One half of the pair, Prof. Katherine Smart, has a doctorate in Brewing and Distilling, has lectured at both Oxford and Cambridge universities and was previously global head brewer at a multinational beverage maker. The other half has a PhD in biochemistry, is a qualified distiller and previously provided consultancy services to distillers and breweries. Copperfield vol. 1, their flagship gin, is a supremely high-quality spirit – rich with juniper and exceptionally smooth. It is handcrafted in small batches in a traditional copper pot, and its botanicals (Orris Root, Angelica, Liquorice, Coriander, Lemon Peel) are straight from the 1757 edition of the original distilling book, ‘The Complete Distiller’ – about as traditional as it’s possible to get. Katherine stumbled across this original recipe when building her distilling library, and resurrected it. You can even see the original 18th century scribbles on the inside of the bottle label. The approach has been deployed to significantly lower CO 2 emissions across the distilling process. A modern example of a classic, dry gin, Dartmouth Gin burst onto the scene 18 months ago – and has been scooping up industry awards left, right and centre ever since. That balance I was just talking about? That stands Copperfield in pretty good stead when it comes to the ultimate test. It makes a martini that’s squarely classical, rather traditional. Which I like.

Copperfield London Dry Gin Volume Three is juniper-led and exceptionally smooth with traditional winter spice notes and subtle hints of bitter orange. There’s a fantastic marzipan smoothness holding the whole thing together. As that implies, there’s a touch of sweetness, but that’s balanced by pepper and spice and, yeah, a bit of fire. Lime comes through towards the end, cutting the creaminess rather nicely. That sounds as if there’s a lot going on (which there is), but this is far from a try-hard gin. It’s pretty clean and subtle, in fact. I think that subtlety betrays a great deal of careful tasting and balancing on the part of the makers. I give it grade A for a Martini. We’ve enlisted the help of Michael Dunnett-Stone, founder of Craftr.co.uk, the craft spirit marketplace, to help. From traditional to modern, these are his top five. Copperfield Vol.1, Surrey Copper DistilleryHaving made a name for themselves making fine English wine, Lance and Caroline Whitehead turned their attention to the spirit that was Lance’s drink of choice during his time in the RAF. They sourced a beautiful still from Germany, local water from their estate and botanicals from around the world. The resulting flavour of Dartmouth gin is relatively complex, with botanicals ranging from aromatic cubeb berries to Scotch pine. The overriding sense is that of a well-made classic – smooth and full-flavoured. Serve with lemon juice, half a teaspoon of sugar, mint leaves and light tonic for a perfect Mint Julep. Juniper rich, lightly floral with woody spice Copperfield London Dry Gin is round and smooth with good complexity and length. Beyond the warm juniper taste, there are undertones of Darjeeling tea, vanilla pods, nutmeg and citrus flavours.

Pop the orange in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil the simmer for 30 minutes, or until tender. Keep the water level is topped up. Our gin making process and carefully selected botanical ingredients provide the very best spirit flavour and aroma experiences. A measure of Copperfield London Dry Gin poured over ice, add a premium tonic water and garnish with fresh lemon peel and a single mint leaf In line with gins of the 18 th century just 10 carefully selected botanicals are used (juniper, angelica, orris root, liquorice, cubeb berries, lemon peel, elderflower, caraway, cardamom and coriander). Hydrogen fuel cell technologies can be implemented today across a wide-range of applications as demonstrated by our collaboration with our neighbours at The Surrey Copper Distillery.Let’s start with a traditional gin. You can tell a lot about a distillery and its products from the people behind it. In the case of Surrey Copper Distillery, the husband and wife founders are nothing short of experts – true distilling nerds. With the first volume of their book-inspired gin range done, Katherine and Chris just needed to name their distillery. In the end, they took inspiration from their local pub. As residents of an idyllic Surrey village, the couple had spent a lot of time there as their family grew, including many a Christmas with a mince pie and a pint. They couldn’t help but take in the local lore.

The special edition ‘Copperfield H 2 Gin’ is being produced in a limited initial batch of 500 bottles and went on sale 6 December.A measure of Copperfield London Dry Gin Volume 3 poured over ice. Add a floral tonic water with seasonal berries such as raspberries or strawberries.

As Chris explains, “The pub has a lot of history, and is said to be where, centuries ago, a local police officer arrested a gang of regulars who also happened to be sheep rustlers. He became known as ‘The Surrey Copper’ and it just seemed to fit with the rest of our thinking.”Equally distinctive is the beautiful bottle that Hollie has designed for their gin. Kensington grandeur at its finest, and a delightful addition to any drinks cabinet. So. A fine martini and a fine G&T. Indeed, I’d go so far as to say that Copperfield Gin is the kind of thing of which you could happily partake every night and not get bored. In line with gins of the 18 th century just 10 carefully selected botanicals are used (juniper, angelica, orris root, liquorice, cubeb berries, lemon peel, elderflower, caraway, cardamom and coriander). Juniper rich, lightly floral with woody spice Copperfield London Dry Gin is round and smooth with good complexity and length. It has been developed Copperfield as a ‘sipping gin’ that can be enjoyed unmixed over ice but which also marries well with selected premium tonics. A special thistle shaped glass has been selected to enhance the olfactory experience. It is based on a vintage design. The Copperfield gin harnesses the ingenuity of two local businesses to demonstrate creative ways in which clean hydrogen can be used to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and support the transition to a zero-carbon future.”