Spa Wells Low Dinsdale Darlington DL2 1PL UK
DRAGON SLAYERS Gin the most delicious
OUR STORY
We are a family business with a desire to provide clean, pure, quality gin for gin lovers.
THE LEGEND
Our aim is to tell the story of our culture and heritage of dragon slayer folklore through our favourite drink. The North East is full of folklore stories, songs and lore which go back often beyond record. No more than 3 miles from our Distillery is Sockburn Hall, the home of Sir John Conyers.
DRAGON SLAYERS
Sir John Conyers, was a knight who fought to save his lands from a great dragon who had haunted the region for seven years.
In 1063 AD Sir John slew the Sockburn Worm with his trusty falchion. He buried the remains of the beast under the great ‘Grey Stone’ still visible today a couple of fields away from the ruins of Sockburn Hall. This story is said by many to be the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s poem, Jabberwocky.
“When we set out on our journey to become gin distillers, we wanted to make the most delicious and moreish gin whilst keeping a very high quality … and we’ve done just that!
”YASMIN GIBSON – FOUNDER
OUR DISTILLERY
THE STILL
Our still is a 200L handmade Copper Alembic still from Portugal, affectionately known as ‘Bertha.’
Bertha was named after her rather wide bottom half and yet she is still a beauty to behold. She is made up of a pot, column, helmet, swans neck, condenser and the all important point of pleasure.
OUR BOTANICALS
Our botanicals are carefully sourced from around the world including some locally sourced botanicals such as lavender.
We select only the very best quality botanicals to go into our gin.
SIR JOHN CONYERS DRY GIN 70CL
£39.99
Sir John Conyers Dry gin is a classic gin with a citrus profile, a touch of floral aromas and a hint of spiciness. This new and innovative flavour was passionately created by subtly blending 15 botanicals that meld and compliment each other. A gin so smooth you can savour without tonic!
TASTING NOTES
NOSE
A hint of lavender, the sweetness of licorice & orris root and the bite of juniper
PALATE
Sharp citrus notes of lemon and orange peel
FINISH
A lingering citrus flavour
SIR JOHN LAMBTON STRAWBERRY & MINT GIN 70CL
£39.99
Sir John Lambton Strawberry and Mint Gin is the perfect tipple for summer, so light and refreshing, made with 11 botanicals. A unique summery flavour with hints of refreshingly cool mint, finished off with an array of spices.
TASTING NOTES
NOSE
Sweetness of the strawberry and citrus of the lime
PALATE
Hints of mint, camomile, elderflower and strawberry
FINISH
A lingering strawberry flavour
SIGURD RHUBARB GIN 70CL
£39.99
Sigurd Rhubarb Gin was created with the inspiration of English Garden feel with notes of fresh herbs and floral aromas, accompanied with the all important flavour of Rhubarb, made with 10 botanicals.
TASTING NOTES
NOSE
Floral aromas from the rose petals with hints of rhubarb
PALATE
Notes of basil, rhubarb and earl grey tea
FINISH
Rhubarb undertones with a refreshing floral finish
SIR JOHN CONYERS LIMITED EDITION AGED GIN 70CL
£79.95
A Limited Edition Aged gin. Our original London Dry Gin has been aged for 4 months in a very unique cask. This has turned into a delicious infusion of the citrusy London Dry you know and love, combined with woody notes and hint of spice.
TASTING NOTES
NOSE
Strong notes of citrus and hints of woody tones
PALATE
A little spice and citrus with a dash of vanilla
FINISH
You’ll be left with the warmth of spice and cinnamon
DRAGON SLAYER DISTILLERY BRANCHES OUT INTO VODKA
Our family-run distillery has launched Silver Knight, a new brand of vodka, bringing three flavours to the market: Original, Citrus, and Berry.
We’re originally known for our gin, as owners Yasmin Gibson, and her father, Paul, decided to turn their gin-tasting hobby into a business.
27-year-old Yasmin has been determined to see the growth of Dragon Slayer Distillery, whose name was inspired by medieval tales and folklore in the North East, however, we were were waiting for the right time to launch our new premium spirit.
“Ever since the launch of Dragon Slayer, I knew I wanted to diversify beyond just gin – my aspiration is for it to be a household name, and this is a step in the right direction.
“The gin market can be saturated at times, so I’m excited to reach a new client base with our range of delicious vodkas.
“We definitely feel we’ve had the advantage of learning a lot about the distilling process with our gin range, so it’s been a lot of fun creating and experimenting with the new flavours and ingredients.
