It's Gin O' Clock

The scent of citrus pervading the new gin distillery in the stunning grounds of Somerset’s Newton House conjures up images of cocktails being sipped on a lazy summer’s afternoon, freshly-cut grass and sun-drenched fruit trees, says LAURA BRIGGS.

- Laura Briggs

AS IDEALISTIC AS the above may sound, the reality for Jane and Robin Cannon, owners of the Jacobean estate, has been quite different. Trial and error, hard graft and early mornings has taken over their lives for the past two years.

The result of their passion is Newton House Gin – the very first gin to be distilled in Somerset – and a product which its creators are, quite understandably, delighted with.

Inspired by a tour around the Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire, Robin was keen to create a gin exclusive to Somerset. He set up the small operation and together with local tradesmen, built his own distillery fully kitted out with copper gin stills within the old dairy.

Collecting spring water from the estate, drying their own citrus peel, picking and adding 12 botanicals grown on site in the walled gardens, including peach, almond, mint and blueberries, lemon and lime, and bottling and labelling by hand means the process is labour intensive. Currently a week’s worth of distilling produces a modest 66 bottles of this premium gin.