of grapefruit, to garnish
Add everything to a copa glass with ice. Serve and enjoy!
50ml Cotswold Hedgerow Gin
200ml premium lemonade
Fresh berries and orange peel or elderflower, to garnish
Add everything to a copa glass with ice. Serve and enjoy!
You can buy Cotswolds gin from the Cotswolds Distillery website here.
Cotswolds gins are also available to buy from the Craft Gin Club online shop.
Traditionally, a cloudy gin was seen as something undesirable, but we embrace the cloudy appearance of our Cotswolds Cloudy G&T as a clear sign of a high-quality, flavour-rich gin.
— Cotswolds Distillery
