Kentish Express Ashford & District - What's On
CHIN CHIN FOR GIN
Castle’s birthday gin
As part of celebrations to mark Leeds Castle’s 900th anniversary in 2019, Angela Cole followed preparations for a one-off limited edition gin from picking to distillation at the Copper Rivet Distillery
Pine needles, rosehips and figs - they could all be going into your glass next year.
But don’t worry if you think you might struggle to down them, as they will all be beautifully infused into a limited edition gin, just 900 bottles of which will be made.
Carefully selected and picked from the glorious gardens surrounding Leeds Castle, the botanicals chosen for the Motte & Baillie gin to commemorate Leeds Castle’s 900th anniversary next year will be in the expert hands of the team at the Copper Rivet Distillery in Medway for just over two weeks, creating the brew. Chosen for their flavours and significance to the historic estate - dubbed the “loveliest castle in the world” - the sweet fig from castle Island, floral rosehip from the Culpeper Gardens and pine from the Lady Baillie Mediterranean Terraces will be dried naturally before being infused. Gardener Sam Weisbauer said: “We really definitely wanted rose to be in there, but as we couldn’t have the Leeds Castle rose, rosehips were chosen. As soon as it was mentioned I could think of lots of things which we could use. We tried to pick things which summed up Leeds, but that went together. I am really excited to try it.”
Head distiller Abhi Banik, who has created the one-off recipe, admitted the figs had thrown the team a curve ball to begin with. “They have been quite exciting to work with as we hadn’t used them before and we didn’t know how they would behave. Once we had an understanding of them, we were able to create the recipe.” The small team at the Copper Rivet, which has only been open some two years but now receives 15,000 visitors a year to the Victorian Pump House No 5, will work closely on the gin as it is milled, mashed and fermented, working its way through their stills - named Sandy, Joyce and Janet after family members. Run by Bob Russell and sons Matthew and Stephen, the process is hands-on. Gemma Wright from the castle said: “We wanted to create something local and very special for our 900th anniversary.”
The Motte & Baillie gin is just part of the Leeds 900 celebrations throughout 2019. Marking the year Robert de Crevecoeur built the first stone castle on the estate, they include a special fanfare in the castle’s honour, to be debuted at the Classical Concert in the summer and composed by Tom Hodge. There will be a new Knights’ Stronghold playground for children, and adventure golf course, as well as a children’s storywriting competition, judged by broadcaster Clare Balding, which will culminate in the winners coming to see a time capsule buried on the estate.
There will also be a striking 900 flowerbed.
The centrepiece of the celebrations will be a Carnival of History, which will be held on Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28, when there will be a parade and display of several hundred elaborately costumed re-enactors who will take visitors through nine centuries of history in a riot of colour. Visitors will be able to come and join the procession, which will wind its way around the estate parkland, and culminate in a finale with a soundtrack written specially and canons firing confetti. The castle will also be the official face of Kent Crisps’ salt and vinegar with Biddenden Cider during the year.