Coxhorne Farm, London Rd, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL52 6UY, UK
Sibling Gin Fascinating Distillery
ABOUT US
SIBLING TIMELINE
2013
Sibling launched to the market in June 2014, we are a team of two brothers and two sisters (Felix, Clarice, Cicely and Digby) and have always dreamt of running a business together!
We grew up with our parents running a microbrewery (Felix started working every weekend in the brewery when he was just 12 years old) and we had always admired our parents hard work and determination when it came to making real ales. However, having spent our weekends and bank holidays as teenagers helping out, it didn’t seem like the most exciting business to launch ourselves into post-school!
2014
None of us had gone to university, so had no formal qualifications, but after making and selling Sloe Gin on a farmer’s market a year or two previously (unsurprisingly it sold well a week before Christmas!) we had a belief that with our youthful enthusiasm and creative ideas we really could make a bit of a splash in the distilling world.
2015
Call it naivety or call it ambition, but early on we decided that we didn’t just want to flavour a ready made neutral spirit as is commonplace in the industry, but we wanted to see the process through from start to finish ourselves. We didn’t want all of those years served in the brewery to be wasted! We really didn’t realise how rare this was, but once we had committed to it, there was no turning back.
2016
We spent almost a year working on our botanical mix, trialling hundreds of variations on hundreds of people (it was a pretty confusing spreadsheet!) but once we had agreed on a direction it was time to find a distillery that fit the style of gin that we wanted to make. This was when we met our first major problem. Lack of money.
2017
Distilleries are not cheap, especially the traditional, copper-clad stills (check out the price of Arnold Holstein ‘stills if you want a fright!) but we were determined that we could make this work. We needed an alternative – and luckily one appeared in front of us.
An Australian designer had created a new type of still, made out of mainly glass and stainless steel with copper only where you need it.
It was the first of its type in the world and it had only been made on a micro scale before. However, we were prepared to take a punt on it working full scale, so, at a bargain price, we had it shipped over and built it in what was the (rarely used) sales office in our parent’s brewery.
2018
Luckily it worked. In fact, it worked so well that we had weekly emails from other distillers asking to come and visit to see it! The ‘still was special because it allowed vapour infusion of botanicals, which helped us to achieve the light, fresh flavours that we were obsessed with creating. On top of this, it also means we are able to put a fresh set of botanicals in every 18 litres for absolute quality assurance. As a bonus we think it looks pretty cool too!
2019
Once we had the ‘still, the recipe and the bottle (you’ll notice lots of hidden meanings in the bottle design, including everything being based on 4 sided shapes to signify the four corners of our business) we were ready to reveal it to the world.
The early days of our business revolved around walking into bars and trying to convince bartenders it was worth having a premium gin behind the bar and going to farmers markets and giving out tasters to convince the public that premium gins did, in fact, taste different to the most famous, budget brands.
It seems like a lifetime ago, now that most towns has its own craft gin brand! But gradually we built a customer base of amazing independent retailers and bars as well as growing our local customer base who would come to see us at our tiny distillery to buy a bottle, or even order a bottle through our website (which had been built by a school friend!).
2020
However, it didn’t take long for things to step up a gear. We were thrilled in our second year of production to win the full 3* at the Great Taste Awards (those who know, will know how tough that is!) and to be named the Cotswolds Local Food and Drink Supplier of the Year.
This gave us the confidence to approach some of the most prestigious names in the industry and we ended up selling gin to outlets that left us a little star struck – we even ended up in the Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge Christmas window display – and we have never looked back.
2021
We are so proud to work with some of the great independent retailers, bars and fine dining restaurants of the country, it is something that we never take for granted.
We are also so grateful that customers return month after month to our website to continue to buy gin, nothing makes us happier than seeing a familiar name in our orders inbox in the morning!
2022
In late 2019, we moved to our new, purpose built distillery on Coxhorne Farm on the edge of Cheltenham, where we were able to bring our family brewery with us. This is going to be our home for the foreseeable future and we have plenty of growing space here.
