The Mount, Park View, Stratton, Cirencester GL7 2JG
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
A SINGULAR VISION TO CREATE BREATHTAKING SPIRITS.
The skills to capture botanical perfection, elegance and complexity encompassed only at the peak of ripeness, is a skill that few can possess. With an uncompromising focus, the Capreolus Distillery charts one man’s passion in the pursuit of an absolute level of quality. Wild and expressive, limited editions are available to a lucky few.
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
Our Story
A UNIQUE SETTING
The Cotswolds have been a constant influence through my life. Growing up in this most idyllic region of England I was surrounded by flower rich grasslands, ancient woodlands scented with lily of the valley, historic orchards and the wildlife that inhabited them.
A love of nature was a natural development and led to my former life as a photojournalist specialising in conservation stories – supplying non-profit media to over 118 countries – a perfect way to find, experience and capture these rare and precious moments. Finding fruit distilling came as a natural extension to this discipline.
PRESERVING A LANDSCAPE
Years of working for my own consumption led to the development of my own purely quality driven practice. Capturing eaux de vie through wild fermentation of their natural sugar (atypical for low yielding fruits) and meticulous distillation, brought enormous compression; they preserve up to 45kg fruit in each finished litre.
However, what enchanted me was how this elegant way of working, this capturing of pure essence, revealed so much. What I discovered was something that not only isolated a moment of peak ripeness but transported me to the parent plants and landscape in which I was raised.
The elevation of flavours imperceptible in the raw fruit took me to standing in 300 year old perry pear orchards. The aroma of a Blackberry Eau de Vie to the autumnal warmth of the sun. The synesthetic link of aroma and flavour is something where language consistently fails.
A DISTILLERY IN THE GARDEN
The old lean to greenhouse of my childhood home, constructed of wood and Cotswold stone, was chosen to house first one and then two very special custom built copper stills. A decision to work only with local fruits for our eaux de vie was a simple choice. The quality of the local fruit.
The rare varieties that had never been distilled before. The essential nature of needing fruit not when we want it but at its absolute moment of perfection. Our terroir, both in landscape and our unique maritime climate. All of these things meant that we could focus on spirits that revealed both heritage, locale and all of the potential of our chosen subjects.
I have to address the name Capreolus – it is the latin name of the most beautiful of all deer, the roe, Capreolus Capreolus. Delicate, slipping away, this animal is a constant accompaniment to picking in the surrounding countryside, a reminder of the fleeting nature of what we are trying to preserve.
It is much to my own bemusement that I find some of the world’s most respected sommeliers and bartenders championing us and placing us amongst the most iconic producers of wine and spirits. However, in terms of volume we will always be insignificant.
The finite nature of what we do is a celebration of the rarity of the subjects we work with and assures this. It is with regret that we cannot share more of these beautiful products, quality dictates.
Barney Wilczak | Distiller & Owner | Capreolus Distillery
‘…wonderful drinkable perfumes…inspired…’
PAZ LEVINSON, CHEF SOMMELIER EXECUTIVE AT GROUPE PIC, 8* MICHELIN.
This distillery has grown from just me to four of us; family, friends and our dog Pippin. Tens of tons of local fruit processed in the garden keep us busy from late June through to the New Year in a long, focused season. Each expression an unrepeatable record of a year’s growth. Our Garden Swift gin is a canvas where my own dedication to the isolation of essence is extended through a canvas of flavour and aroma.
OUR TEAM
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
Production Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
A SINGULAR VISION
It took me a decade of distilling to become happy with my own work and I am still learning. The development of my own practice has been one that has continually drawn me to working in a way that celebrates the guiding of a natural process rather than trying to strictly control them.
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
LOCAL FRUITS
Working with a small and trusted team of local farmers means that we only receive fruit for our eaux de vie in its best years and at that absolute moment of perfection. Logistically challenging, yes, but the concentration of pure essence in our eaux de vie also magnifies flaws in equal amounts.
This means that we must take every berry, pear, quince and plum, hand grade and carefully clean it. The fruits are gently crushed and fermented.
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
WILD FERMENTATION
This slow fermentation is purely by the wild yeasts on the fruit that come from these local orchards. A succession of different local yeasts on each fruit provides not only their own independent character but links us closer to the landscape in which they originate.
