The Inspiration

Inspired by the coastal vitality of Salcombe and its shipbuilding heritage, Salcombe Distilling Co. creates exceptional gins at its waterside distillery on Island Street, Salcombe; one of the world’s only distilleries directly accessible by boat.

Salcombe Fruiters were schooner sailing vessels built in Salcombe and neighbouring Kingsbridge in the 19th century. They were small and fast to carry the highly perishable cargo of fresh fruits and spices from around the world. With copper sheathed hulls and an ability to sail close to the wind, these ships were amongst the fastest of their day.

Harnessing the essence of these ships’ precious cargo and their exotic trading routes, we use only the finest citrus fruits and spices to create Salcombe Gin.

The Approach

Every drop of Salcombe Gin is distilled with an unrivalled passion, care and attention to detail.

Our gin is handcrafted using the more traditional ‘one shot’ method, on ‘Provident’, our striking 450 litre copper pot still which stands proud for all to see at our distillery in Salcombe.

We use the finest of botanicals, hand sourced from around the world, many of which have been traced back to the global maritime trading routes and cargoes once carried by the Salcombe Fruiters. Each of the botanicals we use has a story to tell, none are mass produced, all are traceable to their source and all are picked at their best. We are uncompromisingly fussy about their quality.

Of utmost importance and often overlooked in gin distillation is the quality of the water used for blending. We know that water plays an important part in creating our phenomenally smooth collection of gins which is why we blend our gins with Dartmoor water; some of the softest and purest water in England, sourced from high up in the wilds of Dartmoor National Park.