Three Wrens x Barlows UK Ltd
This year, with the help of the local award-winning Gin Distillery, Three Wrens, we created our very own craft Gin. Using hand-picked, local ingredients, we have managed to create a real taste of Cheshire!
Three Wrens opened in August 2019 by owner and master distiller, Nick, to fulfil a long-standing ambition by creating his own brand of gin. Prior to opening his own distillery, Nick had spent 20 years in the drinks & spirits industry. His career started in Manchester where he was an award-winning mixologist, ran high end bars and competed in cocktail competitions all over the world. Nick then became a cocktail bar owner, and more recently held the position of brand manager for a global, award-winning gin.
The location of the distillery is incredible, surrounded by outstanding countryside just 3 miles away from our Head Office! Ancient woodlands with up to 50 edible plant varieties of roots, shrubs and flowers, are all within a few minutes-walk. They grow their own herbs and flowers to use in the gins they make, and they pick them from literally right outside their doors.
Barlows Gin
The team at Three Wrens have distilled Barlows’ Gin with Juniper, locally foraged bilberries, hibiscus flowers and five other botanicals. The main ingredients were locally sourced and hand-picked from Bickerton, less than 4 miles away from our Head Office! We picked local ingredients because local food is fresher, healthier and tastes better as it spends less time in transit therefore loses fewer nutrients and incurs less spoilage. The shorter distribution chains mean less travel meaning less fuel is being used generating fewer greenhouse gases.
How it’s made
Step 1 – Base spirit (made from wheat) is poured into the still along with the botanicals and heated up. The heat extracts the flavour from the botanicals and the alcohol evaporates.
Step 2 – Once the alcohol is evaporating, it travels through the still and cooled down with water, the gin is released into a tank as a 90% alcohol.
Step 3 – The Gin is then poured into separate copper tanks where more of the fresh botanicals are left to slowly infuse over 24 hours, to bring out more flavour and add a natural colour.
Step 4 – Water is added to the Gin to bring down the proof to the drinkable 41.3%!
For more information about Three Wrens Gin Distillery, visit their website here.