Decisions are made on whether to include parts of the fruits that I describe as “noble”, including stems, stones and pips. Rather than trying to replicate artificial fruit flavours we are looking to capture eaux de vie that elevate and preserve true flavours of both fruit, parent tree or plant, and the landscape in which they grow.
DISTILLATION
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
Once fermentation is nearly complete, the fruits are transferred to the distillery. Further processing is sometimes required, for example, plums are sieved from their stones moments before distillation. This leaves just a hint of their almond flavour without covering the delicate spice hidden within the flesh.
Respecting the ingredients, the fruits are transferred gently into our small custom copper still. Heated by 100% renewably sourced power it is clothed in a water bath, removing the risk of scorching. The choice of copper rather than cheaper stainless steel serves two roles. A superb conductor of heat, it allows a gradual transition of flavours as they evaporate within the still. Secondly it binds undesirable flavour components to its surface, part of the alchemy and art of distillation.
A first distillation concentrates the essence of our fruit to create the “low wines”, a spirit of 15-30% ABV. After several first distillations, the low wines are combined and once again distilled, either to concentrate them further or for the final spirit run. Here each flavour comes across in strong bands as we reach individual molecules’ boiling points. Experience and a sensitive nose are key.
The first section, known as the “heads” are highly volatile, undesirable and are rejected. A rapid change to the “hearts”, where the true beauty of the spirit lies, our goal in distillation. Finally, heavy and fatty, the “tails” are removed.
At this stage the essence of up to 3,000kg fruit can be in our 180 litre still – a year’s endeavour can be destroyed by the wrong decision in 20 seconds. Unlike other distilleries we do not recycle either heads or tails.
This process of extracting as much ethanol as possible for commercial reasons is against our own ideals. Therefore, despite retaining only a fraction of the alcohol we start with, we create the highest possible standards.
NATURAL FERMENTATIONEvery piece of our local fruit is meticulously hand graded and cleaned. Gently crushed, a slow, wild fermentation follows. Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
FIRST DISTILLATIONA first distillation concentrates the essence of our fruit to create the “low wines”, a spirit of 15 – 30% ABV. Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
SPIRIT RUNWith the essence of up to 3,000kg of fruit in our final distillation, all decisions are made by nose and taste. This ensures we capture all the vitality, delicacy and intricate perfume of our fruits.
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
GARDEN SWIFT Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
Our Garden Swift gin follows a similar process. Hard spices, berries and herbs are soaked in our neutral British wheat spirit for 40 hours. We then suspend fresh blood orange zest and a rich mix of flowers and fragrant leaves above the liquid, their aroma gently extracted by the rising steam. 34 ingredients in all come together in a slow 7 hour, carefully guided, distillation. It creates a sum much greater than its parts.
AND TO REST.
Whether being aged in barrels or remaining as pure clear spirits, a long wait in our warehouse allows the development of the spirit, the creation of new aroma compounds and the development of truly exceptional Eaux de Vie and gin.
PACKAGING Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
THE ARTWORK
In packaging our Eaux de Vie and gin we take the same care as we do in production. This is laborious and costly but respects the contents.
Get it Sorted, run by our distiller Barney Wilczak’s father and brother, is the only team relied upon to interpret and create designs that share the same quality as our Eaux de Vie and gin.
TRADITIONAL LETTERPRESS
The carbon neutral labels are in turn printed with traditional letterpress by Andrew Morrison (www.andrewmorrisonbooks.uk), the father of Barney’s partner, or our friends at Blush Publishing. This tactile and traditional form of printing is a work of art. Each label is varied and unique, sharing the care shown in our beautiful products.
HAND PRINTEDAll of our labels are handprinted and embossed on traditional printing presses.
HAND WRITTENEach label is hand written with a dip pen before being signed by Barney, our distiller
HAND APPLIEDOur letterpress labels are still hand applied around our dining room table.
NEAT Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
We are often asked about how we serve our Eaux de Vie and gin. Our natural starting place is to pour them neat into a narrow, tulip shaped glass, such as a grappa glass, sherry copa or small wine glass.
A small diameter and tall chimney shape allow us to nose without promoting alcohol, revealing all of their delicacy and great intricacy. We never add ice which suppresses flavour and aroma, but a small addition of water can open them up further.