Although we are just a small, craft business, we do have big ambitions. It has been very important to us not to compromise our ethics of start to finish production, so we have grown at a rate that has allowed this, but as we have become busier we have been able to bring more friends and family into the business. We call it the mad-house, and we love it when our customers drop in to say hello!
NEW! SIBLING FRENCH 75 DRY GIN
£40.00
Probably our most luxurious gin, our French 75 Dry Gin is made using champagne-blend grape skins from our local Dryhill Vineyard, along with whole slices of fresh lemon; it is bright and fresh, with a subtle hint of the classic cocktail (you can check out the recipe for this post WW1 creation on our cocktails page). Personally, we don’t think you can get much better than a combination of gin, champagne and lemon!
There are vibrant touches of lemon and a classic undertone of juniper on the nose, whilst the flavour is full bodied, with a whole bunch of citrus and floral tones all elevated by a richness that comes from the grapes and a subtle sweetness from the touch of vanilla.
The finish is long, elegant and wonderfully light, with sweeter citrus notes that are brilliantly moreish – we hope you love this one as much as we do!
Serve this gin with regular tonic, plenty of ice, a twist of lemon peel and a sprig of rosemary. This extra herby element brings even more complexity to the drink and was also a classic way of serving the original cocktail.
Tasting Notes
Probably our most luxurious gin, our French 75 Dry Gin is made using champagne-blend grape skins from our local Dryhill Vineyard, along with whole slices of fresh lemon; it is bright and fresh, with a subtle hint of the classic cocktail.
Personally, we don’t think you can get much better than a combination of gin, champagne and lemon!
There are vibrant touches of lemon and a classic undertone of juniper on the nose, whilst the flavour is full bodied, with a whole bunch of citrus and floral tones all elevated by a richness that comes from the grapes and a subtle sweetness from the touch of vanilla.
The finish is long, elegant and wonderfully light, with sweeter citrus notes that are brilliantly moreish – we hope you love this one as much as we do!
SIBLING ORIGINAL GIN
£25.00 – £40.00
Our original Triple Distilled Gin has become renowned for its modern, fresh profile. Subtle notes of fresh citrus and light juniper lead, while distinctive tones of vanilla and blueberry round off some of the sharper fore-flavours and give the gin its characteristic smoothness. Best served with a small slice of orange, a twist of orange peel or blueberries, this is an easy drinking and versatile gin.
If you are sending as a gift you can order a card from our shop and we can hand write it for you, just leave your message in the notes section at checkout checkout! https://www.siblingdistillery.com/shop/greetings-cards/
Delivery will require a signature from an over 18 – we are unable to leave a package (even in a ‘safe place’) without a signature.
Tasting Notes
Renowned for its smooth and luxurious flavour, our Original Gin was one of the trailblazers in the early years of the gin revolution! When we launched Sibling, we knew that due to our age and the fact that we didn’t have the heritage other brands enjoyed, we had to make sure that the first thing we released was genuinely different and stood up to the heavy scrutiny it was bound to get!
We make our own base spirit, so we know that the base of our gin is extremely pure. When you combine this with the fact that we vapour infuse our botanicals, it means we can use very delicate flavours to create an exceptionally refreshing gin. Notes of fresh blueberry and Madagascan vanilla pods elevate the classic London Dry botanicals and allow the flavour to finish on a smooth, rounded note. The light juniper and fresh citrus zests bring a different, more classic element and complete the flavour; whilst very subtle spice from cubeb berries brings the Asian influence that gin fans have loved for centuries!
Having won some of the industries most prestigious awards, it makes us so proud to see this gin served around the globe in some of the world’s best gin bars.
SIBLING NEGRONI GIN
£25.00 – £40.00
First mixed for Count Camillo Negroni in Florence in 1919, the Negroni is a classic aperitivo cocktail, famous for its bitter but balanced flavour.
We have taken inspiration from the cocktail to create a gin that mixes with tonic to make a fresh and herbal G&T, best served with tonic, a slice of orange and ice. With a mix of botanical flavours, we have crafted a small taste of Italy from our Cotswold based distillery.
