Adnams Lomgshore Triple Grain Vodka

The word ‘craft’ is arguably bandied about with way too much enthusiasm these days, but the consumer is still engaged with the term and when associated with a spirit it still imbues a sense of integrity.

One criteria for craft spirits seems to be ‘independent’, there’s also a demand for small scale, and these are the trickier elements of the dialogue. But certainly, honesty matters, both in terms of the production when combining decent ingredients with a sound understanding of the methods; but also in terms of marketing, presenting you with a bona fide heritage – or at least not being hawked with a heavy load of hokum.

If you’re seeking spirits with a soul then, you’d do well to consider those being distilled at Adnams. Starting life as a brewery in 1872 Adnams launched a distillery in 2010, bringing a new craft element to their set up in Southwold, Suffolk. They broke a boundary as they did it. Having been told that a distillery couldn’t operate on the same site as a brewery due to duty regulations, they tested the legislation and made a solid case for their business.

At the heart of the concept was the idea they could take a beer from a brewery and bring it all the way through distillation to make their own spirit, and very few people in the world could achieve this field and grain to glass connection. It was a ‘learn on the job’ beginning for them all, John McCarthy a brewing engineer handed the reigns, plugging holes in the newly installed equipment as he put through the first run.

‘It was actually a lot easier than you might think,’ says McCarthy. ‘We had to take a course over in America, and admittedly I am a qualified engineer with the obvious brewing background, but I genuinely believe anyone committed to making their own spirit can do it if they put their mind to it.

‘I was inspired by the American craft beer movement. Over there a number of brewers have turned to micro distilling and they see it a natural extension of what they do. I travelled to parts of Europe and saw how they distil there and thought about how we could do it at Adnams.’

Underpinning the business is an ethos of sustainability so when Adnams was sourcing equipment it was important the distilling methods fitted an energy saving approach. This adds to those craft credentials.

Another ambition was to avoid emulating peers, which has certainly been achieved. Tucked away on the Suffolk Coast Adnams has always done its own thing. Creative juices bubble through the town of Southwold thanks to retreating Londoners and this ensures residents are never behind the curve. But it combines with a welcoming and nostalgic English seaside charm. Consequently, the branding is vivid and beautifully blends vintage with contemporary touches, and despite the obvious celebration of heritage, innovation remains at the core of the set up.

‘We have a proud tradition of independent brewing here and wanted to shape our own spirits,’ adds McCarthy. ‘We used the same 80-year-old yeast strain we have here and it was important to retain traditional elements like that. We also retained aspects of the brewing process and use the East Anglian malted barley we have in our beer. At the same time, we launched our ‘eau de beer’ and put it in barrels, which is maturing as whisky and we’ve had a go at everything from Limoncello absinthe.’

The limoncello continues to sell well, the absinthe was not a volume product – alas it never is – and with demand for the gin rising, it was apparent taking two days out just to clean the still after an absinthe run was not efficient use of time.

‘Of course, as soon as we discontinued the absinthe we had bartenders on the phone demanding it,’ John admits with a laugh.

Amongst the stars is the Copper House gin, which is refreshingly traditional but with a light modern touch – much like the Adnams set up and its production process is an insight into how the marriage of beer and gin flourishes.

The life of the gin starts with a wash, taking a fermented beer from the brewery without the hops, which is pumped through the beer stripping column and converted to low wines to around 80%abv. McCarthy takes this spirit and makes it a vodka, using a 40-plate rectifying still, separating heads, hearts and tails to get the spirit up to 96%abv. Then the base of the gin is ready, the natural grain spirit returns to the copper pot where botanicals are added for an over-night maceration, it’s reduced to 50% abv and distilled again the next day.

Those botanicals include, obviously, juniper, and this is a pleasantly juniper forward gin, and it is joined by orris root, cardamom pod, sweet citrus and coriander seed, with the sixth being the twist in the form of hibiscus.

Together they combine to deliver a fine blend of spice, pine, floral and sweetness. A gin that deserves to be trialed neat before you use it in cocktails – we love it in a dirty martini.

It has earned plenty of plaudits but its success hasn’t halted ongoing experimentation. Gin variations are on the agenda, the Copper House is one of two on regular runs, the other being First Rate, then there’s the rising Sun, with rye at the base and additional botanicals including lemon grass and matcha tea. More will undoubtedly follow as the distillery continues to flex its muscles.

‘What’s behind the craft distilling movement is an interest in making something ng new. Lots of people out there are searching for something with more character so there are customers ready to try a spirit and if you compare a product that has been hand crafted to a spirit that was mass produced then you’ll find it’s like chalk and cheese.

“Small batch just offers something a bit more special. And the beauty is you can come and see it all happening, we’ve had thousands of people through the doors since we opened. You can also have a go and making your own gin here and by doing that we enable bar professionals and food and drinks fans to experience the micro distilling movement first hand.’

The Longshore Vodka is distilled from a triple-grain mash bill of 60% East Anglian malted barley, 35% wheat, and 5% British oats.

The small batch distillation method uses authentic copper stills to produce a spirit that’s exceptionally clean, with remarkable depth of flavour.

Their carefully selected wheat and oats each add creaminess and texture to the naturally sweet barley. They do not filter this spirit as it means they can retain the intricate flavours of this unique vodka.

By adding wheat, it makes the spirit smoother, and oats make it creamier – both characteristics perfect for quality vodka.

In 2018, Adnams were awarded the IWSC Vodka Producer of the Year Trophy as testament to the quality of our products. That same year, the IWSC declared Longshore the best vodka in the world; the second time it’s won this prestigious award.