The Blowing Stone Gin 70cl (ABV 42%) - Best English London Dry WGA 2021 | Berkshire Made Small Batch Gin

Product Information

Thanks for all the support we have received to date from our local village clients. We have been really encouraged by the amount of interest and happy clients enjoying our gins. The Blowing Stone range was conceived to celebrate the rich early medieval history of the North Wessex Downs and most notably the Battle of Ashdown which ended in victory for (the king to be ) Alfred the Great in a field somewhere between Compton and Aldworth. Most notably the Battle of Ashdown – the decisive conquering of the Vikings by Alfred the Great, saving England from Viking domination. To summon his troops into battle that morning, Alfred blew into an ancient perforated sarsen stone which delivered a loud booming sound across the downs. Known as ‘The Blowing Stone’ this marked the beginning of the Battle of Ashdown from which Alfred emerged victorious.

The Blowing Stone Wild Strawberry Gin | Master of Malt The Blowing Stone Wild Strawberry Gin | Master of Malt

The LIVE virtual tastings are carried out in the last week of the month. Please keep an eye on our socials for confirmed dates! Known as ‘The Great Heathen Army,’ the Vikings had been camped at Reading. Marching west into the North Wessex Downs, they were to meet the Wessex Army close to the prehistoric Ridgeway path just outside the village of Compton. In conceiving and developing the Blowing Stone gins, we have set out to ‘distil history.’ We bring the events of 9th century Wessex to life through both the design of the spirit bottles and through the way in which we have developed the flavour profiles..

All of The Blowing Stone gin different flavours, are made at our Hawkridge Distillery in Newbury, Berkshire, UK. The Blowing Stone Ashdown series of gins is a tribute to Alfred’s first victory over the Danish Vikings. Batch-distilled using our three-part process, we use a blend of beautifully balanced botanicals which could be found locally during the middle-ages as well as quality and distinctive juniper berries. TASTING NOTE: “A great traditional-style gin with a zing of juniper alongside meadow flowers, herbs, citrus peel, cumin and gingery spices. Good and complex. Some woody notes and some warmth, before a complex, rounded finish. Craft gin is gin that is distilled in small batches rather than mass produced and is also referred to as ‘small batch’ gin. Craft gin distillers often source their ingredients locally and distil their gin using traditional processes and equipment. Craft gin brands are often not sold in supermarkets or large chains.

Gin Gift Set | The Blowing Stone Gin Artisan Craft Gin Gift Set | The Blowing Stone Gin

The judges at the World Gin Awards described our Blowing Stone Gin as “A great traditional-style gin with a zing of juniper alongside meadow flowers, herbs, citrus peel, cumin and gingery spices. Good and complex. Some woody notes and some warmth, before a complex, rounded finish.” The Blowing Stone was awarded the ‘Best English London Dry Gin 2021′ at the World Gin Awards, so we would like to think that makes us the no 1 London dry gin brand in the UK in 2021. I’m looking for an unusual gin flavour box, are the different flavours of gin in the Blowing Stone Miniature Collection unusual? We’ve also included some more exotic spices which would have been imported by spice merchants whose aromas would have regularly filled the royal courts. Furthermore, the honey which smooths our Blowing Stone London Dry is made locally by our own bees.The term Dutch gin refers to a traditional liquor called Jenever, which technically isn’t actually gin and instead is a malted grain-based spirit that is flavoured with juniper. The Blowing Stone gins have been lovingly crafted using carefully selected botanicals. Following extensive research of the period, we have selected fruits, herbs and some more unusual ingredients which would have been growing wild or readily available at the time of King Alfred the Great’s reign. In essence, the Blowing Stone Distillery is more than just a place where spirits are made; it's where history is bottled. Through its offerings, one gets to taste not just the flavours of West Berkshire, but also the legacy of a time when kings blew through stones, and battles changed the course of history. The West Berkshire village of Compton is now officially home to the best London Dry gin in the country. At the end of last month, following the tasting of 800 entries, the prestigious World Gin Awards announced “The Blowing Stone” London Dry gin by Hawkridge Distillers as the best in its category in England. Winner of ‘Best English London Dry Gin’ at the World Gin awards 2021, ‘The Blowing Stone’ London Dry Gin is the first in our Ashdown Series and is a tribute to Alfred’s first victory over the Danish Vikings. Batch-distilled using our three-part process, we use a blend of beautifully balanced botanicals which could be found locally during the middle ages.

Mixology - Hawkridge Distillers Mixology - Hawkridge Distillers

In conceiving and developing the Blowing Stone gins, we have set out to ‘distil history.’ We bring the events of 9th century Wessex to life through both the design of the spirit bottles and through the way in which we have developed the flavour profiles. Why did we call it “The Blowing Stone?” Well.. legend suggests that on the morning of the battle, Alfred, who was in command of half of the Saxon army (his brother, King Ethelred commanded the other half) called his troops into battle by blowing skilfully into an ancient, perforated sarsen stone. The stone emitted a loud booming sound across the downs which signalled Alfred’s command to march west to face the “heathen” Viking foe. The stone became known as “The Blowing Stone” and you can still see it (and blow into it!), now in a garden in the village of Kinsgston Lisle near Wantage.On the 8th January 871, an Anglo-Saxon army, led by King Ethelred and his younger brother, the future King Alfred the Great was about to face the Viking army…a formidable enemy, intent on establishing Danish rule over the whole of England. Having conquered every other kingdom in England, just one more separated the Vikings from total domination – The Kingdom of Wessex. To be classed as London Dry, the gin must have its botanical flavour imparted through distillation and cannot have any artificial ingredients, colourings or flavourings added to it after the distillation process. This means that it is of a very high quality. For the perfect Blowing Stone London Dry gin and tonic, mix approximately three parts tonic to one part gin and garnish with pink grapefruit or a citrus segment such as lime or orange. We always recommend using a great premium tonic such as Fever Tree or Franklin’s in a Copa glass with plenty of ice. Being located in West Berkshire, the distillery is uniquely positioned to draw inspiration from both its immediate surroundings and the legends of old. This rich confluence of history and place imbues the distillery's spirits with a narrative that’s as captivating as the flavours themselves. Treat the gin lover in your life, to a gin gift set of miniature Blowing Stone gins, beautifully presented in a gift box.