It’s become something of a tradition that when my friend comes to visit me in London we visit a gin distillery for a tour and tasting. This time, we booked to visit Hayman’s Gin Distillery in south London (nearest station Balham).
We arrived in good time and enjoyed a complimentary G&T while we waited for the session to begin. I hadn’t had Hayman’s gin before but I have to say it was really lovely – I would definitely drink it again.
Hayman’s is a long-standing distillery in London, founded in 1863 by James Burrough, who pioneered the London Dry style of gin. His descendants Christopher, James and Miranda still run the business today. The current distillery in Balham is relatively new, and the space allows the family to host events celebrating the history and manufacture of gin.
Our tour began with a short talk about the history of Hayman’s gin, before we headed downstairs to learn more about the botanicals present in the traditional recipe. We got to have a go at mixing our own blends using a pestle and mortar – it was impressive how different all our efforts smelled, showing the importance of creating the perfect blend to finalise the desired taste.
After that we had a look at the copper stills – Marjorie, Karin and Miranda, named after the women in the Hayman family – and learned more about the gin-making process. After that it was time for the gin tasting. We sampled three varieties of gin, traditional, exotic citrus and sloe, and enjoyed experiencing the differences between each one.
Finally, we made our way out of the distillery in order to find lunch, having had a great experience.
FACTS
Address: 8a Weir Road, London, SW12 0GT
Website: haymansgin.com
Opening Hours: See website for tour & tasting times; the shop is open Mon-Fri and some Saturdays
Prices: £25 for the gin tour & tasting