Family creates legacy with new gin brand

The Thompsons took Sing Gins name from their home village of Kettlesing.

Ian Thompson previously had a successful career in the fire alarm industry, before going on a distilling course and being bitten by the gin bug.

Now, he has been joined by wife Caron and twin sons James and Richard to create Sing Gin, which they hope will capture the essence of the Yorkshire Dales.

His recipe, created by tinkering around with a small copper still in his cellar, includes juniper, mint, orange peel and flax, which was grown in largely quantities around Kettlesing during the Middle Ages.

It also uses spirit distilled from grapes, rather than the more usual grain, as that was used in the very first gin-type drinks in the 13th century.

Mr Thompson initially hoped to sell the first 1,000 bottles of the small-batch gin into local bars, yet within days of launching the spirit, enquiries have already come in from as far afield as Manchester, Liverpool and London.

“If by the end of the year we’re supplying 500 to 1,000 bottles a month I’ll be delighted,” he said.

All the gin is currently made by a master distiller in London, but over the longer term, Mr Thompson hopes to bring production closer to home and is already eyeing potential sites around Kettlesing.

“We want to create legacy – a business we can pass down the generations,” he said. “People ask if I’ve missed the [gin craze] boat, but I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface yet.”