Sipsmith Gin and Vodka

  

The Dabblers visit Sipsmith, makers of artisanal gin and vodka…

In a shed in a residential road in Hammersmith, two thirtysomething former public schoolboys are busy at work under the shadow of a colossal copper machine. They are making London gin. Well, not actually physically making gin themselves – a distilling wizard called Chris comes in to do that, having taken over from master-distiller Jared Brown – rather, they are making a brand; they are making Sipsmith Gin and Vodka.  

Their names are Sam Galsworthy and, magnificently, Fairfax Hall, and they are a very smart pair indeed. But first, a word about the machine. A steampunk’s fantasy of funnels, pipes and tanks in beautiful burnished copper, one could spend hours gazing at Prudence, as she is winsomely known. She looks like the sort of contraption that characters in an HG Wells novel would use to fly to the moon, except that dear Prudence does something even better than space travel: she makes booze.  

Her owners are justly proud of her. You can view a video of them assembling Prudence (“the first copper still to launch in London for nearly 200 years”) on the Sipsmith website and, when the Dabblers visit, Fairfax treats us to an exhaustive, enthusiastic tour of her mechanics. Prudence takes up about a third of the shed; the remainder is filled with paraphernalia including vast vats of ethanol, shelves crammed with glassware and a ‘wall of shame’ of mainstream gin and vodka brands.  

Prospective Sipsmithers are required to distinguish these mass-produced rivals from Prudence’s artisanal output in blind taste tests. Now, speaking as someone who has never seen the Gordon’s in a G&T as a problem that particularly needed fixing, I came to Sipsmith somewhat sceptical about the claims to superiority of the ‘handcrafted’ approach, but the deliciousness of the product cannot be denied. Jassy – with her infinitely more sophisticated gin-palate – gives her review below, but the vodka was a revelation, wholly lacking that grimace-inducing harshness of the usual shot. The sloe gin – a recent addition to the product range created by ‘resting’ Prudence’s gin on sloe berries – is lovely too: rich and warming, you could drink it after dinner like a port.  

Frankly I could have done with somewhat more generous tasting samples than those dished out by Sam and Fairfax – it was a bit more nosing than drinking for my (admittedly uncouth) liking and I could have drunk gallons of the stuff – but I suppose they are on a shoestring and have to watch these things. Fairfax refused point-blank to tell me the margin on a bottle though he did claim that the business is now profitable. Sipsmith gin ain’t cheap. 70cl on the Whisky Exchange is £27.49 inc VAT, compared to £14.48 for a similar quantity of Gordon’s.  

But it needs to be pricey – the operation as it stands is ludicrously unscalable. Bottles are individually hand-sealed in wax with a batch number so you can track the ‘birth’ of your drink on the website. In addition to the ten carefully-selected botanicals*, Sipsmith gin uses water from the source of the Thames (cos it’s London gin, geddit?). No really, it does: every so often Fairfax and Sam drive a van to a farm in the Cotswolds and fill up a bloody big tank of the stuff themselves from a spring.  

Their bordering-on-absurd commitment to the cause is thus undeniable, but it would also be naïve to think that the Sipsmithers aren’t shrewd businessmen. Both have career backgrounds with big players in the drinks industry and with Sipsmith they’ve tapped into two clear trends: the local-y handcraft-y quality ideal as witnessed in the proliferation of microbreweries; and the growing desire to apply the connoisseurship standards once reserved for wine and then whisky to ever more products. And why not London gin? London is cool; gin is just waiting to be cool again. With remarkable serendipity, even tonic now has a ‘premium’ version  in the form of Fever-tree which – surprise, surprise – the boys recommend for a Sipsmith G&T. Fairfax explains that they do not see Sipsmith as replacing the bottle of Beefeater or Gordons in the cupboard, but sitting alongside it as a ‘special occasion’ drink. And while they might not have a marketing budget they do have over 3,000 Twitter followers and (this is clever), they regularly invite bar stewards from trendy establishments to admire Prudence and then send them away as ‘ambassadors for the brand’.  

They even know that being ‘secret’ is a great for publicity – the Hammersmith shed is itself a nice marketing tool. But one suspects they won’t be in it for long – and indeed, Fairfax tells us that they are soon moving to larger premises. Doubtless this will enable them to improve on the margin, but in the meantime they are busy building something truly valuable (and ultimately, one presumes, lucrative): a distinctive, high quality, much-loved British brand. 

 *Macedonian juniper berries, Bulgarian coriander seed, French angelica root, Spanish liquorice root, Italian orris root, Spanish ground almond, Chinese cassia bark, Madagascan cinnamon, Sevillian orange peel and Spanish lemon peel —  in case you fancied having a go at making your own.

  

Sipsmith Martini Recipe – by Jassy Davis

  

Opening a bottle of Sipsmith Gin is like being blasted in the face by Alpine-themed air freshener. A wave of earthy pine and juniper crashes out of the bottle, followed by a minxy twist of lemon that announces the arrival of a very superior gin. It loses no time in wooing you, beginning with a sweet swipe of cinnamon that rolls into spicier notes – the coriander seed stands out – and finishes with a warming citrus glow. A good balance of sweet and savoury with no oil slick mouth feel or heart attack after burn, it’s my favourite gin for making martinis.  

