Drinking a quality London dry gin offers many benefits for luxury-minded drinkers looking for something special and unique to enjoy on special occasions or just when relaxing at home after work. Since they don't contain any added sugars or artificial flavourings, these types of gins tend to be less cloying than their sweeter counterparts—a great option if you don't care for overly sweet spirits—and they pair well with tonic water or other mixers since they're not too sweet on their own. Distilling London Dry Gin in Devon This dreamy, spiced apple spirit used to be made in the rafters above The Fat Pig pub in Central Exeter. Opened initially by Hamish Lothian, not only was it the UK’s first commercial micro-distillery, he also distilled Exeter’s very first gin. Exeter Gin is a family-run business operating in the seaside town of Teignmouth, on the outskirts of Exeter who also own Granny Garbutt's Gin Distillery. Both Gins are based on heritage and have won a number of awards; Exeter Gin tells the story of the city’s rich history and uses botanicals relating to the roman era whilst Granny Garbutt's Gin reflects the family’s life in the 1920s. Exeter Gin contains a gin school in which you can experience a tour and tasting, or even make your own gin with their help of their knowledgeable distillers. Devon Rum, S alcombe Karen Skerratt opened a pop-up gin bar in Exeter after a successful foray into the street food market sector. Through talking with customers and some market research, she identified a great need in the market for a local gin and thus established, Exeter Gin. After tasting Devon Gin, Hamish brings out a second gin not yet labelled so the cloudiness is clearly visible through the clear glass bottle. Cloudy Gins are not uncommon as the botanicals are full of essential oils (in particular the juniper berries and citrus peels) these oils dissolve during distillation and are held in the ethanol solution, when water is added (during the cutting process) the oils drop out of the solution causing a milky cloud, this is known as louching. Many distillers will try to avoid louching by controlling the botanicals or filtering (which can cause loss of delicate flavours) instead Hamish has embraced the louche effect and named this gin ‘Ghost’ – great! A cloudy spirit called Ghost is pretty inspired. The mere fact the recipe has double the juniper of his Devon Gin obviously contributes to the cloudiness, this recipe also includes liquorice and green anise, he explains that he’s still fine tuning it but I know this is going to be a sure hit.

If you want to create a truly unique luxury experience for yourself—or for someone special—consider learning how to make your very own bottle of London Dry Gin in Devon at the Exeter Gin School. It’s run by George Nightingale, who also owns Spoken restaurant in Exmouth– which is one of my favourite places to eat in the town! While it’s an organised tour, it’s quite a relaxed affair, with lots of opportunities to ask questions about making gin and vodka and, of course, the chance to try their range of drinks. Make your own gin

The distiller will be on hand to advise about the perfect match of botanicals, but you’re free to use your own creative licence here, just like all gin distillers do! Here’s some more information about private hire at the distillery. Where is the Exeter Quayside Distillery?

This is followed by Hamish’s ‘Apple Pie Moonshine’, another intensive process which Hamish admits has taken many months to perfect, the base spirit is grain alcohol which is blended with apple juice concentrate, apple syrup, demerara sugar and cinnamon. The process can’t be rushed therefore production is very time consuming but the result is a real crowd pleaser, one sip and you are hooked. Experience brings confidence and confidence delivers style which is how I would describe his range – stylish! The original recipes have all been refined and have become more polished including his Bad Fagin’s Devon Gin which is very smooth, the spices are warming and the fresh orange on the finish is intense. This experience lasts 90 minutes and includes a welcome gin and tonic, an introduction to distilling and the opportunity to create your own unique gin with ingredients from their extensive botanicals list. The initial burst of juicy apple greets the taste buds, followed by the gentle warmth of cinnamon and nutmeg that lingers on the tongue. The Gin Nest is a gin school based in Torquay where you can create your own gin using a traditional copper pot still. During their sessions you’ll also learn about the history of gin, the different methods to make it and how different botanicals can change the flavour. Papillon Gin, MoretonhampsteadHere, the master distillers create their own gin and vodka, infused with unique flavours, and offer guests gin experiences including make-your-own gin classes! As we learned about this experience, our distiller advised “there is no such gin as the best gin in the world. Every palate is different”. Gin school is seriously in session for this next experience. If touring around the distillery isn’t enough, you can also make your own gin!

To ensure their rum meets the highest standards, Hattier Rum use only the purest water supply, which comes from Dartmoor and is bottled at the source. Hattiers rums are an independent and family-owned rum distillery who create exceptionally blended rum to be enjoyed by those who love the spirit and by those who are new to it. TORS Vodka, Okehampton Devon is known for many great things, from our stunning coastlines to the traditional Devonshire cream teas. It’s also known for our vast selection of locally produced alcohol. Throughout the region, we have lots of independent and unique distilleries who lovingly produce sensational gins, vodkas and rums. Discover the distilleries of South Devon below. Dartmoor Whiskey Distillery, Bovey Tracey Spread out over the ground floor, the Exeter Quayside Distillery bar is a fantastic place to chill out in. Rum producers Two Drifters are an environmentally friendly and carbon negative distillery based in an aircraft-style hanger near Exeter airport. It started off being a brewery and a distillery but due to popular demand, they converted all their equipment to creating delicious-tasting rum. Copper Frog Distillery, ExmouthNestled on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, Dartmoor Whiskey Distillery are Devon’s first and only single malt whiskey producer and pride themselves on producing unique, excellent tasting whiskey from every barrel. Using the finest local ingredients and fresh Dartmoor spring water, each bottle is made using a single malt and is aged in an individual cask for unique flavour and colour. They also welcome customers to visit the distillery for one of their Whisky Tasting Experiences, available every Saturday. Exeter Gin, Teignmouth This is why they decided to introduce make-your-own gin experiences, enabling people to use a fusion of botanicals to create their own unique gin.

Exeter – a city full of fabulous food and drink, addictive culture, picture-perfect spots and exciting activities. This makes it a city PERFECT for a hen and stag do!

Relax with a spa day

Whether you prefer traditional gin or London dry gin, there’s no denying that both styles offer something unique when it comes to taste and flavour profile. By understanding the differences between them—including their origins, ingredients, and production methods—you can better appreciate each one for what it has to offer. It's important to understand the subtle differences between regular gins and those made according to strict English standards so that you can make an informed decision when selecting your next bottle of this classic spirit. Interested to learn more? If you’re in the middle of planning a special group getaway look no further than Exeter – we’ve put together the best activities in our city. We guarantee these will be crowd pleasers! This story inspired Karen and her family to use botanicals used by the Romans and celebrate Exeter’s heritage. Tasting Note Possibly one of Exeter’s most infamous locally made spirits, Rob Lothian has donned his lab coat once again to produce his flagship Apple Pie Moonshine.