Pioneering
spirits
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In rural Wiltshire a single estate distillery is creating an innovative range of cocktail heroes with all the magic ingredients at hand –
from pure well water to homegrown wheat
ook closely at a gracefully curved bottle of Ramsbury Single
Estate Gin or Vodka and you’ll find a subtle but intriguing detail…
some map coordinates on the label.
They reveal the location of the very field which produced the grain that went into making the individual bottle you are enjoying. And the back of the label features beautifully drawn artwork of the estate.
These stylish touches encapsulate the field-to-glass philosophy helping one of Britain’s most exciting and innovative producers bring its delicious, award-winning spirits to life.
Today, the story of a product’s origin and authenticity is everything, and Ramsbury Single Estate’s is second to none.
Unlike most gin and vodka makers, Ramsbury produces the Single Estate Spirits entirely on its 19,000-acre Wiltshire estate in the beautiful, rolling North Wessex Downs.
Ramsbury’s farming team sow and grow 100 per cent of the wheat themselves. They use water sourced from the estate to create their spirits with state-of-the art technology in their own distillery, adding botanicals to give the gin its distinctive flavour – among them is homegrown quince.
And in a world where paying attention to the environment is crucial, traceability and sustainability are at the heart of the operation, with waste products reused on the estate in an impressive closed loop system.
So how does the process work? We’ve gone behind the scenes to discover the unique way Ramsbury Single Estate Gin and Vodka are created in a fascinating “eco bubble” to deliver a superior taste. And we find out how the passionate team behind the products are not only masters of their art, but also see themselves as custodians of the land…
L
Each bottle contains 1.1 kilos of wheat.
Step 1
Growing the wheat
Most gin and vodka makers in the UK source the base alcohol for their products from elsewhere. For the Ramsbury team, however, production of the Single Estate Gin and Vodka begins with specially selected Horatio and Spotlight wheat grown on their own land, which will in turn become the grain used to make the spirits. “Because we use all our own products in the production process, we are able to produce very high quality, smooth vodka and gin using our carefully selected wheat and very pure chalk-filtered water,” explains Ramsbury group manager Alistair Ewing. The wheat, grown on land fertilised using manure from the estate’s own cattle, is carefully harvested by the farmers on the ideal day destined to produce the finest end product.
Hover to find out more about Ramsbury’s wheat…
All the grain used for Ramsbury Single Estate Gin and Vodka comes from fields on the estate where Horatio and Spotlight wheat have been chosen for their special characteristics. Horatio wheat, often used in biscuit making, has been chosen for the flavour it will eventually add to the drinks, rather than for the yield per field. Master distiller Tibor Horvath explains: “We tried all sort of varieties, but the wheat we use gives us that distinctive creamy, sweetish flavour which we were looking for, and is something we can grow ourselves. There are other types of wheat that might give you better yield per hectare, but for us it’s about quality versus quantity.”
The wheat…
Milling the grain
Step 2
Once harvested, the grain from the wheat is placed in ten-tonne silos, then goes into the estate’s milling shed, which is right next to the on-site distillery. Here it is hammer milled into a grist, or rough flour.
Mashing
Step 3
Next the flour goes into the 3000-litre mash tun where it is mixed with water. Signalling the vision of sustainability behind Ramsbury Single Estate Spirits, the water used throughout the process is sourced from an ancient aquifer 195 metres down. This is purified through UV filtration.
It’s then step-heated from 52 degrees Celsius to 62 degrees Celsius in order to break down the starch and convert it into sugars for the distilling process.
Once the starch conversion to sugar is finished the mash is cooled down to about 30 degrees. Yeast is added and then it goes into 7000-litre fermentation vessels. The yeast starts working on the sugar and turns it into alcohol, which takes about three to five days.
The 'beer
stripper'
Step 4
The mash is now ready for the first part of the distilling process. It goes into the top of the beer stripper, which separates the alcohol from the water by heating it to 103 degrees. The “low wine” alcohol produced, which is 80 to 85 per cent ABV, evaporates off and is collected in a condenser. This whole process takes about seven to eight hours. Meanwhile the water and solid travel down the column but not a bit of this is wasted: high in protein, it will eventually be used to feed the estate’s highland cattle – meat from which appears on the menu at Ramsbury’s own pub and restaurant, The Bell, in Ramsbury village.
