THE SPIRIT of Shakespeare has been bottled.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has collaborated with Pinnock Distillery to create a limited edition, small-batch gin inspired by ingredients referred to in some of the Bard’s greatest works.
And all the botanicals it is infused with have been hand-picked from the gardens of the houses that had an impact on his life.
Adam Sherratt, SBT retail development manager, said: “We’ve taken ‘hot lavender’ and mints from The Winter’s Tale and rosemary ‘for remembrance’ from Hamlet, and blended these with traditional Tudor botanicals such as angelica and cassia. The lavender and rosemary were harvested from the gardens of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the family home of his wife, and New Place, his final home in Stratford.”
The team also worked hard to ensure the presentation of the bottle felt authentic and distinctly Shakespearian, by drawing inspiration from the SBT’s collection of over one million items relating to the life, works and legacy of Shakespeare.
The label features the unique ‘WS’ design based on the signet ring believed to have belonged to Shakespeare, and the typography is inspired by early printed books in the SBT Library collection.
Links with the collection don’t end there, with the illustration of rosemary on the tag originating from a rare hand-coloured edition of John Gerard’s Herball, published in 1597.
Shakespeare Gin Signature Edition is a small batch, copper-distilled dry gin produced by Pinnock Distillery, based in Kineton.
Daniel Beckett, the distillery’s owner, said: “Working on this project with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has been a real pleasure and an extremely interesting journey into developing a gin that is steeped in provenance and history – incorporating the wonderful botanicals that are grown at the various Shakespearian gardens. The rosemary and lavender provide a beautiful accompaniment to the juniper and we have used honey from Anne Hathaway’s Cottage to provide sweetness and a rich mouthfeel that has resulted in a deliciously crafted, small-batch gin.”
The first batch of Shakespeare Gin Signature Edition is available exclusively from the Birthplace Shop on Henley Street and online at https://shop.shakespeare.org.uk/shop/
