The Gin Kitchen Distillery Tour

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After stumbling around Dorking for a while I eventually found the distillery at the back of The Spotted Dog pub where I met Helen Muncie (a co-owner along with Kate Gregory) and her two trusty Lieutenants, Meg and Emma. The Gin Kitchen is in reality a brick outbuilding tucked off the side of the smoking area of the pub; an unprepossessing home to an increasingly lauded pair of craft gins. The sign hanging on the door provided an early indication of the levity within: ‘Licence to Distill’.

The Gin Kitchen
 
Their story started a few years back. Kate and Helen were avid gin drinkers before the gin renaissance, but when this started to gain momentum they thought it would be a great idea to try their hand. They both work in the aeronautical industry and put their love of research and development into a search for a gin they would be excited to drink. After much experimentation they came up with Dancing Dragontail, a gin they and their friends loved. Their initial budget was to invest the amount they both spent on gin in a month; a sense of diplomacy stopped me asking how much that was.
 
The Gin Kitchen
 At this point word of the gin distillation was spreading round Dorking and, bizarrely, the local butcher asked them to develop a gin that would complement his famous Reuben’s House Rub. I kid you not; this was to be a winter gin made with fresh lime zest, thyme, ginger and allspice. The botanicals were sourced worldwide, quality taking preference over local provenance. Grain spirit from Italy, Juniper from Croatia, allspice from Jamaica, and so the search went on with experimentation and sampling a plenty until all parties were happy. So, once licences were sorted, the first gin off the production line in 2016 was Gutsy Monkey.
co-founder Kate

co-founder Kate

 
After Gutsy Monkey was so well received it was back to their first love for The Gin Kitchen, Dancing Dragontail. Named after a small butterfly native to the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia, the idea for this gin was to capture the essence of summer in a bottle.  Aromatic cardamom, citrus and unusual roots were combined to give a sweet warmth; to complement the gin a local friend and artist, Helen Sweeting was commissioned to paint a butterfly garden that they could use on the label. Dancing Dragontail was launched in May at Fortnum & Mason after Helen and Kate ambushed the spirits purchaser and persuaded them to try the gin; it was immediately accepted and now sits proudly in the food hall.
 
Co-founder Helen
Co-founder Helen
The Gin Kitchen

I have often pondered the question, what defines a craft gin? After a recent visit to The Gin Kitchen I think I now know; for me they encapsulate the true essence of the craft gin movement. A small batch quality product made with love, laughter and for fun.

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