April 2022
The brainchild of Claire Hyne, distiller of Papillon Gin based in Moretonhampstead, the Devon Gin Guide has been launched to showcase 16 artisan gins being crafted across the county: intended for tourists and locals alike.
Claire and her trusty bicycle have been spotted transporting the printed leaflets/gin map from Exmouth to Newton Abbot and beyond, delivering them to distillers for distribution further afield to pubs, hotels and food & drink festivals – with Claire sometimes camping overnight as she undertook her mission.
We caught up with Claire at Teignworthy Brewery/Dartmoor Distillery in Newton Abbot after an invite from our friend John Lawton, who was awaiting her arrival to accept his pile of leaflets. As well as making craft ales, John is also the distiller of Black Dog and Beast gins, which are all created on the beautiful and historic site of The Maltings.
Claire said: “I started on Saturday morning (2nd April) at Wicked Wolf in the Valley of the Rocks, then went on to Atlantic Spirit in Bideford and Gotland before going home for more copies of the guide. After this stop (at John’s) I am catching a train to Exeter before going across to Sidmouth Gin, then I’m meeting Fossil Coast in Exmouth; and camping tonight. There’s going to be a loop around Torbay, and I’ll finish on Friday.”
Gin enthusiasts wanting to catch up with the distillers featured in the guide can expect to find most of them taking a pitch at the Nourish Festival in Bovey Tracey, due to take place on the 10th of September.
The guide, printed in Exeter, has been laid out by local designer, Studio De Ville in Moretonhampstead, which has done work for Papillon Dartmoor Distillery in the past. It has been curated by Claire, and although 16 distilleries have signed up to the collaborative first edition so far, she expects more to join the scheme for future versions.
Claire can be contacted at [email protected]
