Grand Hotel Eastbourne launches bespoke London Dry Gin called The Grand Gin
Gin is a classic and sophisticated spirit that has gained popularity in recent years. With its versatility and complexity of flavours, gin has become a popular choice for cocktails and is enjoyed by many around the world.
Read on to discover the locally sourced ingredients and the process that Hawkridge Distillers use to make our London Dry Gin.
The Three-Stage Process
The Grand Gin has a unique flavour profile that uses locally sourced botanicals including honey, wild gorse, and samphire, that are handpicked from the coastline just a stone’s throw from the hotel. Meticulously crafted using a Victorian method of creating a gin that involves a three-stage process; botanical tea, infusion basket and mash, resulting in an incredibly smooth taste.
The first stage is creating a botanical tea, a method that not many Distillers use today however, we believe it creates a more enjoyable texture. Once you switch the still on, the distillation takes up to 11 hours and all of the remaining botanicals, along with the strained botanical tea bubble away turning the alcohol and botanical oils into steam. This is then pushed through the column of the still and into what’s called a botanical basket, a stainless porous basket that holds the more delicate botanicals such as rose and gorse petals. This is stage two of the process. After passing through the basket, the steam enters a condenser which turns the steam back into a liquid and this drips out of the still as gin which concludes stage three.
The Discovery
Working with Hawkridge Distillers, we desired to create a wonderfully smooth London Dry Gin, infused with an array of locally foraged botanicals. We discovered that heady floral notes give way to a classic juniper heart, with a hint of coconut that comes from local wild gorse. Finished with a late caramel note that comes from honey.
So you ask, what is a London Dry Gin? A London Dry Gin is a type of gin that is distilled with juniper and other botanicals. To qualify, the Gin has to have an ABV of 37.5%, the Grand Gin has a desired ABV of 40%.
Hawkridge Distillers
Combining many years of distilling experience with product branding excellence, the team at Hawkridge Distillers specialise in bringing to life truly bespoke craft spirit creations nestled in the heart of the outstandingly beautiful North Wessex Downs. Their philosophy is to create a bespoke product designed to both complement the special venues they work with and add a layer of exclusivity that simply cannot be found or purchased anywhere else. Something guests will love to enjoy on-site but also cherish as a takeaway gift, or souvenir that will invoke memories of their visit.
The Environment
Environmental concerns and sustainable development are very important to us. It extends from our purchasing policies to waste management and informs all our working practices. When picking the foraged botanicals for our new Gin, they need to be sourced locally to the Grand Hotel to help reduce our carbon footprint.
The Bottle Design
Refined, elegant and bespoke, the Grand Gin’s classic bottle design elevates when sitting proudly on the Cocktail Bar. With the glass bottle being round, it makes it a fantastic pouring Gin as it is great to handle. When designing the bottle, it was important for us to represent the Grand Hotel. For those with an eye for detail, you will spot the original hotel crest stamped on the glass topper along with the Grand Hotel logo sitting on the bottle.
The Launch
On Thursday 11th of May, we will be celebrating with an official launch evening where our partners will be welcomed to the hotel and be the first to try our Grand Gin along with gin-infused homemade canapés. Following a welcome by our team and a presentation by Hawkridge Distillers, there will be a Grand surprise which will take our guests on a journey of their senses.
Signature Gin Cocktail and Infused Menus
We will soon be announcing a new signature gin cocktail for all our guests to enjoy at the hotel. In addition, our Executive Chef will be infusing our Gin into our menus. Expect to see some delectable dishes like ‘Grand Gin cured Sea Trout’ and ‘Grand Gin and Tonic Lemon Tart’ which will tantalize tastebuds.
As Winston Churchill famously said; “the gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives than all the doctors in the Empire”.
Available from the 11th of May 2023, visit the Grand Hotel Eastbourne and try our new Gin for yourselves. We can be sure that you will want to take a bottle home. Our recommendation - Pair perfectly with your favourite tonic, a slice of pink grapefruit or a sprig of rosemary, served over ice.