Words by Lowenna Merritt
The artisan spirits of Rosemullion Distillery are produced organically, by hand and with love.
Set in the rural Cornish countryside near the sparkling Helford river, Rosemullion Distillery keeps its production small to guarantee the best quality and care. Back in 2018, husband and wife Andy and Liz Bradbury began to combine their 45-plus years of experience in industrial chemistry with their genuine passion for beautiful flavours in order to create what is now their multi-award-winning collection of artisan British spirits. From fruity and floral gin to rich chocolatey rum, their range is handcrafted and organically flavoured to produce the most luxurious of Cornish spirits.
At Rosemullion Distillery, everything is done from scratch. They are one of very few distilleries in the area to completely create the base spirit themselves, using Cornish rainwater and molasses, and this sets the tone for the authenticity of their products. This allows them to have complete control of the taste and quality of their spirits, which are then flavoured with organic botanicals and a touch of Cornish sunshine. Produced in small batches of just 100 bottles at a time, all spirits are handcrafted in a bespoke hand-built copper still, and this maintains Rosemullion’s reputation as a true artisan distillery. Based on traditional recipes and flavoured with natural, local ingredients, each product is carefully tried and tested to ensure it is of the utmost quality and flavour. Indeed, a passion for the craft is what gives Rosemullion’s products their sparkle. “Distilling and fermenting are clearly very scientific procedures. But it’s only when you mix this with genuine emotional investment that you end up with something special,” says Liz.
Gin and rum must be flavoured carefully for the taste to harmonise with the natural essence of the spirit. Therefore, at Rosemullion they always take humble, organic ingredients and gently infuse them throughout the production process. As Liz says, they have mastered a small collection of flavours which work perfectly. “We’ve now ended up with a family of high-quality spirits which we are extremely proud of, and we continue to push ourselves to create amazing flavours.” The star of their gin collection is the Seafarer’s Gin – it attempts to capture the essence of Cornwall in a bottle, and with foraged ingredients from the Cornish coastline, this drink is reminiscent of salty sea spray and fresh coastal air. The gin is primarily flavoured with locally sourced samphire and three types of Cornish seaweed, and has notes of a dozen carefully selected botanicals, including juniper, orange, orris, angelica root, cassia, lemon, and liquorice. The final product is a peppery gin, and its strong stormy sea flavours work best served as part of a simple G&T – paired with premium Indian tonic water and a slice of lemon.
Rosemullion’s lovingly crafted gin selection celebrates the seasons. For a lighter, fresher taste, they produce an award-winning Summer Gin, made traditionally with juniper, citrus and summer fruits including redcurrant, raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant and hints of mint. Receiving Gold in the SIP awards in 2019 and 2020, this drink is the perfect accompaniment to a sunny evening. For later in the year, the autumn fruit-infused Harvest Gin has a strong, warming flavour and was also awarded Gold in the ‘Flavoured/Infused Gin’ category. And for a classic, modern flavour that can be enjoyed all year round, the bold Dry Gin is a harmonious blend of juniper, botanicals and citrus fruits, satisfying any gin lovers palate. Receiving awards from the likes of the London Spirits Awards, San Francisco World
Spirits Competition and the US Spirit ratings, the careful nurturing of their products from production to sales has evidently paid off.
Their rum collection has achieved equal world success thanks to its oak-aged, smooth and hearty taste. The 2020 World Rum awards granted Gold to both the Spiced Rum and Gold Rum, both of which exemplify what an organic rum should be. Delighted judges commented on the Gold Rum’s tones of “tropical pineapple, mango and slightly overripe tropical fruit” and “light floral notes and a lovely citrus lemon and lime aroma.” On the Spiced Rum, the judges equally commended the “nose of heavy citrus zest and oils, cloves, ginger, and subtle spice”, describing the drink as a “complex start on the palate, with an orange chocolate finish dominant. Warming, spicy, interesting, and balanced.” For the ultimate indulgence, their Chocolate Rum is carefully aged with chocolate, raspberry and mango, creating the perfect warming spirit to go with a glass of Coca-Cola. Proud owners of a small but much loved and highly commended family of spirits, Rosemullion Distillery has the confidence and the knowledge needed to master the art of spirit creation.
With a passion for flavour and an abundance of expertise, Rosemullion Distillery are reintroducing craft processes to gin and rum production in a way that causes the spirits to resonate with their organic roots. Taking inspiration from the Cornish scenery and seasons, their artisan collection of delicate gins and warming rums continues to grow and evolve.