Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy

Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 6PG, United Kingdom

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy

Our Story

Mousehall was first recorded in the Domesday book in 1086 and since then has been a working farm with a prosperous history.

Mousehall Country Estate lies within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in a secluded valley on the northern edge of the parish of Mayfield in East Sussex.

The property was first known as Mousehall from as early as the Norman Conquest (11th century). The name Mousehall came from the first traceable owner, James de Mouleshale “James of Mousehall”.

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy

Kathy clearing brambles before the barn conversion

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy

The Vineyard prior to drainage and vines being planted

…Mousehall was brought back to life

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy / Distillery & Winery

In 2017, Gary and Kathy Jordan owners of Jordan Wine Estate in South Africa discovered the neglected and over-grown property. With a background in Viticulture and the love of a challenge, Mousehall Country Estate was brought back to life.

In 2021 the Jordan’s converted an abandoned barn into what is now their Distillery & Winery, one of the first Distilleries in a Winery in the UK.

Mousehall is not only home to the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier vineyard, and various gin botanicals, but to 18 Dorper sheep, 9 beehives, Runner & Mallard Ducks and Cody, Charlie and Marmalade, the Mousehall pets.

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy / Mousehall Vineyard

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy / Mousehall Oast House

Mousehall Distillery & Winery has a wealth of things to offer the spirited adventurer…

Take a stroll to the medieval town of Mayfield or venture to Wadhurst “The best place to live in the UK” according to The Times newspaper. Mousehall Distillery & Winery has a wealth of things to offer the spirited adventurer.

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy

Mousehall Spirits

To us, a Gin & Tonic has always been a nostalgic drink…

To us, a Gin & Tonic has always been a nostalgic drink…the perfect sundowner tipple, the drink that unites friends & family, it doesn’t get much better than that!

All our spirits are produced at Mousehall in our 400L traditional copper pot still, Amahle, meaning “the Beautiful one”.

Our Signature Gin

Mousehall Sussex Dry Gin

43.2% ABV | Grape & Grain Spirit | 700ml | 13 Botanicals Launched June 2022

In June 2022 we launched our signature, timeless and classic Juniper-forward London Dry Gin, Mousehall Sussex Dry Gin. Our award-winning Gin is produced using 13 botanicals with local and unique ingredients combining our English & South African heritage.

Aromas & Flavours:

Juniper-forward, London-dry style gin; Fresh Citrus; Floral; Spice

Neutral Spirit Matters:

Mousehall Sussex Dry Gin is made from both Grape & Grain 96% neutral spirit. This is not commonly done but provides a complexity and a long, smooth finish to the gin.

Our award-winning Gin is produced using 13 botanicals combining our English & South African heritage.

13 Botanicals:

We use 13 botanicals in our gin, of which two are a unique combination in our gin alone: South African Rooibos Tea & English Coriander Seed grown locally in Sussex.

Our Gin is well balanced, the botanicals are integrated due to our unique distillation and filtration methods, and it has a long smooth finish, the perfect spirit in a variety of cocktails.

Meet The team

Gary Jordan (Winemaker/ Viticulturist)

Gary grew up in Durbanville, South Africa and attended the University of Cape Town, where he qualified as a Geologist. After having worked in South Africa as a geologist, Gary attended the MSc program in Viticulture and Enology and worked as a winemaker in California before spearheading the growth and development of Jordan Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa with his wife Kathy.

Gary loves a challenge, which is why in 2017 Gary, along with Kathy purchased Mousehall Country Estate as part of their “retirement plan”.

If you don’t find Gary cultivating the land, on his digger or plotting a new project, you will find him with braai tongs and a glass of something delicious in hand.

Kathy Jordan (Winemaker/ Finance)

Kathy grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. After completing a major in Economics and Industrial Psychology at the University of Cape Town, Kathy worked as a Merchandiser for a leading fashion company in Cape Town.

Kathy lived in California, USA for two years thereafter with her husband Gary, studying Enology at the University of California, Davis, as well as gaining international experience at a winery in Sonoma.

Kathy returned to South Africa to manage the building and development of Jordan Wine Estate alongside Gary, transforming Jordan into the world-class wine, hospitality and wine tourism business it is today.

Kathy wears many hats at Mousehall from accountant to winemaker, but on the odd occasion Kathy has some free time, you will find her running a marathon, playing frisbee with the dogs or learning a new language.

