THE MAIDSTONE DISTILLERY TOUR :
LEGACY , HISTORY , STORYTELLING AND GIN !
YOU ’ D BE FORGIVEN FOR MISSING THE TOWN CENTRE HOME OF MAIDSTONE DISTILLERY . PURPOSEFULLY POSITIONED IN THE MARKET BUILDINGS JUST AWAY FROM THE MAIN DRAG , THE ARCHED ENTRANCE BELIES THE DEPTH OF PASSION , HISTORY AND FLAVOUR THAT LIES BEHIND THE DOORS . BY SAMANTHA READY
Established by husband and wife team , Darren and Sam Graves in 2018 – the former a massive whisky and gin fan , the latter an intriguing storyteller – their own passion for spirits combined with Maidstone ’ s intriguing gin-making history , sparked a distillery dream . They have now created their own gin legacy – which lucky gin-connoisseurs , Kentish history buffs and passing intrigue-ests can experience first hand on a distillery tour .
Venturing through the doors is like a grown-up version of entering Wonka ’ s chocolate factory ; gleaming copper stills , vapours and flavours of botanicals in the air , an air of magic in the bottling area , and lots of exciting things to taste !
And everything here has a story …
Visitors are first welcomed with an award-winning George Bishop gin & tonic in the industrial- luxe bar area . Named after the Maidstone pioneer and master distiller who created quality and worldrenown spirits in the town way back in 1785 , a sip of the inaugural gin in the carefully designed building – think painted brickwork , 18th Century arches and metallic touches to echo the copper still – is the first evidence of the depth of flavour , meaning and character that epitomises the distillery , and the itricancy and level of detail the founders have put into every step of the process .
First double G & T supped and the spirited fun begins in earnest . The iK team were thrust ( socially-distanced and covered in super strong hand sanitiser
– another perk of distilling with pure alcohol !) into the hands of the effervescent Lily .
Where Sam is the creator of stories ( even handdrawing the designs of the distillery ’ s small batch Ranscombe Wild gin !), Lily is the actor . Seemingly effortlessly – a testament to just how great a tour guide she is – Lily embarked on our incredible 90 minute tour …
There were history lessons , debauchery and tales of Mother ’ s Ruin , spun so well you could imagine every detail .
We were immersed in the sights , smells and tastes of botanicals .
Awed by facts , figures and the fascinating story of distilling in Maidstone that spans over 200 years .
Delighted by the pen left aside the small batch labels – for here every bottle has been hand numbered since conception !
We were intrigued by the processes , all , of course , drawn to the gleaming copper still that dominates the distillery floor .
But look beyond the obvious and there are nods to the legacy everywhere – the top hat perched on the coat stand in honour of George just one intriguing example for those keen to find them !
And that wasn ’ t all .
We were soon back at the bar for a tutored tasting session with founder Sam – a journey of discovery not only of depths of flavours and processes but , as importantly , of the inspiration behind them .
The tour finishes with a stop at the shop where lucky punters can still grab a limited edition first batch George Bishop , as well as a range of sizes of the George Bishop and the small batch Ranscombe Wild too – perfect for gifting alongside a distillery tour or gin making experience voucher !
Offering passionate storytelling , a first class customer experience , great memories and , of course , some damn fine gin , this is an experience not to be missed !
Tours start from £ 18pp , please see website for updated booking details .
The Maidstone Distillery Unit 5 Corn Exchange Market Buildings Maidstone ME14 1HP themaidstonedistillery . com
maidstonedistillery
* The insideKENT team visited outside of lockdown following all government guidelines .
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