Curiosity - The Story Behind the Still.

I felt very privileged to be invited along to a tasting tour at the Warner Edwards distillery earlier today. This was a rare chance to see where the magic happens and get a real insight into how a successful spirit producer has skillfully built up their business.

We pulled into the drive at a gorgeous farmhouse overlooking the surrounding countryside and made our way into the barn that houses "Curiosity", Tom Warner and Sion Edwards' magnificent copper Holstein still. As Sion talked us through the founding stories of the craft gin company, "Curiosity" bubbled away in the background, distilling the spirit that bought Tom and Sion to where they are today. 

The creation of this IWSC award winning gin had humble beginnings at Tom and Sion's local pub where they decided the best way to create a top quality spirit was to taste every gin possible and then taste them again for good measure. Which would have been extremely productive, had they remembered to take notes! Eventually after months of research they settled on 11 botanicals which would harmoniously flavour their end product. We learnt that juniper and coriander seeds form the base of any gin's flavour and the other botanicals must compliment this base character and not overpower it. 

Warner Edwards have a lovely connection to their community and surroundings. The water they use to create the gin is drawn from an aquifer in the neighbouring field. The elderflowers so are picked from the farms hedgerows on the very special summer's day when they flower.  Every year the locals are invited to take part in the sloe harvest and each person who donates a bucket of sloes is rewarded with a bottle of sloe gin.

So there we are, "Curiosity" meaning an unusual object/ oddity or a quest for knowledge. Warner Edwards have certainly turned their curiosity into a successful business which they run with pride, dedication and outstanding expertise.