One mashing day alone produces 3000 bottles
– from 2.2 tonnes of wheat.
The Pot
still
Step 5
The low wine is diluted to 35 per cent using water from the estate’s 195 metre-deep borehole, and then heated again in the pot still where the alcohol will evaporate.
The
Rectification
Column
Step 6
The 1,600-litre pot still is connected to the rectification column and the alcohol vapour rises up in two towers. The column has 43 copper distillation plates, which have a role in helping remove undesirable compounds. It will stay in here for around eight hours to be distilled into stronger alcohol. Finally, it will go through a stainless steel demethylising tower to remove any impurities left behind to produce a 96 per cent ABV base alcohol – this is the natural grain spirit used in Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka and Gin. And it is at this point that production for the vodka and gin separates.
Adding the botanicals
Step 7
To make Ramsbury Single Estate Gin, nine botanicals are now added to the spirit to give the drink its unique flavour. These must first be steeped in the base spirit for 12 hours. Dried juniper, cinnamon, liquorice, oris root, dried lemon peel, dried orange peel, angelica and coriander are added. Most important of all is the fresh quince, which is picked from the estate’s own orchard. This completes a blend of botanicals that serves up a modern twist on a classic London dry gin.
Gin
distilling
Step 8
The mixture is now re-distilled in a 450-litre gin still giving an 80 per cent gin concentrate. This is then blended to 40 per cent using water from the estate.
Bottling
Step 9
Once the production process is complete, the gin and vodka are bottled using recyclable glass and labelled on site. From milling to bottling takes around 12 days of expert craft and care. And sustainability is always at the heart of the process. Fallen trees from the estate are used in the biomass boiler that heats the stills, while wastewater from the distilling process is funnelled back to Ramsbury’s lake using reed beds for natural filtration, helping wildlife to flourish.
The team behind Ramsbury Single Estate Gin and Vodka see themselves not just as producers of quality spirits, but as custodians of the land, driven by the motto “grow everything, waste nothing”.
Drinking
Step 10
Of course, the best part of the process is enjoying the finished product, and global brand ambassador Mikul Kalyan reveals some of the secrets of how to deliver the perfect gin and tonic serve using Ramsbury Single Estate Gin. He says: “Summer is the perfect time to celebrate with a cocktail, whether you’re at home or alfresco socialising with friends. Ramsbury Single Estate Gin is the perfect spirit as the freshness, taste and aroma provide the ideal base for any modern or classic cocktail.”
He recommends using a wide-rimmed glass: “Choose one you can really get your nose into, to smell the nuances.”
It’s also important to have a full glass of ice – and large pieces of ice are key. Mikul adds: “The bigger the cube the less water dilution you get because there’s more surface area on those ice cubes.”
Mikul advises a ratio of two or three parts tonic to one part spirit, to make sure you’re getting the full flavour of the gin, and says the right garnish is important too: “For the perfect Ramsbury Gin and Tonic, a slice of fresh green lime is ideal to provide a citrus hit, to give it that extra nuance of flavour and crispness, while a slice of green apple brings out that quince note to really open up those floral aromas.”
Thinking carefully about pairing your drinks with the perfect food as they do with the dishes at The Bell, the estate’s 300-year-old coaching inn which has proved a huge hit with guests, is also a good tip.
Mikul says: “All cocktails can pair well with the right food. Our Ramsbury Single Estate Gin and Tonic pairs well with a comté cheese and dried apricots and our vodka martini pairs perfectly with a gouda cheese as well as dark chocolate.”
