A whole new generation of drinks producers, beyond cider, is shining a light on the Herefordshire’s craft creations and the latest is Black Mountain Coffee Liqueur from distillers and county coffee roasters Glyn and Lloyd.
Already award-winners for their original products in the Hilly Billy gin collection, founders of Black Mountain Botanicals, Glyn Bufton and Lloyd Reed, have turned their skills to a broader range of spirits, as well as coffee (more on that later). As well as their gins, their toffee apple liqueur is a deliciously syrupy reduction distilled from the source product that all of their spirit derive from, local apples, and blended to deliver that truly toffee taste. It is absolutely moorish in mulled apple juice or cider (as served at their recent autumnal celebration).
From their rustic base, at the foot of the Black Mountains, they realised the growing market for craft products like this and decided that their recent acquisition of a small batch coffee roasting business, Black Mountain Roast, was the perfect combination to create a luxurious coffee liqueur (think of a spin on an espresso martini).
And the perfecting of launching this was the ideal way to also announce the opening of their new Gin School, where you too can enjoy creating your very own personally flavoured gin.
Guests at the launch evening
The Gin School is again on site, evolving once more by demand through the curiosity of gin fans and how the process of base product to botanicals and then bottling is done. Being able to see and experience the whole process, hands on, from start to finish is an endless source source of fascination for many and it made sense to package this enjoyment into the business. After all, the operation is still very much considered ‘small scale’ and done by hand, despite many thousands of litres of spirits being produced from a small and humble workshop in the Herefordshire hills.
Talk in the coffee roasting room Bags of coffee beans Talking coffee blends by the roaster Gathering in the Tasting Room Gin School & Tasting Room Understanding botanicals Playing with botanicals ‘Twmpa‘ The Still
Add to that their conveniently located luxury farmhouse B&B right next door (owned by Glyn and his wife Gisela), and we call that the perfect getaway to doing something different.
The launch event that we attended was also in collaboration of St Michael’s Hospice and the red ribbon was kindly cut by Escape to the Country’s Jules Hudson. See the final cut here.
Images on this page are of the launch evening and courtesy of Adam Tatton-Reid Photography.
To buy Hill Billy Gins and liqueurs online go here, or look out for them at various independent retailers around Herefordshire.
Likewise for coffee from Black Mountain Roast.
To have a Gin School Experience book here and to stay at the Farmhouse look here.
In the meantime Cheers everyone!