BackIf you’re looking to do something a little different during your stay at our holiday apartments, you could start with taking the tour of Gibraltar’s only distillery. Managed by a friendly and approachable Peter, whose knowledge of Gin, the Rock, and the whole process to bottle a world class blend of botanics is an opportunity not to be missed.
The Distillery
The only distillery on the Rock, Spirit of the Rock, can be found in the centre of town, on George’s Lane, named after the first Governor of Gibraltar, George of Hesse-Darmstadt who served for just 2 days from 4-6 August 1704 when the joint Dutch and British fleets took the fortress.
A Quick History Of Gin
This was the time of the great gin boom. The Dutch had been distilling a beverage from Juniper berries since the 1500s which had become known as Dutch Courage from its high alcohol content. Because of its not so welcoming taste, consumers would wash it down with a tankard of beer. And in the run-up to the 1700s the drink had been modified and gradually perfected into the botanic infused drink we now know as gin. It fast became a favourite with sailors and landlubbers alike due to its cheap price compared to beer.
Spirit Of The Rock
Peter and his small team have been brewing on the Rock since 2019 and though a short time by any business standards, their local blend of Campion Gin won the World Gin Award as one of the best gins in the world the following year. In his own words, “We made it a priority to get the blend right to create a superior product and avoided the temptation to make a blend and slap a picture of a monkey on the bottle.” The Spirit of the Rock’s range of gins are anything but a tourist gimmick. Each flavour has been carefully curated and tested to ensure the amazing quality reflected by the accolades they receive on social media.
Gin Tasting
The distillery hosts tastings for parties up to 24 with a new easy booking system on their website. They’re a perfect outing to get the juices going before an evening out, for team building events and for anyone who has a true appreciation of the subtle flavours and botanics involved in the process.
Tastings are organised in the small humble premises of the distillery alongside the Copper and other equipment used to create the unique flavours set out before you. Accompanied by dry crackers and roast coffee beans to smell between blends, Peter transports you into a world of historical flavours and modern technology where they use a green cooling system which recycles the local water used in this process to save an amazing 500,000 litres of freshwater each year.
The Gins
With a base of six different flavours to choose from and available in different sizes, you’ll even find a set of smaller bottles – a mini tasting kit – ideal to fit in your baggage to travel back to the UK. If you’re more business minded, there’s always the opportunity to create your own personal blend which the team will happily bottle & package with your branding, creating possibly one of the most unique Gibraltar-made corporate gifts available.
Going Green
Spirit of the Rock is not only environmentally conscious during production of their gin. Customers who buy their bottle will find it comes with a glass stopper to ensure that it can continue to be used as a decanter rather than thrown away. You can also buy refills in eco-friendly packages which biodegrade hundreds of times faster than the original bottle.
If you’re looking for a unique experience in Gibraltar, this may well be the perfect excursion for you. The tour & tasting takes around 75 minutes and is a perfect way to wind down after a day of exploring or shopping – you may even find that perfect little-something to take home for someone too. So, when you book a stay in one of our short-term holiday apartments, don’t forget to book your tasting tour with Peter – we’re sure you won’t regret it!
