Since 2016 the premium gin company Willow Tree Gin have been handcrafting their African and Asian inspired gin in the little village of Thorncote Green, Sandy, Beds.
Using a unique combination of 12 botanicals - including freshly picked herbs from the family farm, the process of selectively smoking botanicals gives Willow Tree Gin its distinctive flavour.
Ahead of their Gin Making Experience upstairs at The Loft on Thursday 18th August, we sat down with founder Mary Vincent to learn even more about her inspirations and love of gin.
So Mary, why gin? Tell us more about the inspirations behind the creation of Willow Tree Gin...
I've always had a real interest in cooking and experimenting with flavours. My dad had a particular passion for African and Asian flavours and I wanted to incorporate that into Willow Tree gin. I was going to go down the perfumery route as it's a very similar process...but alcohol is way more fun.
Willow Tree started on my family farm in Stanbridge Leighton Buzzard where I was making the gin from a tiny shed. We moved to our current premises (just outside of Sandy) in 2020. We did this so we could have a bigger space and welcome people into the distillery to see where the magic happens.
What makes Willow Tree Gin so different from the more well known gin brands?
Willow Tree gin gets its uniqueness from the smoked element. We smoke one particular herb with a certain wood from the family farm (both top secret!) before it goes into the still with the other botanicals. This gives Willow Tree gin a subtle smokiness, but we also found that it added a sweetness.
We use 11 other botanicals including Thai basil, lemon thyme, elderflower and cubeb berries. It's a London Dry gin which means nothing is added after the distillation process. Willow Tree gin is different to others out there.
What are your top gin tasting tips?
We recommend using big ice cubes as they melt slower and keep your drink nice and cold. Also, using frozen berries as a garnish keep your gin and tonic cold and it's a lot cheaper than buying lots of fresh berries. And popping your gin in the fridge helps to keep it chilled (if you like it neat like us!).
Is gin best enjoyed with a regular tonic?
What we love about gin and tonics is that it's very personal and there are endless combinations of flavour. How you enjoy your gin is completely up to you, and you may have to go through a few G+T's to find your perfect flavour.
Our Willow Tree gin perfect serve would be Willow Tree gin, Indian tonic, lemon, a Makrut lime leaf and ice. If you prefer something more fruity, then we recommend Willow Tree gin, pink grapefruit tonic, frozen mixed berries, ice. And if you prefer something more floral then we recommend Willow Tree gin, elderflower tonic, cucumber, lime and ice.
For those that don't like tonic, ginger beer is a great alternative and pairs deliciously with Willow Tree gin.
What can gin lovers expect from your Gin Making experiences?
Our gin-making experiences are three hours and they're designed for customers to learn all about us, the gin distillation process and the history of gin. We start you off with a complimentary G+T (single or double!) and talk to you all about Willow Tree and how we got to where we are. We then go on to talk about the gin distillation process and how our still and the mini stills operate.
We also talk about sustainability, which is a huge part of our ethos. For example, we recuse the water in the cooling system of our still (it doesn't come in contact with the gin) from going straight down the drain and have saved over a million litres of water since 2017.
Then it's time to choose your gin recipe, choosing from over 60 different herbs and botanicals. You then distil your own bottle of gin whilst we talk about the history of gin and you also design your label. And finally, you will bottle and label your gin which will be put in a presentation box with a glass.
Unfortunately, our mini stills aren't portable, so off-site we host gin infusion courses, with our next one being upstairs at The Loft on Thursday 18th August. You will learn about all the same techniques, the business and history of gin, but we will be infusing your gin instead.
You will get a choice between a variety of botanicals, that you will weigh out and add to your alcohol to infuse a delicious bottle of gin. You will walk away with all the tools (and an instruction card) you need to strain the botanicals out of your alcohol and bottle it up a few weeks prior. During the session, you'll also get to design your gin label and give it a name.
An evening of Gin Making with Willow Tree Gin at The Loft
Willow Tree Gin will be available at The Loft very soon. Get an exclusive taste at the Gin Making Experience happening upstairs at The Loft, Thursday 18th August 2022. Spaces are limited & available to purchase online via Eventbrite here.
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