Chesterfield distillery release limited edition English rose flavoured gin for St George's Day

Derbyshire Distillery, located in Markham Vale, have sold over half of their St George's English Rose Gin after they initially put 20 bottles on sale on Monday evening (April 19).

Sales manager at the Chesterfield distillery Richard Aspinall explained how the business came up with the concept of the new rose gin to celebrate the country’s national day tomorrow (April 23), following the success of their Irish stout flavoured gin for St Patrick’s Day.

The Chesterfield St George’s English Rose Gin, which has turned the town’s crooked spire into the country’s national flag on the label, is described as a ‘smooth juniper-forward gin’ balanced with hibiscus and ‘the essence of English roses’.

"I sort of wracked my brain about what is the most English sort of thing that I could go with”, Richard said.

"With the rose tint to it, it is a very refreshing, light-hearted gin – it's just reyt good.

"It doesn't get much more English than that and if you've got one then you're one of the lucky few.

"With these limited, small runs if something really does work then it gives us an indicator that it worked really well and why don't we have a look at doing that as a bit more of a permanent fixture.”

Derbyshire Distillery was established in 2018 and will be selling the limited edition flavour until the middle of May 2021, while stock lasts.

The Chesterfield business helped raise £40,000 for the Royal British Legion, after they produced a gin called ‘Eleventh Hour Gin’ in October last year – with £3 from the sale of each bottle going directly to the organisation in support of the armed forces.

Derbyshire Distillery’s sales manager, who served in the British army for five years, explained how the charity gin helped their business grow before the pandemic started and staff were put on furlough.

Richard added: "In terms of putting yourself on the map, that was a really big one for us.

"Then Covid hit and it has hit everybody really hard – what do you do, throw the towel in or do you adapt, overcome and fight through and see if you can't pop out the other side?

"We're still here, it's not been an easy ride by any stretch but we are still here and we have loads of new stuff in the pipeline coming out in terms of new spirits.

"You've got to battle your way through at times like this, it has been shocking for everybody.

"It's what we do as a nation, we pull together and we get through it.”

Customers can buy the limited edition St George’s Day gin online through the Derbyshire Distillery website or click and collect pre-paid purchases from their shop which is currently open from 10am till 2pm on Saturdays.

The distillery plans to extend their shop opening hours to 9am to 5pm throughout the week from Monday, April 26 following lockdown easing measures.

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