Assay

The Sheffield Distillery is based on the banks of the Blackburn Brook River in Chapeltown, to the North of the city. It's also sited in the car park of The Commercial Pub, a fantastic boozer with an vast range of whiskies and gin that host tasting events almost every week. Manager Paul Harrison and his team - along with several of his regular customers - decided that they'd venture into making spirits themselves, and in 2017 distillation began. Paul and his father Keith dedicated research time reading up on the full processes involved rather than diving head on, to ensure that they hit the ground running in producing a richly textured spirit that would be the base for a selection of flavoured spirits using local natural produce, with a strict rule of non chill-filtration. A whisky is on the cards, but in the meantime the Assay gins and vodkas (named after the 5 offices across UK that certify quality of precious metals, for which Sheffield is so well-known) are more than providing a great reputation. Paul himself even suffered second-degree burns after the still set alight in May of 2019, resulting in him being put in a coma for 2 weeks to aid recovery. He was quickly back at work, determined not to let the incident set production back.

Released for Summer 2022, this distinctly zingy gin is ideal for warm sunny weather. Makrut limes (also known as kaffir lime) along with persian limes, lime leaf and fresh lemongrass were both distiller and macerated in the base spirit, which maintains the classic oily profile the Sheffield DIstillery is known for. But that oiliness works well with the citrus notes, reining in notes that could well have been too sharp. The balance is spot on, and while this isn't a sipping gin, it has more than enough oomph to work in a Gimlet, or a Tom Collins/Gin Fizz.