Cheers To Creativity And Sustainability
A collaboration between an award-winning spirits maker and celebrated coffee roaster has resulted in a fabulously smooth vodka that is perfect for an Espresso Martini! Gail Bailey meets the makers
Having recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of their first Cuckoo Gin launch, Brindle Distillery are proud to promote their Supremo Vodka as a celebration of their success.
“Our Cuckoo Supremo Vodka was inspired by working with our local coffee roasters, Roberts & Co,” explains Director and Master Distiller, Mark Long.
This successful collaboration has led to the creation of the hugely popular coffee infused vodka along with a unique Espresso Martini cocktail: “There is a huge appetite for coffee themed cocktails in our distillery bar,” Mark adds. “Colombian coffee beans, along with premium Madagascan vanilla and cacao nibs are vapour infused with 100 per cent British wheat spirit, distilled in the North West of England to create this signature drink.”
Brindle Distillery situated on Holmes Farm, nestled in the beautiful landscape of rural Lancashire, is the producer of Cuckoo gins and spirits. The commitment to quality and attention to every detail has ensured the creation of global award-winning products along with the accolade of recently being a finalist in the coveted Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality category at the Red Rose Awards.
The journey for Mark and the team at Brindle Distillery has been a rollercoaster since they began five years ago, both on a personal basis and of course because of the pandemic: “My wonderful wife has survived cancer whilst we have been building Cuckoo and Covid meant that times were incredibly difficult for lots of businesses,” explains Mark.
“We are extremely grateful to customers who have supported us on our journey, especially ordering online during the pandemic. Collaborating with other local businesses was incredibly important and still is. During the lockdown we worked with a local baker, a local food vendor and with Lancashire Crisps and Rivington Brewery, with whom we created ‘Best of the Best’ gifts during this difficult period.”
A strong local focus is important to Mark and the team at Brindle Distillery. Provenance, sustainability and community are the three key words at the heart of their business ethos. Still operating out of the original working farm, surrounded by a herd of Angus pedigree cattle, wildflower meadows and even their own apiary, the whole team share the vision and values of running a sustainable farm-to-bottle distillery: “Our spirits are handcrafted with dedication, care and passion,” Mark says. “We apply the same hard-working attitude to making spirits as we do to our farming.”
This means early starts growing crops in the fields to writing batch numbers on the bottles – the team oversees the entire process, being hands-on at every stage and the result is award-winning refreshingly smooth spirits, distilled using fresh spring water from the artesian aquifer in the field on the farm.
The collaboration with Roberts & Co was a natural progression as their traditionally roasted coffee was already being served in the Cuckoo’s Nest bar at the distillery.
Based at Cedar Farm, Mawdesley, Roberts & Co source the highest quality, ethically farmed green beans and roast them using a traditional hand-batch method over an open flame – and have been doing for over 130 years!
Amy Roberts of Roberts & Co commented: “When approached by Cuckoo to work together on a coffee vodka we didn’t hesitate. Our Colombian Supremo Single Estate was by far the most popular choice to pair with the spirit. The coffee is grown in the Andes mountains that run through the department of Huila, Colombia. The area’s mineral-rich soil and microclimate contribute to a celebrated taste that’s typically juicy, fruity and complex, with a rich, full body.”
Everybody enjoys an Espresso Martini cocktail and using a vodka already infused with a rich, smooth coffee is the real point of difference for an Espresso Martini served in the Cuckoo’s Nest bar.
Mark adds: “Using our bespoke Supremo Vodka, we eliminate the coffee liqueur element of the Espresso Martini. It’s just rich, indulgent and creamy – perfect!”
01772 323313
info@brindledistillery.co.uk
brindledistillery.co.uk
