This 2 day distilling course at the weekend combines looking in detail at the history and the different syles of gin along with the practical insights of shadowing and working with a Master Distiller on their craft still over a day to see in practice how gin is distilled commercially. Over the 2 days there are opportunities for sampling and tasting of the gin so a limited amount of alcohol consumption can be expected on both days to add to your understanding of the flavour profiles of gin.

This distilling course is ideal for anybody who is interested in Gin and how the different flavours and styles of gin can be created in the distilling process.  It will also be useful for somebody considering setting up their own craft gin distillery to understand what is involved in creating a gin recipe and then going on to distill it commercially in a craft distillery.  It is the perfect introduction to our longer 5 day Practical Commercial Distilling Course.

Day 1 - Gin Distilling & Gin Tasting Course

Under the guidance of our Master Distiller and tutor Jamie Baxter you start the weekend by delving back into the history of gin together with exploring the different gin styles and their specific flavour characteristics.  On the day Jamie will use the small 1.5 litre alhembic still to distill the gin that the group has jointly developed during the morning session.

In the afternoon we focus on gin cocktails and look at some of the classic gin cocktails, their history and how they are made with the opportunity to taste small samples of them during the cocktail making process.

Day 2 - Distilling With A Craft Distiller

On the 2nd day we venture out to a small craft distillery Dancing Anchor Distillery in Derbyshire to follow your tutor David Hemstock their Head Distiller during a full commercial distillation of gin on their 100 litre craft distillery.  As well as following the distiller you will also have an opportunity to have a go on one of the smaller development stills at producing your own gin which you will then label and bottle before taking home at the end of the day.

The day start with the Head Distiller showing how they set up and prepare the Still for the distilling process.  During the day will frequently return to the main still at critical parts of the process to see how David operates the still and makes the critical decisions on when to choose the cuts to give this multiple award winning distiller the flavour profiles he is looking for in his gins.  During the day our distiller will show you all the checks and systems he uses to ensure that the distilling can occur both safely and efficiently.

As well as your own unique hand crafted gin to take home you will also take home a small bottle of the Dancing Anchor gin to sample at your leisure.

The course includes lunch on both days an all the notes will be provided by Brew-School

Course times : approximately 9.30 - 5.00