Of course, the pairings are endless and you will have lots of fun finding your favourite – especially if Ramsbury Single Estate Spirits are in the mix. Expand for some of Mikul’s Signature Serve recipes using Ramsbury Single Estate Gin…
Mikul’s Signature Serve recipes using Ramsbury Single Estate Gin…
Hover to find out more about
Ramsbury Single Estate VodkA
The final process in the making of Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka is to dilute the spirit to bottle strength, again using chalk-filtered water from the estate’s bore hole to produce a smooth, rich vodka with distinctive vanilla tones and a sweet and delicate bouquet. Master distiller Tibor Horvath explains: “What makes our craft vodka unique is its special taste derived from our variety of wheat.” Ramsbury Single Estate Spirits global brand ambassador Mikul Kalyan adds: “Our vodka is distinctively smooth. It’s really creamy and buttery – you get a lot of vanilla and notes of chocolate too.”
The Vodka…
Savour the taste for yourself with one of Ramsbury’s fabulous cocktail recipes
Ingredients:
50ml Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka;
30ml Espresso;
15ml Ramsbury Estate runny honey;
Pinch of sea salt
Garnish:
Grated nutmeg
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Classic Vodka
Espresso Martini
The fresh quince…
The quince, sourced from the estate, adds something rather special to Ramsbury Single Estate Gin according to global brand ambassador Mikul Kalyan: “This unique botanical in our drink is grown on our estate right next to the distillery, which is why we can add it fresh. Quince has a long history within Britain, with cultivation dating back to 1275; all the more reason to use quince in Ramsbury Single Estate Gin, due to its distinctive aroma and taste, as well as the history it holds.When added to the gin quince provides a delightful surprise, with an aromatic kind of flavour. It helps give our gin hint of sweetness and a floral aroma that is fantastic on the palate.”
Ingredients:
50ml Ramsbury Single Estate Gin;
150 ml Indian tonic
Garnish:
1 slice of green apple;
1 slice of lime
Instructions:
Pour a measure of Ramsbury Single Estate Gin over ice cubes in a balloon glass. Top up with your favourite Tonic. Garnish with a slice of apple and a slice of lime.
Ramsbury Single Estate Gin & Tonic
Ingredients:
50ml Ramsbury Single Estate Gin;
25ml Aperol;
Fever-Tree Blood Orange Soda
Instructions:
Fill a balloon glass with large ice cubes, add all ingredients and top with Fever-Tree Blood Orange Soda. Garnish with an orange wedge
Montalto Spritz
Ingredients:
30ml Ramsbury Single Estate Gin;
15ml Elderflower liqueur;
90ml English Sparkling Wine.
Garnish:
Lemon ribbon
Instructions:
Add the gin and elderflower liqueur to a champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon ribbon.
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Master distiller Tibor Horvath
Master distiller Tibor Horvath, who has spent the last six years perfecting Ramsbury Single Estate Gin and Vodka, says the beauty of the operation is being able to oversee the whole distilling process from start to finish.
Using the estate’s own raw materials and the latest modern technology, closely monitored by himself and his team, Tibor gets the satisfaction of producing high quality spirt in a fully sustainable way.
He explains: “We are batch producing and the process is manually controlled in the sense that the distiller will decide when to proceed to the next stage to ensure the right quality. We’re constantly sampling, checking the ABV, the taste and so on.
“Those 43 copper plates in the distilling process are needed to be able to make natural grain spirit – and we use our own ingredients to make it from scratch.
“I know exactly where everything comes from, the fields of wheat are right next to the distillery. It’s a sustainable process and seeing exactly where everything that goes in to your bottle of spirit comes from is very rewarding.”
Follow Ramsbury
Ramsbury Single Estate Gin and Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka are available in Waitrose stores nationwide – RRP £33.50 (70cl)
Cinnamon
Coriander
ORANGE
quince
Oris
Why not go and try a delicious cocktail at the new 'Estate of Mind' terrace in collaboration with Albie at The Hoxton, Southwark. A delicious menu is available with special Ramsbury serves including a Cucumber and Elderflower Seltzer with Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka and a Peach and Basil Collins with basil-infused Ramsbury Single Estate Gin.
Why not go and try a delicious cocktail at the new Estate of Mind terrace in collaboration with Albie at The Hoxton, Southwark. A delicious menu is available with special Ramsbury serves including a Cucumber and Elderflower Seltzer with Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka and a Peach and Basil Collins with basil-infused Ramsbury Single Estate Gin.
AlbieLondon