Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries.
Vodka is a European clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol, but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally it is made by distilling liquid from fermentedcereal grains. Potatoes have been used in more recent times, and some modern brands use fruits, honey, or maple sap as the base.
Smirnoff is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov (1831–1898). It is now distributed in 130 countries and produced in several countries including Argentina, Albania, Brazil, Honduras, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Mongolia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States. Smirnoff products include vodka, flavoured vodka, and malt beverages. In March 2006, Diageo North America said that Smirnoff vodka was the best-selling distilled spirit brand in the world. In 2015 India's Officer's Choice overtook Smirnoff vodka to become the world's largest selling spirit brand. In 2014, Smirnoff was the best selling vodka across the world.
Blavod (blah-VOD) is an 80-proof black vodka produced in Germany. It is owned by Distil Plc, a British spirits company that also owns RedLeg Rum and Blackwoods Gin.
Plymouth Gin used to be a Protected Geographical Indication that pertained to any gin distilled in Plymouth, England, but this stopped being true in February 2015. Today, there is only one brand, Plymouth, which is produced by the Black Friars Distillery. The Black Friars Distillery is the only remaining gin distillery in Plymouth, in what was once a Dominican Order monastery built in 1431, and opens onto what is now Southside Street. It has been in operation since 1793. The established distilling business of Fox & Williamson began the distilling of the Plymouth brand in 1793. Soon, the business was to become known as Coates & Co., which it remained until March 2004. In 1996, the brand was sold by Allied-Lyons to a management group headed by Charles Rolls who reinvigorated it. After turning the company around, they sold it in 2005 to the Swedish company V&S Group, which also made Absolut Vodka. The brand is now owned and distributed by the French company Pernod Ricard as a result of its purchase of V&S in 2008.
Pimm's is an English brand of gin-based fruit cup, but may also be considered a liqueur, or the basis of a sling or punch. It was first produced in 1823 by James Pimm and has been owned by Diageo since 1997. Its most popular product is Pimm's No. 1 Cup.
Tanqueray is an English brand of gin produced by Diageo plc. It originated in London. In 2016 it displaced Beefeater as the number one global seller. While it does not command a sizable market share in its native market, its largest market is in the United States, where it is the highest-selling gin import, followed by southern Europe.
Gordon's is a brand of London dry gin first produced in 1769. The top markets for Gordon's are the United Kingdom, the United States and Greece. It is owned by the British spirits company Diageo. It is the world's best-selling London dry gin. Gordon's has been the UK's number one gin since the late 19th century. A 40% ABV version for the North American market is distilled in Canada.
Beefeater Gin is a brand of gin owned by Pernod Ricard and bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom, by the company of James Burrough. Beefeater remained in the Burrough's family control until 1987. It is a 47% or 44% alcohol product in the US, and a 40% alcohol product elsewhere in the world. The Beefeater distillery is one of 24 in London.
A fruit cup, also known as a summer cup, is traditionally an English speciality drink designed to be made into a long drink with addition of a soft drink such as lemonade or ginger ale. Most commonly, these are gin-based, although there are some varieties based on other spirits such as vodka. The base gin is flavoured with various herbs, spices, fruits, and botanicals as well as its strength reduced. Fruit cups are typically marketed for the summer months, served with fruit as a cocktail garnish to the drink and to improve the flavour; recommendations include apple, orange, strawberry, lemon, lime, cucumber, mint, and borage leaves.
Blackwood distillery was a Scottish distiller founded in July 2002 with the aim of building Shetland's first Scotch whisky distillery run by Caroline Whitfield. Products included Muckle Flugga whisky, Jago’s cream liqueur and Blackwoods gin and vodka. In May 2008, the company went into administration, but a new company, Catfirth Ltd, was established to continue the whisky business and took over the remaining stocks of whisky. The stocks of the vodka and gin brands were sold to a company called Blavod Extreme Spirits. In 2013, word of further funding came through, with a promise that a distillery will open soon after but by 2015 that had not happened.
Sipsmith is a microdistillery located in London. It is the first copper-pot distillery to open within Greater London' in nearly two centuries. It has been a subsidiary of Beam Suntory since December 2016.
Sacred Spirits is a microdistillery in Highgate, London. It is unusual in that it distills its spirits under a vacuum in glassware, and thus at a lower temperature than traditional pot stills, which operate at atmospheric pressure. The microdistillery operates out of the back room of a residential house, with a vacuum plant in a wendy house in the distiller's back garden. It is an authorised Customs and Excise distillery.
Chase Vodka is a single estate potato vodka made in Herefordshire, England, UK by William Chase, who is also known for founding Tyrrells crisps.
Halewood Artisanal Spirits is a global distiller and distributor of premium artisanal spirits.
Proximo Spirits, Inc., is an American spirits importer and international distributor based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is best known for importing and distributing Jose Cuervo, the world's largest-selling tequila brand.
William Chase, born in Herefordshire, UK. He is the founder of the Tyrrells crisp brand and his current business ventures include Chase Distillery, Ltd. that produces Chase Vodka and Williams Gin.
Chase Distillery, Ltd. is a British single-estate distillery based in Herefordshire, United Kingdom. William Chase, the owner and founder of Tyrrells crisps, founded the family-run business in 2008. Using ingredients sourced on-site at Rosemaund Farm, the distillery focuses its production on potato vodka, gin and cider.
RedLeg is a spiced rum first launched in the United Kingdom in 2012. It is owned by London-based spirits company Distil Plc, which also owns Blavod Black Vodka and Blackwoods Gin. It is distilled in the Caribbean, left to rest in old oak barrels and infused with Jamaican vanilla and ginger, then shipped to the UK for bottling. Its alcohol by volume is 37.5%.
The Borders Distillery, also known as The Three Stills Company, is a malt whisky, gin and vodka production facility in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick. The distillery produces malt whisky, William Kerrs Gin. and vodka and has a visitor centre on Commercial Road.
