It isn`t every gin distiller who can say they`ve been practising their craft since the age of 11. Ian Hart, who founded Sacred had a father who himself had distilling as a hobby. Hart went to university to study natural sciences but like so many of our brightest, got sucked into the city and didn’t escape until 2007. He went back to distilling with a brilliant business idea of turning Bordeaux into fuller bodied, richer wine by removing some of the water…

He did his historical research back to the time of the first gin boom under William and Mary – an attempt to undermine the French spirits trade – and decided on a complex and ancient blend of botanicals including frankincense, which led to the name Sacred. It took 23 versions before he found what he was looking for. Eventually he gave a bottle to Alessandro Palazzi from Duke’s Hotel, leading to a long friendship and collaboration in producing – especially the Extra Dry – vermouth. Where Sacred differs so radically from other distillers is the use of cold distilling under vacuum. No copper in sight in Ian Hart and HilaryWhitney`s still room, sorry, living room. It is all glassware and small scale lab-like equipment dedicated to the highest quality in these artisanal spirits.

There is a whole range of gins and a Vodka, but it is almost the vermouths that are the most interesting and compelling products. In the UK they fall into the category of aromatised wines and are more or less bitter depending on producer. Now the use of wormwood itself is forbidden on account of its literally blinding properties but the skill of a vermouth producer is that of master blender, seeking and achieving balance in the wines. (CW 21/09/15)