7 minute read
Meet the Distiller | Manchester Gin
MEET THE DISTILLER
NO STANDING STILL
YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WAY IN THIS INDUSTRY WITH GREAT SPIRITS BUT WITH THAT, YOU NEED TO BE GENUINE IN YOUR APPROACH. CREATE THE DRINKS YOU TRULY WANT TO MAKE AND PEOPLE WILL REACT IN KIND. AND THAT’S EXACTLY THE ATTITUDE SEB HEELEY AND JEN WIGGINS INSTIL IN EVERYTHING THEY PRODUCE AT THE SPIRIT OF MANCHESTER DISTILLERY
Cracking open a beer, or pouring yourself a drink while chatting on Zoom, it’s just not the same is it?” Seb Heeley is, it’s safe to say, ready for hospitality to reopen.
After all, if it wasn’t for pubs, bars and restaurants, and the joy that they bring, he wouldn’t have met his partner Jen Wiggins. And for fans of great gin and
other fine spirits then that would have been a travesty on a whole different level because there would be no Manchester Gin, either.
For back in February 2013, Heeley and Wiggins would meet and bond over a passion for a great G&T.
Several years later, they took this love of this spirit into their own hands. Starting production from their Chorlton dining room, an initial run of just 100 bottles would go on to grow wildly beyond their expectations, with the duo selling close to 700 bottles a week by the end of 2016. Fast forward and the couple ended up producing 25,000 bottles from home, winning a raft of awards along the way. And with their new impressive Spirit of Manchester distillery, which opened in 2019, things have moved up a whole other level.
And while they enjoy creating a myriad of different spirits, gin remains that core passion for Heeley and Wiggins. They still enjoy drinking it just as they do making it.
“The great thing about gin is that you can actually taste what’s in the glass,” says Heeley. “When it comes to wine, you look at reviews that mention all manner of flavour and aromas that are difficult to pick up. But with gin, you can pick out the citrus, the fennel, for instance. You understand what you’re drinking.”
Wiggins adds: “Whether you have some nice gins at home, or you’re drinking in a bar, it’s easier to pick out flavour notes and because of that, you can feel that you have a real level of understanding of what’s in the glass.
“I feel that you are empowered to try different types of gin because there’s less uncertainty about what you’re drinking,
In addition to gin, the company has produced vodka and absinthe, among others. For Heeley, whose second favourite spirit is rum, the last year presented a great opportunity to innovate in this space.
“We knew there was space in our portfolio so we took the decision to produce a botanical rum, which we’ll launch soon,” he explains. “There is obviously a purist route where the liquid has been stilled and put into barrels, but I feel that there is a new wave, too.”
Heeley adds: “We’re on a constant journey learning which flavours work best together, and it’s a reason why gin is so hugely popular because people love distilling with these combinations and people enjoy drinking them.
“By adopting this approach to rum, we’ve taken everything we’ve learned about dealing with different botanicals and used that to enhance the the natural flavours of rum.”
So the consumer can soon enjoy a beautiful rum boasting flavours of fresh vanilla and fresh cacao.
“It’ll almost be a new type of category for rum but at the same time, we’re not going to be selling these for hundreds of pounds because they’ve not spent 20 years in a barrel. They’ve had barrel time but we’d be looking at retailing these more in the range of £26 or so,” he says. “Caribbean rum will always be the most prestigious because they have the right climate for its production. But in the UK, we have a huge distilling background to bring to the table, too”.
Heeley explains: “So we’re focusing on what the UK does well. We have no qualms about not being a Caribbean rum, so instead we are calling this a British botanical rum.
“It’s a case of being honest with ourselves and producing a spirit that we’re proud of. If it flies and succeeds then we’ll be really pleased. But at the end of the day, you can always sit back and say we’re proud of it regardless.
“And I think that’s got to be the starting point for us. We would never release something just because we think there’s a gap in the market. Instead, it’s something we’ve always wanted to do and I look forward to sharing it with everyone.”
While rum represents a new product line for the Spirit of Manchester team, the approach to drinks development remains constant. And that’s to make something the team enjoy.
“What we always say is to make something we love, and that’s ultimately how we started with gin,” explains Wiggins. “Our first product, Signature, was born out of the gins Seb and I love. So we spent three months creating a recipe, tasting all of the products we enjoyed. In doing so, we could understand the type of flavour profile behind our perfect gin.”
Signature Gin has become one of the most awarded gins in the country; made with local dandelion and burdock root and ten other specially sourced botanicals including orange, lemon, liquorice and ground almond.
It complements other releases such as Wild Spirit, a creamy, savoury gin with complex herbaceous notes. Inspired by walks through the woodlands of Manchester; the team took out the citrus and sweeter notes from their Signature gin and instead used sage, thyme, orris, lemon balm and silver birch.
Elsewhere there is Overboard, the team’s take on Navy Strength Gin which is a more intense version of the Signature blend. Cut at an impressive 57%, this is a delicious and vibrant gin, full of flavour and character. The higher ABV amplifies the citrus and intensifies the aromatic juniper.
“Gin is the first thing Jen and I ever spoke about. It’s the thing we fell in love with and the first product we ever made,” says Heeley. “And we’re making a rum because we want to make a rum. Yes there’s talk of rum being the next big thing but it’s not going to be, it’s going to be nowhere as big as gin.”
Wiggins adds: “Gin will always be at the forefront of our business, but there’s no point having these lovely shiny stills, these fantastic botanicals and this wealth of knowledge if you’re not going to do different things with it. There’s great joy to be had from experimentation.”
And that experimentation extends further than the upcoming foray into rum. The team previously produced a very small batch of Scandinavian spirit aquavit to be used as an in-house component for cocktails served at the distillery bar and restaurant, Three Little Words.
Sticking on the cocktail front, Heeley’s personal favourite is Corpse Reviver. Created with gin, absinthe, vermouth and lemon juice, the drink also requires the addition of triple sec. Considering they’ve already produced most of those, what better reason to produce your own Triple Sec?
“You just need to start growing your own lemons, now!” laughs Wiggins.
While the global pandemic has impacted the business, like so many others, Heeley and Wiggins are looking forward to welcoming visitors back to their Manchester distillery once more. And calling the city home is an important
Jen Wiggins and Seb Heeley: “We would never release something just because we think there’s a gap in the market.”
“I think people in Manchester aren’t afraid to experiment,” says Heeley. “Look at the music scene, and as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, you always think you can go out there and do something.
“We both like to eat and drink, and because the weather is often so bad, it makes sense to be creative indoors! There is a willingness and a passion from the people of Manchester to embrace the local. And that’s a great thing.”
But just because a product is local, doesn’t mean it suddenly flies off the shelves, either.
Heeley explains: “I think you get stocked the first time because you’re local, but you don’t get a second chance unless the flavour and quality is there.
“Our policy is promoting ‘Liquid to lips’ and we can only hope to achieve that if the drinks we are making are good enough for people to want them more than once.”
“A couple of years ago there was a huge uprising in gin where it was almost novel to have people making it in their bedroom or dining room,” adds Wiggins.
“I feel that this has almost faded away a little and now quality is the overriding expectation from the consumer and that’s only right. And it’s our responsibility to meet those expectations.”
Manchester Gin Signature has become of the most awarded gins in the country