Christy Jordan (Distiller/ Marketing)

Christy grew up in Stellenbosch on her family-run wine farm, Jordan Wine Estate. After completing her degree in Visual Communications majoring in photography, Christy travelled extensively working in various hospitality roles on yachts and five star lodges around the world before moving to England in 2019.

In 2019 Christy passed her distilling course in London and shortly after worked in a Distillery in Ireland learning the art of distilling and blending before creating her own spirits.

Christy is part of the daily running of Mousehall from distilling to creating social media content, attending events or hosting a tasting. If she isn’t working, you might find her with a Ukulele/Guitar in hand, running a marathon or chasing after her energetic Irish Setter pup Charlie.

Nick Siersema (Sales / Finance)

Nick grew up in Huizen, The Netherlands. He studied Economics at the University of Amsterdam and went on to do a master’s degree in Rome. He moved to London in 2020 to work in IT Sales and shortly after met Christy.

After 4 years in IT Sales, Nick left the city life behind and moved to the English Countryside to join Christy and the Mousehall Team.

Nick is an integral part of the Mousehall team, from engaging with customers, attending events and developing the catering side.In his spare time, Nick enjoys testing out new recipes in the kitchen, being the music quiz master or enjoying a Negroni.

Bryan Lawrence (Farm Manager)

Bryan grew up on a farm in South Africa. Bryan has worked in several different roles one of which was running a lodge in South Africa before moving to London in 2021.

Bryan joined the Mousehall team in 2022 as Farm Manager with his practical and hands on approach he has been cultivating the land alongside Gary.

When visiting Mousehall, you will see Bryan beautifying the farm, planting, pruning, or harvesting various fruit trees and attending to the Dorper Sheep & Ducks.When Bryan isn’t working, you will find him making biltong, watching Formula 1 or braaing at any opportunity.

Ashleigh Lawrence (Distillery & Winery Assistant)

Ashleigh grew up in South Africa. After finishing high school, she travelled to the USA to be an Aupair where her love for children and teaching developed.

Ashleigh joined the Mousehall team towards the end of 2022, working alongside her husband Bryan while assisting Kathy & Christy in the Distillery & Winery.

Ashleigh is behind every bottle labelled & packaged, order placed and keeping things neat, organised and inventoried.In her free time, you will find Ashleigh enjoying a walk with her Dachshund, Stretch, listening to Taylor Swift or learning to play the piano.

ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS

Every decision we make at Mousehall our first consideration is the effect we have on the environment…

As a sustainable Distillery & Winery we aim to implement sustainable and environmentally conscious practices in every aspect of the business.

There are more sustainable resources becoming readily available, one example is biodegradable tamper seals made from corn starch rather than plastic. We believe that if we do not implement these practices and sustainable measures from the start our environment will suffer for it.

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy

Packaging

Bottle:
Our spirit bottles are made from 100% post-consumer recycled glass. The use of 100% post-consumer recycled glass allows for lower energy consumption and reduces CO2 emissions.

Label:
Our packaging is vegan and biodegradable. We use FSC (Forest Steward Council) approved recyclable paper, the foiling on our label is sustainable, the ink is water-based and no animal glue is used.

Closure:
Our closure is made from sustainably sourced beech wood and the cork is a Sughera cork, the first of its kind, made from fragments of cork, without the use of glue to bind it together.

Tamper Seal:
Our tamper seal is made from plant starch (corn & sugarcane). It is biodegradable and should be placed into your compost heap. This is not plastic.

Gift box:
Our Gift boxes are bespoke made in order to be 100% recyclable, which means that no magnets have been used for this box closure. The gift box is made from FSC approved cardboard and uses no glue and can easily be broken down to recycle or keep erect to be reused. We encourage you to repurpose, regift or recycle this gift box.

Energy Consumption

76 Solar Panels

We have fitted 76 solar panels on the Distillery & Winery roof which provides enough electricity to power the still and other equipment. On those days that we produce more energy than what we require, we feed back into the grid.

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy / 76 Sonar Panels

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy / The Botanicals

Botanicals

The botanicals from our distillation are collected for composting on Mousehall Farm to provide nutritious compost for our Gin Garden and surrounding gardens. We have planted Juniper Communis and Angelica at Mousehall. We are proud to use locally grown English Coriander Seed, as one of our core botanicals in our Mousehall Sussex Dry Gin.

