years of gin from the heart of G od’s Own Countr y

From the love of a quality gin on a Friday evening, shared with thousands of people on social media, a fast-growing drinks company that has been through dizzying highs and devastating lows is celebrating its 10th anniversar y.

Masons of Yorkshire produce gin and vodka from God’s Own Country and the brand is becoming famous worldwide And it all began with Karl and Cathy Mason who 13 years ago set up a Facebook page merely to post a photo of their favoured tipple of a Friday evening, along with tasting notes and comments

“ We never intended it to be anything more than that says Karl But it was an open group so anyone could see it and join in And other people started commenting and posting their own pictures of their drinks

We ended up with 30 000 followers and had the biggest social media presence for gin, purely by accident!”

As Karl and Cathy ’ s fame as gin connoisseurs grew, they would get sent samples by companies which slowly set them on the road to musing, “ What if ?”

Karl worked for a publishing company producing careers magazines for school leavers while Cathy worked in SEN at a local school in Bedale North Yorkshire But one evening, tasting a gin, they wondered if they couldn’t do better, and make the perfect gin for their tastes

So, rather fittingly on World Gin Day 2013, Masons of Yorkshire was born

The plan was to start small, and they found a distillery able to produce around 120 bottles until they bought their own equipment They thought they might sell a few through a friend who owned a wine shop and deli

They ended up selling 120 bottles in their first week alone, and knew they had a hit on their hands Eight months later their own still arrived and quickly moved to larger premises in Bedale, and started turning out 360 bottles a day

The ethos of Masons of Yorkshire is very simple: “Since the beginning, we set out to create a different gin, not just a different label We know that how we make our gin is exceptional but putting it into words isn’t easy

“But here at Masons, we do things differently It’s what sets us apart from the rest

We don t follow fads no pink or flavoured gins just quality

“From every botanical that goes in the still, every drop of gin produced, every label applied and every phone call answered this is the Masons Way It s the mantra we live by

“Masons was born of quality, which is a value we will never change That’s why every batch of Masons gin produced we have a tasting panel who are responsible for ensuring the quality never waivers

“Gin, as it should be ”

The company continued to grow, both in stature and reputation and then on 2 April 2019 disaster struck

Karl and Cathy were alerted by a phone call that their business premises was on fire Eight people were working inside at the time, and all got out safely With the amount of alcohol in the place it could have been a huge disaster In the end, no one was injured, but the distillery was totally destroyed

Still, Karl and Cathy were not going to let that be the end of their dream So they set up shop in their own house and kept the business going with a little help from their friends

As they wrote at the time: Following our disastrous fire at the distillery on 2nd April (how we wish it had just been an April fools), life has been a rollercoaster here at Masons Yorkshire Gin

We ve had offers of help from distillers nationwide bacon sandwiches courtesy of Bedale Golf Club flowers from the team at Fever-Tree stationery from Wessex Foods, and office furniture from the lovely people of Bedale

“However, the biggest prize has to go to our fantastic staff the team are showing no sign of slowing down they ’ ve tackled each hurdle that’s come their way to continue with their passion of producing Masons Yorkshire Gin

After spending a week all working from our dining table at home, we ’ re now based out of a temporary office in Bedale Hall, where it’s all hands on deck! We’ve even got Mousey the dog giving us a hand in the office, and picking rubbish out of the bins!

Of course, they had barely recovered from that when the Covid pandemic hit, and as soon as that eased the problems caused by the war in Ukraine, soaring energy prices and the general cost of living hit

But nothing was going to stop Masons of Yorkshire

Now celebrating their 10th anniversary, they are stronger than ever with their gins available in most of the major supermarkets as well as independent retailers, airport duty-free shops and more

They marked their decade in business with a special anniversary gin: A limited edition gin that takes us back to the very essence of what made us fall in love with

this beloved spirit – juniper

With only 2,000 bottles available, each numbered and presented in a beautifully copper-foiled detail presentation box this gin is a true collector s item allowing loyal Masons supporters to own a piece of their remarkable history

As Karl explains it: “At the heart of Masons of Yorkshire s 10-year anniversary gin lies the soul of the spirit itself – juniper To ensure a harmonious blend of flavours, the juniper is distilled in three unique ways: pot still, vapour basket, and vacuum distillation By employing these distinct methods we aim to extract all the diverse notes and unleash the true potential of the berries remarkable flavour profile ”

And while their gins might have won a clutch of awards Karl and Cathy aren t content to rest on their laurels turning their expertise to vodka as well

They say, in true poetic Masons style: “ With the belief that not all vodkas are made equal and with an absolute determination to create a range of world beaters , we embarked on a painstaking process to produce three vodkas of unparalleled quality

“Sourcing only the best ingredients and with a distillation process that took years to refine we have crafted a range of the most pure, smooth and moreish vodkas that are beautifully balanced, perfect over ice, in long drinks or as a base for your favourite cocktail

They say the proof is in the pudding and that can be seen in our array of awards that we ’ ve collected in the last year, scooping prestigious wins for all three

vodkas at The International Spirits Challenge 2022

With a Gold award for Masons Classic Vodka, Double Gold for Masons Espresso Vodka, and a Silver for Citrus Vodka Masons say their vodkas are not only proudly British but they re of the highest calibre

And the magic behind the Masons success story? Fans can see what it is for themselves with the company s gin and vodka experiences

Learn the art of distilling, develop your senses with a guided tasting of the range or join the Masons for a sophisticated cocktail evening where you will learn the coveted art of mixology

They now also offer bespoke and private group bookings where customers can design their own experience

It s certainly been a rollercoaster of a decade says Karl But we are extremely proud of what we ve built and of all the people who’ve joined us on this journey ”

And what a journey it’s been, from Friday night gins shared with a growing number of fellow enthusiasts on Facebook You will still find Karl and Cathy enjoying a drink as the week ends but this time with the satisfaction of knowing that millions of aficionados across the world are doing the same but with gin with the Masons name proudly emblazoned on the bottle www.masonsofyorkshire.com info@masonsofyorkshire.com