A small independent distillery in Warwickshire has won its first international quality award for a new spiced blended rum launched late last year.
Warwickshire Gin Company’s The Pugilist, inspired by 1950s boxer Randolph Turpin from Leamington Spa, won a bronze in the International Wine and Spirits Competition 2022 (IWSC2022).
The Philosopher’s Daughter, one of several gins made by the Leamington-based craft distillery, also won a bronze.
The word ‘pugilist’ is a lesser used term for a professional boxer. Turpin, known as The Leamington Licker’, became world middleweight champion after he defeated Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951.
Owner Dave Blick, who founded the company in 2018, said: “It’s a pretty cool story. Looking back to have a world champion was a massive deal and Randolph Turpin put Leamington on the world map. His dad was from Guyana and fought in the First World War for the British Army.
“In honour of our local hero we have reached out to his Guyanan heritage and are using imported base rum spirit from the country to retain the cultural link. We then add botanicals including nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel and all spice berries to give it a unique Leamington flavour.
“I am just really chuffed that both The Pugilist and The Philosopher’s Daughter won bronze awards. To receive this recognition so soon after the launch of our rum last September will help to increase awareness internationally about the quality of our spirits.
“And on the back of the awards, we were listed in Selfridges, Birmingham, and approached by some major UK hotels including the Hilton, Crowne Plaza, Qhotels and Marriott.”
The company’s five handcrafted small-batch gins have all been inspired by local history in Coventry and Warwickshire.
The Philosopher’s Daughter was christened after Katherine Dee, the daughter of one of Elizabeth I’s most trusted advisors, John Dee, who was tasked with curing illness and the elixir of life. The Queen encouraged nobles to construct lavish ‘Knot Gardens’ where botanicals were grown – the most romantic of these was at Kenilworth Castle.
Katherine helped her father collect these plants. To complement the flavour of botanicals selected from a Knot Garden this hand-crafted gin includes rosehip peel, rose petals, apple and cherries.
Last year, Kingmaker Dry Gin and Pelota Dry Gin both won an IWSC2021 silver for Gin and Tonic and a bronze for Contemporary Gin. The company also launched a fifth gin, Peeping Tom – named after a character featured in the legendary story of Lady Godiva’s infamous ride in Coventry.
His latest idea is to create a new British vodka.
Dave said post-pandemic, he and his team decided to start running weekly 90-minute gin tastings at the distillery on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, including a tour, which are proving very popular.
The distillery will also be hosting a number of pop-ups over the summer at events including food festivals across the region in Warwick, Coventry, Nuneaton and Leamington.
For further information about the company and to book a £17.50 gin tasting experience visit https://warwickshiregincompany.co.uk/