Regenerative Farming

The Dorper Sheep is a South African breed of sheep (Persian Ewe crossed with a Dorset Horned Ram). Dorper’s are self-shedding, hardy sheep and they play a very important role at Mousehall. They are part of our regenerative farming plan. They are improving our field and vineyard soil conditions which results in soil carbon deposits.

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy / The Farm

Mousehall Gin The love of Gary and Kathy / Bees and Trees

Bees & Trees

Bees play a vital role in the food we eat, about ¾ of food wouldn’t exist without bees. At Mousehall we are ethical beekeepers, we have 9 beehives, and we believe if we look after the bees, the bees will in turn look after us. We have planted over 60 Apple, Pear & Cherry trees, as well as other plants and flowers the bees and birds thrive off.

When there is a surplus of Honey from a good Spring/Summer we will carefully harvest this from the hive. We always make sure the bees have a sufficient amount of honey to survive the winter.

Distillery Tour & Tasting

Regular price £25.00

DESCRIPTION

Visit the beautiful medieval Mousehall Country Estate, discover the story of Mousehall and how our products are produced…

Mousehall Spirits Tour & Tasting: A 90-minute tutored 6-part tasting of our spirits and their components and a complimentary Gin & Tonic on arrival. A 10% discount is available on any purchase of spirits from the Distillery.

Mousehall Wine Tasting (COMING SOON)

Mousehall Grazing Platter: a selection of local cheeses, homemade dips preserves & pickles and Mousehall bread & crackers. Book in advance by adding a platter to your cart at checkout. Please add additional platters according to your group size and please notify us of any food allergies.

Important information:

– Once your booking is confirmed, you will receive further information before your visit.

– As the Distillery & Winery is not heated due to regulations, please dress appropriately on cooler days.

-Our facilities are wheelchair friendly.

– Please let us know if you are celebrating a special occasion on checkout.

Happy International Gin & Tonic Day!

Today is the perfect excuse to enjoy a Gin & Tonic or three.

You can be sure we will be sipping on a few of these later as we celebrate the end of a busy Mousehall 2023 grape harvest.

This is also a polite reminder to stock up on Mousehall Gin in time for the Rugby Word Cup semi-finals between England and South Africa on Saturday.

Planning a special event? Contact us!

Mousehall offers Distillery Tours & Tastings, Private Events and Functions, Luxury Accommodation in the Oast house and if you’re looking to stretch your legs, there is a foot path that takes you straight past the Distillery & Winery so you can explore the beautiful medieval Sussex countryside.

LUXURY ACCOMMODATION

Mousehall Oast

Mousehall Oast is the perfect escape for those looking to relax and recharge in the beauty of the Sussex countryside! Situated only an hour by train ride from London, Mousehall Oast is surrounded by ancient woodlands, hedgerows and Mousehall vineyards, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

SLEEPS 6

BOOKABLE ALL YEAR ROUND

SELF CATERING

Mousehall Oast, a recently renovated 18th Century traditional oast house, consists of three South-facing, en-suite bedrooms, an open-plan dining area & sitting room (with a sofa bed) with a wood-burning stove, fully-equipped kitchen, with bar counter, laundry/boot room and ground floor cloakroom. A large outdoor south-facing terrace with BBQ facilities – the perfect place for alfresco dining.

The Kiln bedroom is situated on the ground floor in the roundel, with a Super King-sized bed (or option of two single beds). It has an ensuite shower room, with basin and toilet. The Kiln bedroom has a garden view.

The Roundel bedroom, situated on the first floor at the top of the stairs, has both south- and north-facing windows, overlooking the garden, ancient woodlands as well as Mousehall vineyards. This bedroom has a king-sized bed and en-suite shower room, with basin & toilet.

The Hop Press is the largest bedroom, with a Super King-sized bed, walk-in shower, beautifully appointed copper bath, large vanity unit, separate toilet and plenty of cupboard space. The original beams, revealed during renovation gives additional height to the room. The unique windows & skylights in this bedroom allow views of the surrounding gardens, ancient woodlands & vineyards.

Each of the bedrooms has been individually & uniquely decorated in keeping with the beauty of the Sussex countryside. All linen is 400TC white Egyptian cotton.