Two Birds Gin

Two Birds Countryside Spirits, based in the picturesque town of Market Harborough in Leicestershire, was founded in 2012 by Mark Gamble and Lyn Taylor. They distil small batch gins, vodkas and even an absinthe using a bespoke 25 litre copper and brass still, purpose designed and built by Mark, formerly an electrical engineer.

Gin enthusiasts Mark and Lyn decided to start their own micro-distillery to distill craft spirits. After months of patiently filling in and submitting seemingly endless application forms to HMRC, they obtained their distilling licence on 23 February 2012 and Mark set about putting his engineering skills to good use designing a still.

Mark constructed his own copper and brass pot still by hand, creating a completely bespoke still that allows him to control and fine tune every part of the distillation process and distill a wide range of different gins. They christened this one of a kind still Gerard and began experimenting with different botanicals and flavour combinations.

For their flagship gin, they decided to create a classic London dry style. Their recipe uses just five botanicals including juniper, coriander, citrus fruits, orris root and one other botanical that Mark and Lyn keep secret. Mark distills their London Dry Gin in Gerard in small 100 bottle batches, with each run of the still taking around 4 hours. After distillation, they cut their gins down to bottling strength with water sourced locally from natural springs in the Charnwood Forest. Embracing the rich heritage of the English countryside, the bottles are decorated with an organically inked rural woodland motif.

Mark and Lyn launched their first gin in 2013 to widespread critical acclaim, with Two Birds London Dry Gin being crowned Craft Gin of the Year at the inaugural Craft Distiller’s Alliance Awards in 2013. This was followed shortly afterwards with a silver medal at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition.

A classic London dry style, with juniper and pine notes perfectly balanced with citrus fruits and a touch of sweet spice, Two Birds London Dry Gin quickly established itself as a modern classic and a testament to Mark and Lyn’s commitment to quality and craft.

Inspired by the success of their first foray into gin distilling, Mark and Lyn began experimenting with different styles of gin and have added three further gins to their range. First, their Speciality Cocktail Gin, distilled with the same botanicals as their London Dry Gin but with a different distillation technique which accentuates the juniper, resulting in a robust and full flavoured gin ideal for mixing in cocktails.

They have also delved into the history of gin for inspiration and re-created two vintage styles of gin. Their Old Tom Gin is modelled after the sweeter style of gin popular in the 19th Century and is brilliant in classic cocktails – we love it in a Martinez or a Negroni. They have also created a deliciously smooth cask aged gin, rested in pecan and oak barrels for 3 months and bottled at 47.3%. Two Birds Sipping Gin is deliciously rich and spicy, packed full of flavour and great for sipping over ice.

A truly brilliant range of hand crafted artisan gins and a must try for any craft gin enthusiast.