“Of course, we take as much pride in our vodkas as we do our gins, they’re all small-batch distilled with premium locally-sourced ingredients – we don’t skimp, quality is paramount!”
Yasmin runs the distillery with the help of her soon-to-be husband, Will Sandick, who is responsible for concocting the new products.
He said: “Well, they don’t call me master distiller for no reason!
Yasmin runs the distillery with the help of her soon-to-be husband, Will Sandick, who is responsible for concocting the new products.
He said: “Well, they don’t call me master distiller for no reason!
“It’s without a doubt my favourite part of the whole job, locking myself away in the warehouse and trialing and testing new flavours.
“I love it when we finally get the perfect balance of ingredients, and the whole family are able to try it together on a Friday evening – it’s so rewarding, and I can’t wait for the public to give all three options a try, too.”
Since launching three years ago, managing director Yasmin has received guidance from her father, who has experience in running successful companies including Gibson Motorsport and MPI Offshore.
Paul Gibson said: “I’m very exited to see these products go to market, I take great pleasure in sampling them to make sure they’re on the mark!
“It’s been incredible to watch Yasmin grow into a professional businesswoman who has really pushed Dragon Slayer forwards, and I have no doubt that she’ll make sure it’s a leading brand in the future.”
The new Silver Knight vodka range will be live our website this Monday, and are available to purchase and sample at upcoming events and market stalls.
HOW TO MAKE GIN
Have you ever taken a sip of your Dragon Slayer gin and wondered how on earth we created such a delicious drink? Well, we’re going to let you in on the distilling process…
Don’t get too excited, though! We’ll be keeping our top-secret recipes under lock and key, but the process of making the drink we’re willing to divulge.
Meet Bertha
We’re well aware the average person doesn’t have a 200L handmade Copper Alembic still lying around their house, but we use our beloved Bertha on the daily to lovingly produce our signature gin.
Of course, if you’re willing to commit to the process, there are small stills you can purchase online, they tend to go for approximately £100.
Source high-quality alcohol
One of the key ingredients you’ll need is alcohol, which is made through a fermentation process which can take up to two weeks.
We order ours in from a trusted, high-quality source; it is possible (but tricky) to create your own.
The best bit
It’s time for you to whip out your still and put it to good use – this is where the magic happens.
The distilling process essentially purifies your alcohol; it’s heated, vaporised then the vapor is then recondensed into liquid.
This is a process distillers can have a bit of fun with, single still, double still or numerous stills – it all depends on how pure and tasty you’d like the gin to be.
This is also the point in which the delicious infusion of botanicals is added, which gives the gin its signature flavour, and can be done at any point during this distilling process – it’s sometimes a case of trial and error.
Make it pure
Then it’s time to sort through the liquid. There are three cuts the distiller has to make. The heads, containing methanol, the hearts, containing the best part of the run of gin, and the tails, which can taste quite nutty and watery.
The final touch
Now it’s time to dilute the gin with water, and no, this isn’t a case of short-changing a customer, it’s a process to ensure the alcohol by volume (ABV) is correctly measured, and the flavours are perfectly balanced.
At this point distillers can also add additional flavorings like sloe gin, of course, we only use organic, local produce to ensure each bottle is of the highest quality.
Bottle em’ up
Last up, you’ll need a couple hundred bottle to correctly store your stash ready for consumption!
Sound overwhelming? Well, you could always just grab a bottle from our shop… we have a range of flavours for you to enjoy – leave the hard part to us: https://dragonslayerdistillery.uk/shop/
GET TO KNOW OUR GIN DISTILLERY’S MANAGING DIRECTOR
When you manage a gin company based in the North East, you’ll often find yourself locked away in the distillery serving up batches of gin, or out and about at events and markets.
That’s pretty much how managing director Yazz spends most of her days, on top of balancing being a mum to her one-year-old son, Odin.
But who really is she? It’s time to get to know her a little better…
What did you want to be when you were younger and why?
I wanted to be a vet; I have always been an animal-orientated person. You’d often find me playing games where I’d be looking after animals, whether that be on my Nintendo or playing with toys.
Can you remember when you first tried gin?
Yes! It was Brockmans – it’s still probably my favorite gin aside from Dragon Slayer. if I can’t get to a Dragon Slayer, like when I’m on holiday, I’ll always reach for a Brockmans.
Who was your inspiration growing up?
Probably my dad, as cliché as that is – he’s extremely successful, and I want to follow in his footsteps and achieve what he has.
