The bottle is designed to be reminiscent of a typical middle-ages drinking vessel, embellished with an intricate hand-drawn Anglo Saxon inspired artwork which subtly conveys the date of the Battle of Ashdown (look closely!). Our artisan London Dry Gin is a tribute to Alfred’s first victory over the Danish Vikings. The Blowing Stone London Dry Gin is the first in our Ashdown Series of craft gins, which has been inspired by the rich local heritage surrounding our distillery in the village of Compton, West Berkshire. The bottle is designed to be reminiscent of a typical middle-ages drinking vessel, embellished with an intricate hand-drawn Anglo Saxon inspired artwork which subtly conveys the date of the Battle of Ashdown. We designed the gin in a way that would reflect the era in look, feel and taste. The shape of the bottle resembles that of a 9 th century drinking vessel. Hand-drawn Saxon style art with the battle’s date subtlety hidden on the bottle and a hand drawn label decorate the gin. Inside the bottle, the gin’s flavour profile has been carefully developed over scores of test distillations using botanicals that were available in the 9 th century (including meadowsweet, gorse and honey).

The Blowing Stone Gins - Hawkridge Distillers

The term Dutch gin refers to a traditional liquor called Jenever, which technically isn’t actually gin and instead is a malted grain-based spirit that is flavoured with juniper. To capture and balance these flavours, we use a three-part process combining traditional batch pot distillation methods of steeping and infusion with the careful blending of a fragrant botanical tea. Being located in West Berkshire, the distillery is uniquely positioned to draw inspiration from both its immediate surroundings and the legends of old. This rich confluence of history and place imbues the distillery's spirits with a narrative that’s as captivating as the flavours themselves. The battle was an important one in the history of the whole country as it represented Alfred’s first victory against the Vikings and a first step towards the eventual unification of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

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Craft gin is gin that is distilled in small batches rather than mass produced and is also referred to as ‘small batch’ gin. Craft gin distillers often source their ingredients locally and distil their gin using traditional processes and equipment. Craft gin brands are often not sold in supermarkets or large chains. All of The Blowing Stone gin different flavours, are made at our Hawkridge Distillery in Newbury, Berkshire, UK. The West Berkshire village of Compton is now officially home to the best London Dry gin in the country. At the end of last month, following the tasting of 800 entries, the prestigious World Gin Awards announced “The Blowing Stone” London Dry gin by Hawkridge Distillers as the best in its category in England.

The Blowing Stone Gin - Blowing Stone Gin

The LIVE virtual tastings are carried out in the last week of the month. Please keep an eye on our socials for confirmed dates!

Hawkridge Distillers

I’m looking for the best London Dry gin brands. What is the best London dry gin in 2021, available in the UK? The Blowing Stone Distillery in West Berkshire finds its identity deeply rooted in England's historical tapestry. Named after the legendary "Blowing Stone," the distillery embodies a sense of heritage that is unparalleled. The Blowing Stone itself, a significant piece of England's history, is said to have been used by Alfred the Great to summon troops to the pivotal Battle of Ashdown in the 9th century. If you are looking for a gin birthday gift, Mother’s Day gin gift or gin Christmas gifts, this flavoured gin miniature gift set is the perfect gin present to put a smile on any gin lover’s face. In conceiving and developing the Blowing Stone gins, we have set out to ‘distil history.’ We bring the events of 9th century Wessex to life through both the design of the spirit bottles and through the way in which we have developed the flavour profiles.