Bringing gin production back to Sussex, Blackdown Distillery is not only unique in its location but also its secret ingredient – silver birch sap
Established in 2012, Blackdown Distillery is an award-winning producer of a range of spirits that are handcrafted in small batches. Blackdown gin, the distillery’s flagship drink, is the first modern-day gin to be produced in Sussex. Based on 100 per cent British wheat neutral spirit, it is then infused and distilled with 11 natural botanicals, including juniper and coriander. The next stage is what sets Blackdown apart: after distillation, silver birch sap is added.
There is a small window for harvesting the sap, which owner Sarah Thompson refers to as ‘white gold’, and it takes around 100 gallons to make just one gallon of syrup. Luckily, Blackdown Distillery sits in the foothills of the South Downs National Park and is surrounded by ancient forest, including an army of silver birch trees. The sap is harvested in March and April, as it rises – sometimes the season is only two weeks long, but it might be as long as six. During this period around 300 trees are tapped, providing up to five gallons a day. As the sap is low in sugar (less than two per cent), Blackdown Sussex Dry Gin isn’t at all sweet. It smells of pine but has a subtle taste of birch, taking you straight back to the ancient woodlands of Sussex.
