The beginning of August was pretty full on, trying to hit my deadlines before escaping to Greece for a wonderfully relaxing fortnight, but the rest of it has been pretty quiet. That’s not to say there’s not still a decent dose of booze news and new releases though, so read on to catch up on what you might have missed if you’ve also been taking it easy this month.

Booze News

It’s yet another mixed bag of booze news this month. First of all, big congratulations to Scotland’s North Point Distillery who have recently achieved B Corp certification! Co-founder Alex MacDonald had this to say about their achievement and ambitions: “From our meticulous procurement of sustainable and reusable materials, to the use of cutting-edge plant, equipment and processes to produce our spirits, we are incredibly proud to have achieved B Corp certification. It is something for us to build on and strive to be the most sustainable spirits producer in the UK.”

In other news, Ellers Farm Distillery has bought Bramley and Gage Limited. If that doesn’t mean much to you, Ellers Farm is (in)famously co-owned by comedian Ricky Gervais and home to Dutch Barn Vodka, and in purchasing Bramley and Gage Limited have secured ownership of 6 O’Clock Gin too.

Finally, and very sadly, The Spirit of Manchester Distillery has permanently closed its city-centre site and made its entire workforce redundant. In a post on LinkedIn, co-founder Seb Heeley said the impact of rising costs and taxes made their business model unsustainable but added that Manchester Gin will still continue to be made in the city.

New Gin Alerts

A few new releases have caught my eye this month. To celebrate a decade in business, The Isle of Wight Distillery has released Mermaid 10th Anniversary Gin; a reimagining of their signature gin with the addition of coastal fig leaves and a higher ABV of 46%. Meanwhile, Singapore’s stunning Atlas Bar has released Atlas London Dry Gin which is bottled at 47% ABV and is said to lead with crisp juniper, moving through to citrus, angelica and floral notes. And finally, say hello to Everest Gin. Hand-crafted with botanicals found in the Himalayan foothills – including juniper, coriander, angelica, cardamom, pepper and bay leaf – every bottle is also said to contain a drop of melted snow collected from the summit of Everest by British mountaineer Kenton Cool. It all sounds a bit daft and gimmicky to me but hopefully one day I’ll get to try it and put it to the taste test!

My Month in Gin

The highlight of my month was definitely two weeks in sunny Greece! While most of the fortnight was spent on a quiet island, we did enjoy a few days in Athens where I managed to drag the family to not one, but two top bars! We only managed a quick drink at the The Bar in Front of the Bar (which I loved) but we had a whole evening at The Clumsies where we enjoyed a delicious meal and a selection of cocktails, of which my favourite was undoubtedly the Greek Salad-inspired Mediterranean Gimlet with notes of fresh tomatoes and cucumber, a hint of feta and olives and a sourdough crumb on the outside of the glass. Just heavenly!

It wasn’t all rest and play though. I did squeeze in one day of work judging the IWSC Design Awards 2025 too. It was a great day and a pleasure to see such a wide range of drinks categories and packaging from all across the world, especially the more unusual and playful designs (even if they didn’t necessarily win!). Keep your eyes peeled for the results which will be announced on 1st September.

I also attended the launch of 223 Spirits by Bruce Midgley, formerly of Brentingby Gin. The spirits range consists of a British made vodka and rum, and a gin that has been crafted in collaboration with former Tanqueray Master Distiller Tom Nichol. Described by Bruce as “Brentingby on steroids”, 223 is a London Dry Gin with strong citrus notes from lemon, orange and grapefruit, delicate floral notes and an enjoyable lengthy finish.

Finally, I had a wonderful afternoon at Lyaness getting a sneak peek of their collaboration with Marcelo’s Ice Cream. In addition to tasting the mind-blowing potato ice cream inspired by their Unfiltered Martini, and the exceptional Miso Peanut Bitter Hardshake, we were treated to a selection of cracking cocktails (of which our favourite was the Lyan King) and sensational snacks. It wasn’t my first visit to Lyaness but it did remind me quite how special, and how deserving of all its accolades, it is. If you haven’t been there yet you should do something about it. And soon!

Welcome to My Collection

It would appear the postman has been on holiday this month too (😉) but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some new additions to my collection. On the way out to Greece I picked up a bottle of Sipsmith Grapefruit & Rosemary Gin at Duty Free, and on the way home I couldn’t resist taking a gamble on Grace Gin. I’ve never (knowingly) tried it before but it’s absolutely delicious with tons of juniper to the fore and a robust ABV of 45.7%! And returning home was also made a little easier by the arrival of my pre-ordered copy of Millie Milliken’s Tequila: A Tasting Course which looks fantastic.

Catching Up and Looking Forward

September looks set to get a little busier with some judging, a distillery trip and a big industry bash in the diary. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for my next column in Drinksbiz too. Enjoy!🍸🛎🛎