Learn the art of gin distilling – an authentic, local Devon tradition - at the excellent Salcombe Distillery & Gin School a 10-minutewalk from the hotel. During your ‘gin lesson’, you’ll get to make your very own personalised bottle of 70cl gin in the laboratory, whilst learning about the traditional techniques. At the end of the lesson, you'll head to the distillery bar to sample your new gin with tonics and garnishes, whilst enjoying the view.

The chance to develop and distil a unique 70cl bottle of gin, choosing from over 100 botanicals, whilst enjoying a ‘Rosé & Tonic’.

The issue was settled. Salcombe Distilling Company was born, and gin would be its first endeavour. Salcombe Spirit That gin pennant, whipping in the sea breeze, is Howard and Angus’s way of saying that gin lovers are always welcome at their distillery, whether to have a drink in the beautiful bar, with its day-long light and view of the estuary, or to catch a glimpse at where the magic of distilling happens: on Provident, the 450-litre bespoke Arnold Holstein still that works just steps away. Setting Sail Another drink that I think really commends itself with this gin is the Gin and Tonic. Absolutely simple, but the coolness of this gin on ice with a hint of bitterness is stellar. Highly recommended. Overall Guests are responsible for making all of their own bookings with any third-party suppliers that we recommend. The Harbour Hotels accepts no liability for third party tours and supplies

He’d spent years researching the art of distillation and watching the craft distilling movement develop in the US, visiting his favourite distilleries to learn their secrets. But it was on an Easter business trip that he got serious. Built in the style of a boathouse on Island Street, Salcombe’s traditional centre of boat building, The Boathouse, as its called, houses Salcombe Distillery Company’s beautiful copper still behind floor-to-ceiling windows. When you think United Kingdom, you don’t often think “beachside resort town,” however, that is just what Salcombe is. Think the English Riviera. And I suppose that would make Salcombe Gin, the Riveria gin? If you don't want to do the lesson, you can instead sign up for a tutored talk, tasting, and tour of the production facilities. The details:The vibrancy and smoothness of Salcombe Gin warrants a closer look in a Martini, and I think the flavor profile is classic enough to warm the hearts of lifelong Beefeater or Tanqueray Martini drinkers, but with enough nuance to impress those who like the adventurous side of the gin world.

A tour of our distillery and a talk explaining how rum distillation works on our traditional copper pot rum stills. As he explains, “I was at a turning point in my career and had time on my hands to really think about what I wanted to do next in life. I wrote down why I wanted to start a distillery and a list of names of people who could potentially help me, and I set myself a goal that by Christmas this business would be heading in the right direction or I would forget about it entirely. Howard’s name was on that list.” As Angus explains, “It was perfect. We couldn’t believe that no one had thought of Salcombe Gin before. The two were a natural fit!”The palate is intensely flavored, with plenty of the classic notes from the nose, but also much more citrus and sweet spice. If you choose to buy a gift voucher for a lesson for two to share, your guests will share the bottle of rum they create. Not only was this the style that Angus and Howard preferred, but it also linked in with a key piece of Salcombe history. They started by developing very small batches on 2.5 litre stills, which are now used by students at the award-winning Salcombe Gin School, before moving up to a pair of 60 litre, flame fired, traditional copper Alembic stills. Angus and Howard named their larger stills Provident and Hoshi, after two of the Island Cruising Club sailing vessels on which they spent many summers sailing to the Channel Islands, France and beyond. Salcombe Gin is delightfully loud with resinous, piney, juniper notes. The top notes slowly dissipate revealing a more complex nose with hints of orange and lemon peel, coriander and a touch of spice laden creaminess and a faint floral whisper of lilac.