If you are sending this bottle as a gift (lucky them!) you can add a gift tag by leaving us your desired message in the notes section at checkout; this will be attached to the neck of the bottle at no extra cost.
38% – 70cl – Negroni Inspired Gin
Tasting Notes
Our Negroni Inspired Gin is a first-of-it’s-kind dry gin, where all of the botanicals used to flavour it are inspired by the cocktail that it is named after. First made in the early 1900s in Northern Italy the cocktail has gradually risen in popularity due to its sharp, fresh flavours (check out a Negroni on our cocktails page for more information!). This gin was probably the most difficult to create, but we think it was worth the effort!
If you like the aperitivo flavours of Italy (think Aperol and Campari) and the refreshing flavours of a G&T, then this is a gin for you. Made using huge amounts of citrus, bitter Italian herbs and with more spice than any of our other gins, this is a real gin-lovers gin with a genuinely unique flavour.
Perfect for those who love a Negroni but also those who find them a bit too intense, it has an exciting, in your face, zesty flavour – we love it and are really proud of it!
SIBLING SPRING EDITION GIN
£25.00 – £40.00
As with our original gin, this spring edition gin is 100% made from scratch to the Sibling quality, then infused with fresh lemon zest and rosemary. This is the perfect gin for a spring G&T, served with a slice of lemon and lots of ice.
These gins are flavoured and coloured naturally, so over time the colour may fade. Shake before use if left untouched for a long period.
If you are sending this bottle as a gift (lucky them!) you can add a gift tag by leaving us your desired message in the notes section at checkout; this will be attached to the neck of the bottle at no extra cost.
38%, 70CL, lemon and rosemary infusions.
Tasting Notes
This bright, zesty spring edition gin is the perfect drink for an early evening G&T, made using hand prepared lemon zest and fresh rosemary sprigs along with a complex botanical mix. Like all of our gins it is triple distilled before the zests and herbs are infused, post distillation. This brings a real hit of natural lemon flavour, followed by a soft, savoury hint of rosemary taking the edge off the natural sweetness.
Like all of our seasonal gins, this is still full gin strength and made to be mixed – have some fun with cocktails and G&Ts with this perfect aperitif gin.
SIBLING SUMMER EDITION GIN
£25.00 – £40.00
As with our original gin, this seasonal is 100% made from scratch to the Sibling quality, then infused with fresh strawberries and homemade black pepper syrup. This is the perfect gin for a summer G&T, served with a sliced strawberry, some fresh basil and lots of ice.
These gins are flavoured and coloured naturally, so over time the colour may fade. Shake before use if left untouched for a long period.
If you are sending this bottle as a gift (lucky them!) you can add a gift tag by leaving us your desired message in the notes section at checkout; this will be attached to the neck of the bottle at no extra cost.
38%, 70CL, strawberry and black pepper infusions.
Tasting Notes
This gin tastes like summer in a cup. Made using locally sourced, whole strawberries, it is fully of rich, British berry sweetness. To balance this out, we infuse some beautiful black pepper, which just takes the edge off the sweetness in a very subtle way. Perfect for warm summers evenings (or to remind you of those mythical British summer days) this gin is one that we all have in our homes year round!
SIBLING AUTUMN EDITION GIN
£25.00 – £40.00
As with our original gin, this seasonal is 100% made from scratch to the Sibling quality, then infused with fresh apples, blackberries and homemade cardamom syrup. This is the perfect gin for an autumnal G&T, with bright, fresh flavours. Served with a couple of blackberries, regular tonic and lots of ice.
These gins are flavoured and coloured naturally, so over time the colour may fade. Shake before use if left untouched for a long period.
If you are sending this bottle as a gift (lucky them!) you can add a gift tag by leaving us your desired message in the notes section at checkout; this will be attached to the neck of the bottle at no extra cost.
38%, 70CL, apple, blackberry and cranberry infusions.