What is your biggest achievement to date?
It’s got to be our Strawberry and Mint Gin winning in The Gin Guide Awards! Below having Odin, obviously.
What do you wish you could tell your younger self?
Probably to take more risks and go for it – don’t delay as much as we did.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I’d like to still be the managing director of Dragon Slayer Distillery, and maybe have a few subsidiaries to one side too – another Dragon Slayer-type company; maybe in gym wear, who knows! We want to grow our business on so many levels.
What’s the main thing you’ve learned since launching Dragon Slayer?
There is a solution to pretty much everything if you’re willing to go the extra mile to solve it.
We’ve encountered a handful of problems, but we’ve always found a solution. I think the biggest thing I have probably learned is to take a breath and go into problem solving mode, instead of panic mode – just take it in your stride!
If there’s one thing you could change about your journey so far, what would it be?
Probably researching a little bit more, so that we didn’t encounter problems which could have been dodged, it would have helped things sail a bit more smoothly.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
It’s definitely the trialing and tasting! I love creating new recipes – it’s super fun, and the distilling process never gets old, too.
What advice would you give fellow small business owners?
Stick through the stormy weather, as there’s always sunshine at the end.
A DAY IN THE LIFE WORKING AT DRAGON SLAYER DISTILLERY
No day is ever the same when you juggle creating award-winning gins, running a distillery, and looking after your one-year-old baby; the days are hectic, but owners Will and Yazz wouldn’t change it for the world.
So, what does a typical day look like for the distillery duo? Well, the pair certainly aren’t in need of an alarm clock, as baby Odin often wakes them up at the early hour of 6am…
Bright and early
Family first, always! Mornings are often spent setting little Odin up for the day. After a quick cuddle and a play, it’s time to feed him some scrambled egg, his favourite breakfast.
Once fed and watered, Yazz and Odin get ready together; after a morning shower, Yazz completes her morning routine, which includes skincare, hair and makeup, which Odin often likes to get involved with too.
Then, it’s time for a strong cup of tea (that’s right, distillers don’t drink gin for breakfast!), before checking in on emails in case orders have been made, the calendar to oversee events and meetings, and finally, checking the stock.
Flexibility and organisation
No two mornings look the same; managing director Yazz dips in and out of emails and admin-based tasks, in between playing with toy cars and building blocks.
Flexibility really is key when being full-time parents and full-time business owners, office hours don’t exist – the team are nonstop throughout the day but tend to work around Odin’s schedule.
To allow this flexibility, however, planning is essential – Yazz relies on her Google phone to stay as organised as possible, as her documents, emails and to-do lists are all kept in one place, ensuring important tasks are addressed daily.
Wait a minute Mr. Postman
It’s possibly the most important task of the day, especially if you’re a customer! It’s time to package up those gin orders and get them sent on their merry way.
It’s a team effort to package up the goods, but then Will is given the lovely job of heading to the Post Office to get them delivered to Dragon Slayer lovers, while Yazz waits at home with baby Odin (putting a toddler in a car takes a lot more time than you’d expect!).
Then, it’s time to get labelling and bottling up the gin! Ideally, the distillery continuously has two shelves packed full of each flavor – there’s always plenty to go around in case of a last-minute event, or an influx of orders.
Grab’n’go
After a busy morning you tend to build up quite the appetite! But it’s never a sit-down affair – lunch is often enjoyed on the go, either while enjoying a walk with the pram, or in the car making local deliveries.
A chicken salad is the Gibdick’s go-to lunch, preferably with bacon and artichokes, if there’s no time, a banana and peanut butter always does the trick.
The best till’ last
Afternoons are spent doing admin tasks for Yazz, often paying invoices and having meetings with Dragon Slayer’s accountant.
While Will spends his time out and about working at local markets, festivals and events, spreading the message about Dragon Slayer Gin.
After a busy day, the duo save the best task until last – experimenting with new gin flavors! There’s no better way to unwind, it’s arguably the best part of the whole job.
Night owl
There’s no stopping point for the Dragon Slayer team, and they’ll work until the early hours if needs be to ensure all of the daily tasks are completed.
Yazz said: “My son helps me get through a busy working day; his smile brings me so much joy if I’m having a tough time.
“It can be really hard to juggle mum and work-life, because with being your own work, whatever you put in, is whatever you get out of it – I want to make this a successful business for him.”
To taste what delicious drinks Yazz and Will make on the daily, shop Dragon Slayer’s range of three premium gins here.
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