Gin has dramatically risen in popularity over the last 5 years. Gins brimming with their own distinct flavours have come out of counties across the country, presenting alternatives to the standard London gin.
Flavoured gin has also become a mainstay in bars across the world, as distilleries have begun to experiment with their recipes, adding flavours like orange, lemon and strawberry to their standard botanical mixes.
These exciting times for the gin industry may have you wondering about just how a gin distillery is started, and perhaps you’re finding yourself inspired to start your own distillery.
You can go down the route we did at Harley house, by opening a small batch distillery, handcrafting speciality gin inspired by your local area. Or you can become the next big gin brand, wherever you decide, this is how we began our gin distillery.
Where to start?
The first place to start is actually securing your funding. Gin distills are not cheap, with some of the cheapest equipment from well-regarded brands costing at least £50000, sometimes even costing a quarter of a million pounds. If you have the money set aside to do this, then great! But if not, and you’re still up for starting your new brand, then you may need to gain investment.
Distilling the gin
After you have acquired your distills, you are going to need to craft your recipe. Gin requires botanicals to give it its distinct flavours that set it apart from other alcohols. It will take a lot of trial and error to find the right recipe that sets you apart from all the other gin brands in the UK, and you will perhaps want to find something distinct to you, making your gin your own.
Registration, licensing and taxes
You are also going to need to register your distillery as a limited company, costing at least £20, and obtain a distillers licence before you sell any of your new creation to the public.
Start your brand
After this, and you have your recipe refined and ready, you can begin taking your gin to market. Or, you can simply enjoy your gin knowing that it is something you have created and made distinctly yours.
Whatever you decide to do with your new distillery, these are the steps to follow. Craft, small-batch distilleries are an amazing way to put a piece of you into an ever-expanding market, just take a look at what we’ve done with Harley House.