Spend time nosing them and you will find the evolution of myriad aromas that connect to memory and experience. The sheer concentration of this essence means that a single drop on your palate will not only carry a pure perfume, but also one that changes and lasts over an incredibly long time.
Cutting neatly through fat and sweetness, they are the perfect accompaniment to richer foods and desserts. When combined with fruit based dishes we see the elevation and extension of flavour, quite stunning!
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
MIXED What has been fascinating for us is to find our Eaux de Vie and gins being used both by some of the most highly respected bartenders and chefs. Garden Swift and Hart & Dart naturally offer themselves providing rich, complex and herbaceous gin cocktails.
The sheer concentration of the Eaux de Vie means that they can be used as seasoning; a bar spoon of 1,000 Trees Apple Eau de Vie in a martini, a misting of Raspberry Eau de Vie, or the rinsing of a sparkling wine glass with Eaux de Vie from pome fruits – the effervescence of the wine carrying and extending these harmonious notes is an intoxicating combination.
In cooking we find them used to provide unparalleled depth, freshness and intensity of flavours in both sweet and savoury dishes – sensational. Below are just a few examples of some our favourite cocktails. The most important thing to remember is that, despite the rarity, these are products to share and enjoy!
“…such a singularly obsessive vision and pursuit of purity… Absolutely spectacular stuff.”
— RYAN “MR. LYAN” CHETIYAWARDANA
GIN & TONIC
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
The Garden Swift Gin and Tonic. A nod to the past and a drink that reaches perhaps the peak of refreshment. It is also a drink that brings with it a huge amount of opportunities to customise it to your taste; dry vs. herbal vs. sweet tonics, ratio of spirit to mixer, and of course garnish. Although we find that Garden Swift is so balanced that we often forego garnishes we welcome experimentation. Adorned with the almond hints of wild May blossom, peppery and flamboyant nasturtium flowers from the garden, or more simply the clean flavours of lime or lemon – there are so many options open to you. However, as our default GS&T we recommend:
- 50 ml Garden Swift dry gin
- 125 ml neutral tonic (a ratio of 2-3 times the amount of tonic to gin is an ideal). Our choice of tonic reflects that Garden Swift dry gin is a complex showcase within itself
- Optionally, a slice of orange (organic blood orange in their Winter season), bringing a hint of sweetness
Add large amounts of ice to a large wine glass, add Garden Swift gin, and top with tonic. Observe the dense clouds of essential oils that are released through dilution, a signifier of flavour, texture and above all, quality.
FRENCH 75
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
1920’s elegance is exemplified in the French 75. Stories abound about its name being derived from the French 75mm field gun. We prefer to think of it in a much more benign role, a refreshing combination that is perfect for sophisticated parties or for enjoying on lazy summer evenings.
- As with most cocktails that have remained as classics its preparation is simple:
- 45ml of Garden Swift dry gin
- 15ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 8ml of 2 to 1 sugar syrup (to make your own simply combine two parts (by volume) of sugar to one part water. Heat whilst stirring until dissolved and bottle. It will keep for several months.)
- English sparkling wine or Champagne
- A strip of lemon peel
Combine the Garden Swift, lemon juice and sugar syrup in an ice filled cocktail shaker. Shake until well coated in condensation, strain into a champagne flute or coupe and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with the twist of lemon peel.
CHAMOIS
Capreolus Heavenly Garden Swift Dry Gin
In the creation of Garden Swift gin, our love of complex mountain liqueurs was reflected in sharing some key ingredients. This included the genus of Artemisia plants. The key liqueur showcasing this group of plants is that alpine staple Genepi.
An inspirational combination came from our Autumnal production of apple juice. For our own private consumption we press and pasteurise hundreds of bottles of apple juice from the fruit of a local orchard, filled with heritage varieties. If you do not have access to your own apple juice a high quality brand will suffice.
Brought together with our Garden Swift gin we honoured it with the name of the Chamois, that beautiful mountain goat that traverses the landscape of the alpine Artemisias.
Simple to make, soft, refreshing and herbal, we present the Chamois:
- 25ml Garden Swift dry gin
- 25ml Genepi
- 100ml Cloudy apple juice
- A fresh sage leaf
Take a large wine glass with lots of ice. Add the Garden Swift, Genepi and top with the apple juice. Float a sage leaf upon the surface.
