In conjunction with
FROM SPUDS TO
CRISPS TO VODKA
After 20 years of farming potatoes, it was time for a new challenge
Chase Distillery
Chase Vodka and Williams Gin
2008
www.chasedistillery.co.uk
I
n yet another example of farming diversification, William Chase
turned two decades of experience as a potato farmer first into
the Tyrrells crisps line – still some of the best out there – and then
Chase Vodka, distilled in a 70-foot column. Light, peppery, and with
a nutty finish, it was recently named the world’s best vodka at the
San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Having set up Britain’s first
single-estate distillery, Chase then added Williams Gin to the empire,
blending the vodka with juniper berries, spices, citrus and almond.
SPIRIT
OF
EXCELLENCE
What’s your story?
As Tyrrells grew, William Chase was searching for the next step. In
2004, whist travelling in the USA looking for packaging equipment
for the crisps, he stumbled on a small distillery making potato vodka
and thought this would be a great new chapter to life. He could see
there was a market for a quality spirit sold with the provenance and
pedigree. Our Chase vodka is made from potatoes grown here on
our farm. This award-winning vodka is then redistilled with carefully
selected wild botanicals to make our gin.
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What local ingredients do you use?
We have a very strong field-to-bottle ethos. We start by mashing up
our potatoes and apples, which are all harvested from the fields and
orchards surrounding our farm. Apples are sweet enough to ferment
naturally, but we add brewer’s yeast to the potato mash to help it along
the way. After about a week, we’re left with a low alcohol wine. We put
the low alcohol wine from this stage into our bespoke copper batch
pot and wait patiently as it’s distilled four times here in our rectification
column. The column is the tallest of its kind in the world! At this point
the spirit has reached the dizzying heights of 96% abv and is well on
its way to becoming Chase Vodka.
What makes you better than the
established brands?
We are Britain’s first single-estate distillery. That means everything is
done here on the family farm in Herefordshire. In 2010 we won World ’s
Best Vodka at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition
that also saw us win a Double Gold for our GB Gin earlier in the year.
Classic Gin
and Tonic
50ml Williams GB Gin
Top up with tonic water. Build
over lots of ice, and garnish with a
ginger slice and lemon wedge.
Great Chase
37.5ml Chase Vodka
12.5ml Chase Elderflower Liqueur
3 parts soda
Method
Build all the ingredients over ice in a wine glass.
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon. Garnish with a
lemon wedge.
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