Fresh from winning a gold at the World Gin Awards, St Giles is launching a fun new activity for gin lovers.
One of the best gin makers in the world is to start offering gin-making experiences at its hub, just five miles from the centre of Norwich.
The owners of St Giles Gin, which has just won a Gold at the World Gin Awards for its eponymous product, as well as a bronze for its St Giles Raspberry, Rhubarb and Ginger Gin, say they've been inundated with requests for distillery tours, but decided to take things one step further.
'We thought it would make it more interesting by including a gin making session for a whole gin experience,' explains Alison Melton, who runs the business with gin aficionado husband Simon.
'From next month gin lovers will be able to come along on a Wednesday afternoon, where they can enjoy a tour of the distillery and learn more about the art of distilling and the creation of St Giles Gin. Our head distiller Pete Margree will then take them through a guided gin making session.
'Customers will be able to go through the complete gin making process, from selecting their own botanicals to distilling their own recipe, and using a mini copper pot still, through to naming, bottling and labelling a 50cl bottle of gin to take home with them.'
The experience costs £75, lasts around two hours and includes a tasting session too, with the first session on February 6.
This new offering is a celebration of the Norfolk brand, which was recognised in 2018 by the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) with a silver award, later winning a bronze medal at the USA Spirits ratings in San Francisco against fierce competition from American whisky, bourbon and other spirits.
Simon Melton says of their latest win: 'We have a great team of Norfolk people distilling our gins here in Anna, our own 400lt copper still. We do not outsource any of our operations and I am very proud of our hard-working and dedicated team that carry out daily operations to make our 'fine gin'. I am also absolutely delighted to kick of the new year with another prestigious accolade from the World Gin Awards and am so pleased that the team's work is now being recognised, both nationally and internationally. I hope we at St Giles can add to the growing reputation that Norfolk has, as being a premier supplier of fine food and drink.'
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