MAIDSTONE DISTILLERY - STILL GAME
The opening of the Maidstone Distillery sees the re-establishment of a historical gin town that even Napoleon had his eyes on
Damn, it’s good to have so much distilling happening in Kent. The ‘cene team were on alcohol vapour cloud nine when we heard that Maidstone was to become another centre for gin in the county.
Husband-and-wife team Darren and Samantha Graves have scoured the history books (Google) of the county town only to discover that it was once a hub of the gin-producing world.
Alongside master distiller Gerard Evans, the new Maidstone Distillery will be reinstating the tradition of town pioneer George Bishop, who created quality and world-renowned spirits back in 1785.
So, a very quick history lesson: George, having travelled to Holland to acquire the art of distilling at the celebrated Schiedam gin centre, returned to his home town and began producing world-renowned spirits, even forcing through new Acts of Parliament as he drove up the quality of the drink.
Near where the Brenchley bar now stands, a new distillery that dominated the skyline began to produce Maidstone Gin.
Now in Market Buildings, which is quickly becoming a bit of a creative quarter, the new Maidstone Distillery features a satirical mural, originally published by James Gillray of London in 1754, sarcastically depicting Napoleon Bonaparte enjoying the spoils of England ahead of his proposed invasion, including treasures such as the Bank of England, the Tower of London and a bottle of “Maidstone” gin. Perhaps even Napoleon himself was a fan.
“After George had passed away, his family emigrated to New Zealand and actually became the founding fathers of Christchurch. So this family really had something about it,” says Darren.
“The Grant family from Dover took it over and ended up producing the famous Grants Morella cherry brandy liqueur, drunk by Queen Victoria and Scott of the Antarctic, but that finally closed in 1982.
“That’s some 250 years of distilling knowledge that is only among the senior generation now.
“For us, and for most people, we’d never heard anything about it, so we’re trying to bring back the history.”
In the very instagrammable, high-ceilinged Market Buildings, the Maidstone Distillery team have created an immersive visitor experience combining both history and a love of gin.
“We didn’t want to create an industrial unit, we wanted to be right in the heart of town, where people can see the equipment, which I think is quite pleasing to the eye,” says Darren.
The new George Bishop London Dry Gin is a “mix of 15 exotic botanicals, with sweet citrusy notes from coriander and air-dried Mediterranean orange peels balanced with the tangy piquance of tellicherry pepper, ambrette and perfumed chamomile”.
Each bottle is finished by hand, with a handwritten batch and bottle number. The distillery is also producing the Ranscombe Wild Small Batch Gin, using the flora of Kent’s own North Downs; this is a zesty and herbaceous contemporary spirit.
“For us, and for most people, we’d never heard anything about it, so we’re trying to bring back the history”
Having documented their start-up journey through social media, the team have already created anticipation for their launch.
“The first 1,000 bottles we have done as a limited edition,” says Darren. “We feel it is quite significant as it will be the first thousand made by a Maidstone distillery in a very long time.
“I’ve always been a hobbyist distiller. So to take that forward into a commercial enterprise is a dream.”
Apart from being visually beautiful, the copper stills are flexible enough to be able to make liqueurs, whiskies, brandies, vodkas and gins in the future and there are already plans for a collaboration with some well-known brands.
From September, the distillery will be welcoming gin fans to see the spirits being made first-hand and get involved themselves.
In The Experience Room, the shelves are packed with jars of different botanicals and, as part of the tour, those with a little ginspiration will be able to choose their ingredients and create their own spirit while sitting at one of the many mini two-litre stills.
“I’ve grown up around Maidstone and we want to give something for people to talk positively about in the town,” says Darren. “We want to shout about the good things here and let people experience the art of distilling in a fun and exciting way.”
