LoneWolf London Dry Gin 70cl 40% ABV - Made by BrewDog Distilling Co in Scotland - Lavender and Citrus Notes with a Fierce Juniper Backbone

Product Information

This will then form the basis of our vodka and gins, and where others buy in neutral spirit in bulk, we will distil everything from scratch. The head of our distillation team Steven Kersley is now dialling in our gin recipe using the 50 litre pilot still, with over 30 different botanicals for trial, building up the flavour complexity until the blend and ratios are perfect. Installation of our distillery is happening right now, and following tests of everything from the operational side to the water we will be using, we hope to be ready to produce our first batches of BrewDog spirit at the start of April. Equity Punks, if you’re attending the AGM on the 9th you may well get to try some highly exclusive trial batches! (We’ll say no more for now). All of this care and attention delivers a citrus rush – led by grapefruit – almost as distinctive as the St Austell Brewery’s Proper Job ale, but rapidly releases a range of other flavours, including almonds, coriander and cardamom. Like the French QVT gin we covered recently, lavender puts in an aromatic appearance to complement the thrusting Tuscan juniper; all nuanced with pink peppercorns, Angelica and orris root. Kaffir lime, mace and lemongrass add further depths.

At BrewDog Distilling Company, we make LoneWolf gin from scratch using our own Abstrakt Vodka as the base spirit. Not many gin makers can make this claim, but to us it’s the only way to do it, because we believe that quality is the cornerstone of our DNA. Our distillation plan is also a key part of our Equity for Punks IV Boosted Benefits, with Spirits fans who invest being guaranteed a tiered level of rewards that money can't buy. The Lone Wolf Founders Club will give such perks as exclusive single-cask whiskies (that will not be available to anyone else), the chance to design, distil and bottle your own unique gin and even age your own entire barrel of Lone Wolf whisky.The resulting 97 % purity vodka is then given final clarification via a ‘demetheliser’ tower before the spirit gets infused with any of the dozen plus botanicals and is distilled again in smaller copper stills. A lengthy description of the production facility, given by Ginfoundry, reveals the staggering size of the set up that involves a three-stage distillation and purification process that could easily serve as a film set for a future James Bond movie – complete with some crazed genius intent on world domination. The process passes the 50:50 wheat and barley mash through an 11,000 litre, multi-bubble still resembling a giant hookah pipe, before rising through a second which, at 18 metres high is taller than a submarine’s conning tower. Immerse yourself in flavours of smooth Tuscan juniper, zesty lemon and grapefruit, floral lavender and a hint of pepper spice.

Integrity is also a lost art when it comes to the idealistic soulmate to Vodka. The rise of so-called craft Gin has been propelled by faux-artisans adding a twist of this, a handful of that to bulk spirit and bottling it up. Chance your arm and see what flies. Not anymore. V2 gin is a fabulous drop - an excellent balance of botanicals with the hint of lavender coming through at the end. I really like the spiciness that the pink peppercorns add. Nice and citrusy so makes an excellent G&T

On one branch, the unhurried world of whisky, playing off location and sentiment to maintain the Status Quo. On the other, sleight of hand rules the roost as the surge of gin and vodka is underpinned by those who bulk-buy industrial alcohol and have the temerity to add botanicals and label it ‘craft’.