Hepple Gin

Hepple Gin emerges from England's remaining wild landscapes - specifically from Northumberland's moorlands, those haunting expanses that represent some of Britain's last authentic wilderness. This botanical source profoundly shapes the spirit's character. Rather than using exotics or commercially cultivated ingredients, Hepple draws inspiration directly from wild forage, creating a gin that tastes demonstrably of place. Intense green juniper provides the botanical foundation with unexpected freshness - juniper berries picked at optimum ripeness rather than stored and oxidised, contributing brightness rarely encountered in gin. Douglas fir contributes forest character and subtle sweetness, whilst savoury lovage offers herbaceous earthiness.

Bog myrtle and blackcurrant leaves provide moor-specific character - botanical signatures of the specific landscape where Hepple operates. The nose is immediately arresting - those green juniper aromatics suggest forest freshness and something almost minty, Douglas fir contributing wood and slight resinous warmth, whilst the blackcurrant and bog myrtle add subtle herbaceous complexity. The palate delivers remarkable intensity: this isn't a delicate spirit cowering behind botanical subtlety, but rather a gin that announces its character with confidence. The green juniper dominates with fresh, almost citrus-like brightness, Douglas fir provides structural warmth, and those moorland botanicals contribute subtle, savoury complexity that prevents the spirit from becoming one-dimensional.

Remarkably, despite this intensity, Hepple maintains elegant balance. The botanicals integrate rather than compete, creating something greater than the sum of its parts. The finish is clean, bright, and memorable - that green juniper persisting with final freshness. This is gin for those who appreciate intensity without sacrificing elegance, for drinkers willing to meet the spirit on its own terms rather than diluting it into submission. Hepple works beautifully in classic cocktails where its distinctive character can cut through other flavours, creating something genuinely memorable from familiar templates.

How to Serve

In a Martini, Hepple's distinctive character absolutely dominates whilst remaining elegant - the intensity cutting through vermouth's sweetness and creating something genuinely memorable. For a classic gin and tonic approach, pair it with premium tonic and a lemon twist, allowing the green juniper character centre stage. Sipping it neat reveals its full complexity and intensity.

Where to Drink It

Dukes Bar in St James's, where the Martini is famously cold and this gin can handle it. The Connaught Bar for a more theatrical version. Black Rock in Shoreditch for something less formal.

Food Pairings

Potted shrimp on hot toast — the butter and the green juniper are a better match than they sound, and the nutmeg in the potting echoes the gin. Smoked trout with horseradish is the other one worth trying.