The London Cocktail Society had a second evening at Sipsmith on Monday night and I got to go.

I first heard about Sipsimith in 2009 when the guy Majestic tried really hard to sell me the vodka! After the hard sell, I explained that I was more of a gin drinker and it transpired that they made gin as well. I’ve heard a lot more since about the vodka although apparently the gin is more well known. It’s good gin, a proper gin lovers gin and one of the ones I’m always happy to have.

Sipsmith is made in London (Hammersmith to be exact, which makes it really local!), in Prudence the copper still. Sam Galsworthy (co-founder of Sipsmith) talked about how the company, the still and the vodka and gin came into being and we tasted the vodka, gin and the sloe gin as well as gin and tonics.

Sam is passionate about his product and clearly how they produce their spirits (in small batches, not concentrate, cutting the spirit with water on site) is important to them, even if it means that one of them (usually Sam – he claims!) has to travel to a farm at the source of the Thames to fill a tank with water every 3 weeks!

I’m not a huge vodka drinker but Sam’s enthusiasm for it convinced me, I’m already fond of the gin what I really loved was the sloe gin, which was just right. (Other people can talk about the nose and the mouth feel and so on, I can tell you that it wasn’t too sweet, it was soft and delicate and just perfect)

Sam says that in the next year they are launching a summercup and a damson vodka and I look forward to trying them.