One of the most prestigious craft producers in the UK, the Dyfi Distillery based at Corris Craft Centre, near Machynlleth, has released its first new gin for two years.
Navigation Gin – the distillery owns this trademark for gin, along with its Pollination and Hibernation labels – has been bottled at 57% alcohol.
This was traditionally the strength at which the Navy could test that their barrels hadn’t been tampered with, because gunpowder could still be ignited when immersed in something so strong.
Before the days of accurate testing, this was proof of strength and is also where the word ‘proof’ originated when describing the alcohol level of spirits. 57% alcohol is in fact 100 degrees proof!
“We’ve become well known for taking a long time to bring a new concept to market and this is no exception,” explained co-founder Danny Cameron. “It has been another two-year journey to create something genuinely unique, distilling a precise blend of shoreline and historic botanicals and then ageing the result in an ancient Madeira wine barrel.
“This ageing technique has never been done before with gin in modern times and the results taste like nothing else currently out there. But, in common with other Navy Strength Gins, a little goes a long way!”
It has been another busy year for the Dyfi Distillery, having again been shortlisted for the Great British Food Awards Best Gin Trophy. which it won in both 2017 and 2018, and recently becoming the first distillery to receive United Nations accreditation for its environmental approach.
The Dyfi Distillery operates from within the Dyfi UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and is, unusually for a distillery of its size, frequently open to passing visitors. It is located within the Corris Craft Centre, a hub for thriving independent craft producers.
