The rumours are true - Heswall drinks so much gin that it had to open its own distillery! We jest of course, but it really is the case that we now have our own distillery right here in town, and they've burst onto the artisanal gin scene with a hyper-local Heswall Gin! We caught up with Jonpaul Stanhope and James White, founders, distillers, oh, and engineers...

What inspired you to start making gin?

It was a number of factors really. The two of us came together and starting talking about our careers so far and realised we both had a passion for creativity and a thirst to create something new. We are both now in our 40’s (only just!) and have experienced a great deal in our professional fields of mechanical engineering and marketing, but we have both been looking for something new, challenging and creative and in launching Sea Ridge Distillery, we believe we have found the perfect journey to explore!

We’ve launched with three London Dry Gins, each with a slight variation for different drinkers. All are inspired by where we live and our local surroundings, from local ingredients to label designs that capture the beautiful scenery.

How is your gin made?

All our gins are blended with our very own alcohol to ensure the quality and taste profile of the end product. This is a time-consuming process but something that we feel very strongly about as the time and effort gone into production has helped us create a unique grain to glass gin experience for our customers.

How did you choose the botanicals?

We love this part! It starts with lots of research into potential flavour profiles and we then quickly find ourselves foraging for ingredients. Once we’ve found our ingredients, it’s about testing, testing and more testing, a process that has to include the opinions of friends and family (or anyone who is willing).

What is your favourite thing about your gin?

I know we are biased, but we do love our gin. The combination and blend of our own grain to glass alcohol with carefully selected ingredients and botanics create a subtle and smooth finish. The smoothness really helps the flavours come through allowing you to enjoy again and again.

And the all important question - what is the best way to drink it?

Heswall is a more classic London Dry Gin, enjoyed with a bit of fruit and most tonic mixers. The fantastic blend of local botanicals provides a really smooth finish meaning it’s best enjoyed with just a splash of tonic.

At 38% ABV, Low Tide Gin is designed as a sipping gin which can be enjoyed straight over ice but is equally delicious with tonic and slice of orange, which brings out the citrus from the botanicals.

High Tide Gin is for the adventurous gin connoisseur who desires a higher strength experience. Best enjoyed with blueberries or raspberries and a good quality tonic.

Where can we buy your gin?

All three gins are now available at Whitmore & White in Heswall and here online on their website for collection in store or free local delivery!

Click here to explore the range.