How to make a martini is subject to fierce, drunken debate. A ratio of 3:1 gin to vermouth? 4:1? 5:1? Just standing near a bottle of vermouth while you drink it? Personally, if I want to drink a glass of cold gin, then I just drink a glass of gin. For a martini, I like the vermouth to have some chance of making itself felt.

I don’t shake my martinis, I stir them– if I want air in my martini, I breathe in while I drink – and stirring the drink with ice ensures the whole cocktail is cold and crisp.

Sipsmith martini
Serves 1  

60ml Sipsmith gin
15ml good dry vermouth, such as Noilly Prat
A strip of pared lemon zest
  

Place a handful of ice in a small jug and pour in the Sipsmith and vermouth. Give it a good stir and let it sit for 2–3 minutes (Sipsmith is 41.6%, it needs a little diluting).  

Strain into a martini glass. Twist the orange zest over the top of the glass a couple of times to spray it with the oils from the skin, then sink it in the glass and drink.

Share This Post

About Author Profile: Brit and Jassy

britandjassy@bollox.com'

11 thoughts on “Sipsmith Gin and Vodka

  1. russellworks@gmail.com'
    ian russell
    April 14, 2011 at 08:54

    The source of the Thames is a contentious one. The official source, Thames Head, is dry for more than 11 months of the year. I’m betting they drive to the unofficial one near Seven Springs, close to Cheltenham.

    I always think of Gordon’s as the Carling Black Label of gins. We drink Bombay Sapphire (but not often). I’ll look out for Sipsmith’s though.

  2. Brit
    April 14, 2011 at 09:02

    Perhaps Gordon’s is the Glenfiddich of gin? Its ubiquity is bad for its coolness but they probably don’t mind given the sales. (Glenfiddich is really very good, mind).

    Apparently as well as online you can get hold of Sipsmith in Waitrose and Majestic – and it’s in the trendier bars.

  3. johngjobling@googlemail.com'
    malty
    April 14, 2011 at 09:12

    The cuprum filled premises are a work of art, a vision of alcohol fuelled loveliness, Henry Mooreish even, awash with Calatrava curves, testimony to the dark skills of the last remnants of the Sheetmetalworkers and Coppersmiths affiliated trade union, if it was still in existence, indeed if any of it’s members were still drawing breath, bashing away at shiny sheets of the stuff, arms laden with kinetic energy, afterwards making the rough places smooth, praying for repeat business.
    Truly a pair of up market Fred’s in a pristine shed, if you will pardon the description. Rammstein would sell their grossmutters.
    It’s on the list, sounds like tipple worthy of a test run with Jassy’s recipe, well done Brit n ‘Jassy.

    Brassy?

    • Brit
      April 14, 2011 at 10:44

      Malty, you’ll be pleased but not surprised to learn that Prudence was designed by Christian Carl, a small, old family business from…. Germany!

      • johngjobling@googlemail.com'
        malty
        April 14, 2011 at 16:46

        Coincidence, my old mate Geordie S (Speidel Tank- und BehälterbauGmbH is in the same trade, booze production equipment and is just down the road at Ofterdingen, bet they know each other.
        He has his own vineyard producing the worst rotwein I have ever tasted, as he was a valued customer this fact was kept under wraps.

        We don’t talk about his dad.

  4. wormstir@gmail.com'
    April 14, 2011 at 09:33

    Prudence is indeed a beautiful thing! I’ve always liked Gordons, as I am suspicious of some of the other overly herby poncy gins. Luckily Sipsmiths is also very straight tasting and all the better for it, it’s a really good gin

  5. markcfdbailey@gmail.com'
    Recusant
    April 14, 2011 at 10:18

    All sounds such marvellous fun and I must give it a try. My Martini gin, by preference, is Tanquerey’s No.10. And it needs to be a stuffed olive, not a twist.

    Vodka I have always absolutely loathed, until I tasted the revelation that is Chase English Potato vodka. Try it; you’ll be amazed by its smooth, oily unctuousness.

  6. Gaw
    April 14, 2011 at 14:56

    Makes sense that Prudence is German – over there and in Austria one comes across an infinite variety of schnapps and obstlers produced on a small scale. I bet their bureaucracy is a lot, lot less onerous.

  7. wormstir@gmail.com'
    April 14, 2011 at 15:30

    conversely I bet their hangovers are a lot, lot more onerous

  8. alasguinns@me.com'
    Hey Skipper
    April 17, 2011 at 09:23

    Tanqueray, about 50:1 with Vermouth. Shaken, not stirred.

    I hope none of that is too disreputable.

  9. ian@brollachan.com'
    Ian Buxton
    April 19, 2011 at 17:41

    Two curious facts about Sipsmith.
    1. You read about them first here in my ‘London Gins’ posting in November on this very site. Did I ever get any freebie Fever Tree tonic though? What do you think?
    2. They make it in what used to be the late and sorely missed Michael Jackson’s study/tasting room. Michael was the most influential writer on real ale and whisky in the last 30 years (not the child-dangler, this was another MJ). Strange coincidence. Small world.
    Excellent gin.
    Beefeater is also very good if you don’t want to pay boutique prices.

Comments are closed.