The Nodding Donkey distillery 14 Laburnum Grove, Chichester, West Sussex, England, PO19 7DL
Jarrolds Fine Gin traditional Dutch Genevers
Refreshingly simple, beautifully balanced
Jarrold’s award winning* London Dry Gin is a wonderful fusion of two gin defining traditions. Quality synonymous with London Dry Gins mixed up a little with a heavier note of juniper from traditional Dutch Genevers. * Silver Outstanding IWSC 2018
London Dry Gin
Our go-to bottle… a fusion of Dutch and English gin traditions
Traditionally there would have been less emphasis on juniper in a London Dry Gin but we wanted to mix it up a bit. We’re sticking to the rules of a London Dry by using a premium distilled alcohol made from British grain. Nothing added during the distillation other than our seven botanicals and nothing when we’re finished apart from cutting it back with local water to a very drinkable 48% ABV. We turned to the Dutch for the heavier juniper notes which we love and combined and balanced the two traditions together.
The result is a super smooth beautifully balanced drinking experience which we hope will convince you to make it your go-to bottle as well.
JUNIPER, PERSIAN LIMES, GRAINS of PARADISE, CORIANDER, ANGELICA, CARDAMOM & CALAMUS
Our Process
Our Process
We put a premium on quality
We learnt from our still manufacturers at Kothe that if you want to make quality gin, there is a price: how much we can produce. We’re using a premium grade alcohol made from British grain which is triple distilled to 96.6% ABV before we even see it. We take a little of that and reduce it down to 60% to macerate 5 of our botanicals and allow the essential oils to be released before we start distilling.
“You must not distill at more than 30%”
They are perfectionists at Kothe and one of the key messages we took away with us was that by reducing the alcohol content right down to a precise 29.5% for the distillation we would get a much smoother spirit at the end and with much greater flavour intensity. The downside?… We can only make half the amount that many others make in a single distillation, but you’re worth it!
Firing it up
Next we heat the spirit and botanicals to just the right temperature and keep the still at a slow simmer so the liquid releases those flavours into the condenser without scorching and spoiling the essential oils. This takes time.
Once the vapour has turned back to a liquid through the condenser and has cooled in the tanks, we transfer it to stainless steel churns. It rests for a week before we cut it back to a robust 48% ABV with refreshing local water.
The extra week is well worth the wait.
Limited Edition: Sloe Gin 2018 Vintage
Limited Edition: Sloe Gin 2018 Vintage
Quietly and without fuss, nature goes about her business and sometime around October the countryside of West Sussex becomes rich with Sloes
Plump wild sloes hand-picked by us from the hedgerows of West Sussex are the stars in our Limited Edition Sloe Gin.
We pick them the season before bottling, freeze them to split the skins and then let our wonderfully smooth London Dry Gin rest over them for around nine months. The high strength of our gin makes our Limited Edition Sloe Gin beautifully rich and intense. Almond notes from the stones, dryness from the fruit and the wonderful colour from the skins are all complemented by a touch of added sweetness after resting. We do this because each year the fruit can be a little more or a little less sweet than the previous year and we don’t like to guess how it’s going to turn out.
A YEAR IN THE MAKING Time
Timeboooop
Passion and attention
The waiting is the hard part but we use the time well. Turning the bottles regularly helps tease out the flavours and colours. This attentiveness bonds us to the product and helps us create something special. While you enjoy it, spare a thought for the us suffering at the hands of the blackthorn bush.
Sloe Gin
Sloe Gin
Bright, ripe, and exquisitely balanced.
All Year Round
We’ve created this award winning* All Year Round Sloe Gin with adventure in mind. We use our London Dry Gin as the base which means that all our sloe gin is deliberately stronger than many commercially available sloe gins. This not only allows the taste of the gin to shine through, but also helps release the fruity flavours of the sloes.
* Bronze Award IWSC 2018
Our story
The persian limes give a delightful citrus flavour
Travelling the world in the oil industry (hence The Nodding Donkey Distillery Company) exposed us to the many amazing ingredients used in food and drink from a wide range of different cultures. None more so than in Iraq where the local people use Noomi Basra, or Persian Limes, in a huge range of cuisine. From cold sweetened drinks in the heat of summer, to warm teas in the winter. In thick black laced with cardamom and whole in soups and stews. It’s instantly recognisable with delightfully citrus notes and flavour. The secret though, so the locals say, is to remove the pips and you can only do that properly by hand. It’s a labour of love, but well worth it.
