Ever since I was a young man, I’ve been a huge fan of gin, the complexity of the botanicals intrigued me.

My dad loves a gin and tonic, his father, my Granda also loved gin and was a keen brewer of wine. I remember being fascinated by the bottles in his attic as a young boy and watched in amazement as the yeast respired and bubbled the carboys. There was something about the magic of it. I believe sometimes it’s what led me down my current path. His great uncle was Robert A Taylor the manager of Coleraine Whiskey Distillery and my grandparents supplied Bushmills Distillery with barley from their Ballindreen farm for a short time in the 1960’s.

With that in mind, I’ve been studying the craft of gin distillation for the last six years to the point of obsession. I’ve honed my olfactory senses over early mornings and late nights. I’ve had success and I’ve had failures, but I’ve kept going, absorbing knowledge and experience at every turn. They say it takes ten thousand hours to be an expert at any given subject. I reckon I’m at least halfway there! My goal was to produce a quality gin with my own flavour profile. A spirit that everyone can enjoy, a spirit that represents the north coast, the people here now and those born by the shore.

Lockdown was the catalyst that allowed me time to turn my hobby into something I can share with everyone. I hope you enjoy my gin. It’s been a lifetime in the making.

Simon