DOWNTON DISPATCHES

You can now collect your bottle of Explorer’s Gin from Regent Tailoring in Salisbury, when you order online. Instead of having to wait for the postman at an inconvenient time,...

At the start of the month we celebrated our 1st anniversary by opening the doors to our Chalet at the Salisbury Christmas market, where it all started last year. It...

Last Sunday Olivier Ward of Gin Foundry presented ‘Explorer's Gin’ on Channel 4 Sunday Brunch. He spoke about Downton, Loch Ness and Batch Brew distilleries and what makes each distillery...

The Lee Valley Velodrome a bastion where athletes from across the globe come to compete. It’s here that feats of human endurance have been made, records have tumbled, and dreams...

The Gin Foundry started the original gin Advent calendar. It began one cold, dark winter night when they realised that no one made a gin-filled Advent calendar. To resolve the...

The Royal County of Berkshire Show holds a very dear place to my heart. It’s a county show that has both a rich and vibrant history dating back to 1909...

At the start of the year we shipped a bottle of to China to take part in our first ever competition. It never made it; the package was intercepted by...

This summer both Meike and I went on holiday to the Turkish side of Cyprus. Not having any expectations of what lay in store we were delighted to see both...

A recent article estimated that nearly 500 million disposable plastic straws are tossed into landfills every year, but DEFRA did a review in 2018 ‘straw wars’ and estimate the number...

Explorer’s has been awarded MASTER status at the Gin Masters Competition; this is one of the most prestigious competitions held within the industry. Explorer’s Gin was one of only two...

The grapefruit is a hybrid of sweet orange and pomelo, which is another gin botanical used by distillers. The grapefruit brings a light, zesty sweetness to the flavour profile. Facts...

The definition of 'zingy' is someone or something full of zest that is full of flavour and brings spark and life to something. This is exactly what the lemon does...

It's been a busy six months at Downton Distillery, and we have had the great pleasure in hosting events around the country and internationally! Our events have taken us to...

Muddy Stilettos recently reviewed artisan gins from around the country and recently informed their readership of the best regional artisan gins. We are proud to be within their top 33...

This week we are taking a look at a part of the show that truly defines the whole thing for us – our Bursary spot. Each year, we love to...

The following was written by the Gin Foundry team in 2019. Gin Foundry is now Spirits Beacon. It’s rare when we see a start-up with massive potential right off the...

Szechuan pepper provides the warmth and spice in Explorer’s Gin. It originated from China and has been used in culinary foods since the 14th century.  Most people will remember their...

Discover Western Red Cedar On the grounds of Downton Manor House grows a very old tree who reminds me of 'Tree Beard', an Ent who appears in the Lord of the Rings....

435 years ago, on 25th March 1584 Queen Elizabeth 1 presented Sir Walter Raleigh a royal patent to settle and colonise the new world at Westminster. That April the first...

The following article was created by the Gin Foundry team consisting of Leah, Emile and Olivier. The subject matter is around the term 'craft' and its meaning to you, the...

Pepper is a spice that originated from southwest India and has been the world's most traded spice. Pepper grows on a flowering vine and the different colours (except pink) are...

Explorer's Gin can now be found at Wilton House Café which is now being run by the wonderful Ministry of Food Hampshire family. On entering the Café to deliver the...

Ringwood is an old town that dates to 961 and its original name was Rimucwuda meaning 'town next to the wood'. This most likely refers to the New Forest. New...

To the south west of the New Forest lies the town of Christchurch. This town used to be part of Hampshire but in 1974 became part of Dorset. It's here...