Inspired by the revived interest in what we’ve always thought of as a fantastically versatile spirit, we wanted to make a robust gin with heavy notes of juniper but one which was perfectly balanced by the other botanicals. It’s been 18 months in the making but the wait has absolutely been worth it.. We won’t deny that we’ve had a lot of fun along the way. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Our Still
Made in Germany, at Kothe Destillationstechnik by true craftsmen who take pride in what they do.
A traditionally designed 250 litre copper pot still made with modern touches like the viewing glasses and the electric temperature control. Have a look at our photos and let pictures do what words can’t.
CONSTRUCTION OF OUR DISTILLERY
The Build
Still ready to leave the factory
Creating Sparks
The roof takes shape
The sleek interior was designed and fit by Allyson and Andrew Bettridge in Chichester.
We had fun squeezing this down the side of the building. Husband and Wife teamwork!
Assembled!
Miniatures
Miniatures
Because, sometimes, less is more.
You can now buy our gin in taster-sized miniature bottles. Our miniatures make perfect stocking fillers or are ideal for taking out on a picnic when space is tight, but you still want a great tasting G&T. Alternatively, they also make perfect gifts to really elevate your secret santa game!
Our miniatures are hand-bottled by us so we can ensure they achieve our high quality standards.
You can view the full range by heading over to our shop.
Collection 001
Collection 001
The Nodding Donkey Distillery Company is entering the world of NFTs. This presents a unique opportunity to purchase one of the first bottles of Jarrold’s Gin ever produced.
We have always believed the gin business could have more potential than just a good G&T. So, when the distillery first opened, we set aside six bottles of each of our three gins with a longer-term view that at some point these first edition bottles would be collectors’ items.
We have used these bottles to create 18 exclusive NFTs, named Collection 001. Each NFT is paired with a first-batch bottle of London dry or sloe gin, with the choice of NFT determining which bottle in the collection will be received. The gin will be delivered in a bespoke, locally-made box, with the batch and bottle number inscribed in 24 carat gold.
Upon purchase of the NFT, a unique QR code will be generated and added to the bottle and box. When scanned, these take the user to the transaction history for the NFT. Both bottle and box will therefore be linked to the same transaction, proving the authenticity of the bottle in the collection and allowing it to be traceable through blockchain technology.
This is an exclusive opportunity to have a piece of what could be the most valuable gin collection in the world. If you’d like to be a part of it, click the link to OpenSea below and explore the collection.
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HOW IT WORKS
View the collection in OpenSea and select your NFT. NFTs are listed in Ethereum and range in price depending on the bottle number and gin type.
Once purchased, you will be given access to unlockable content with instructions on how to redeem the physical bottle. This can be done at a time of your choosing.
A unique QR code detailing the transaction history is generated to authenticate the purchase.
Upon redemption, the box will be crafted and the gin will be delivered to you.
ABOUT THE BRAND
The Nodding Donkey Distillery Company was established by me, Jamie Jarrold, and my wife, Nichola, in 2016. Based in Chichester, South-East England, we use a 240-litre copper-pot still to produce three gins inspired by travels in the Middle East, branded as Jarrold’s Gin. It was always our aim to do things differently, so we spent 18 months building a distillery, developing recipes, and refining the distilling process with this aim at the forefront of our minds.
After a lot of research and taste-tests, we landed on a recipe of seven botanicals to create a robust but perfectly balanced gin with heavy notes of juniper. The Middle Eastern inspiration comes from Noomi Basra, otherwise known as Persian limes, which are used in a huge range of cuisines and provide a hint of citrus.
During distillation, five of the botanicals are macerated for a few hours before the final two are added and we fire up the still. We then distil slowly, tasting and testing every twenty minutes to produce our award-winning London dry gin. We use the London dry gin as a base for our two sloe gins, named ‘All-Year-Round’ and ‘Limited Edition’.
In 2018, the products went on sale and the distillery now produces around 3,500 bottles of gin a year, alongside glassware, miniatures and gift sets. These are sold nationally through our website, at local markets, and to bars, restaurants and retailers across the South East of England. All three of our gins have since won awards in the International Wine and Spirit Competition, and we are so proud of everything we have achieved.
London Dry – Bottle 04
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