Gin on the wagon…
Tucked away on the southern edge of Dartmoor, near Plymouth in Devon, Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa won the prestigious 2019 Hotel Spa of the Year in Western Europe & Scandinavia; and is a byword for five-star luxury dinning and comfort, as well as pampering.
So, when our Gin Scouts, Bill and Lesley, presented us with a bottle of the gin from the Grade I listed, 16thcentury establishment we were somewhat surprised that the relatively small, 42 bedroomed hotel was offering its own brand gin – but in fact, it is being produced for the hotelier by a local, artisan distiller ‘Still on the Move’, which does exactly what it says, err… on the Volkswagen …
The entrepreneur and ‘ginius‘ behind the UK’s first mobile distillery is Cosmo Caddy, who rescued ‘Ginny,’ a 1973 VW Pickup, and lovingly restored her and “racked his brains for ways to put her to work.” The result? Still on the Move was born.
With his much-loved Dubs, Cosmo travels all over the UK to create bespoke gins for weddings, corporate events and private parties – as well as making ‘house gins’ for bars, pubs and restaurants. Which is how Boringdon Gin came into being; distilled in collaboration with the hotel on its grounds using Elderflower, Juniper, Angelica, Pink Pepper, Fennel, Orange Peel and Pink Grapefruit botanicals. The hotel likes to serve this superior spirit with Fever Tree and Pink Grapefruit & Orange zest.
“We supped the warming tipple with Indian tonic and orange, although the 40% distillation is very enjoyable neat. I particularly liked the earthiness imparted from the Fennel – while predictably for me, the spicy Pink Pepper provided the perfect finish.”
Price: £30. Contact the Hall’s Reception Team on 01752 344455 as payments can only be taken over the phone by credit card.