Tasting Notes
Fruity, spicy and complex, our Autumn edition is anything but your regular fruit gin. We use hand chopped Pink Cripps apples, whole blackberries and a floral, spicy hit of cardamom to balance the sweetness. Inspired by a business trip that we took to Sweden, the flavours of this gin really take us to bonfire night and a round of family G&Ts whilst our dad tries to light a fire!
SIBLING WINTER EDITION GIN
£25.00 – £40.00
As with our original gin, this seasonal is 100% made from scratch to the Sibling quality, then infused with fresh cranberries and clementine peel. This is the perfect gin for an winter G&T, with bitter-sweet flavours. Served with orange peel, regular tonic or ginger ale and lots of ice.
These gins are flavoured and coloured naturally, so over time the colour may fade. Shake before use if left untouched for a long period.
If you are sending this bottle as a gift (lucky them!) you can add a gift tag by leaving us your desired message in the notes section at checkout; this will be attached to the neck of the bottle at no extra cost.
38%, 70CL, cranberry and clementine infusions.
Tasting Notes
Although the last of the seasons, our Winter Edition was actually the first seasonal we ever produced. The idea was to create festive flavours for a Christmas themed gin, but at the last minute we decided to change the name to Winter Edition in case we had some left over after Christmas – oh how wrong we were!
It sold out within 24 hours and it’s not hard to see why. Flavoured with whole cranberries and hand prepared clementine zest, it is bright in colour and even brighter in flavour, sharp, citrusy and sweet it is sure to be a crowd pleaser when you have family or friends around!
DISTILLERY TOURS
Our full distillery tours are not you average gin experience! We will take you through every element of our business, from the botanicals, to our version of production, to the history of our distillery and of the industry in general. We offer tasting of the full range of our gins, buffet food, a gin pub quiz and on top of all of that, unlimited G&Ts throughout!
Come and experience what it takes to create craft gins like ours, work with your siblings and navigate a business in one of the most competitive industries in the UK.
We really love hosting these tours and sharing the knowledge we have built up over the years, so we hope to see you here soon.
Available tour dates are updated throughout the year but these are not always at the same time/day regularly.
We offer private bookings on request.
TASTING OF THE FULL RANGE
G&TS THROUGHOUT
BUFFET LUNCH/DINNER
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IN DEPTH TALKS ON EACH ELEMENT OF THE DISTILLERY
GIN PUB QUIZ
We love to host. Anything from a small birthday celebration or hen party or even a full company work do, we can create a bespoke solution for you and your group. We are also happy to travel and have hosted events off-site for as few as 6 people and as many as 5,000, we are quite resourceful!
For a price list of different private party options and a quick chat about the best choice for you, please contact Cicely on cicely@siblingdistillery.com or 07882125969
Buy a Sibling Distillery Gift Voucher to be spent anywhere on our website!
A LONG TIME COMING…
by Felix | May 9, 2023 |
As a business, we have generally done things the old fashioned way. When making gins, this is really good, but when it comes to technology and the internet, it’s not so good. We spend so much of our time perfecting our gins, that we have left it far too long since we made any changes to our website; but that has now been remedied!
Welcome to our brand new website.
After *literally* years of people asking for our cocktail recipes and how our business started, we have finally got round to creating pages to answer those questions. We now have a better enquiry form for the public, as well as one specifically for potential trade customers too and have made shopping through our range of bottles (and sizes) much easier.
This was no mean feat, and has actually been a work in progress for almost a year (it’s hard when you have so much gin to make) but we are really glad to finally have it up and running.
You should also find it a smoother process when booking tours, workshops or gift vouchers and also have a conclusive FAQ section. We will be constantly adding to the website and certainly won’t be leaving it another seven years before we edit it again!
If you haven’t already signed up to our mailing list, it is certainly worth doing as you will be the first to know about any new releases, offers or limited time promotions as well as drinks ideas and gift ideas (just open our website again and you should be prompted if you haven’t already signed up). However, don’t expect to hear from us too often, we’ve got gin to make!
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