Sussex spirit makers scoops top award & launches handcrafted artisan brandy

Small batch Pinot Grape Spirit wins 3***star endorsement

Spirit of the Downs, the artisan Sussex-based drinks company has won three stars at the prestigious Great Taste Awards and added two more products to its range of premium limited-edition vintage spirits. In a first ever, Spirit of the Downs Brandy, handmade in Sussex and aged with French Oak (barrels) has won a one-star Great Taste Award.

Michael will be travelling to the finals of the Great Taste Awards in Harrogate to see if Spirit of the Downs has won the top prize of a Golden Fork Award which has whittled down 14,000 entrants to just 33 finalists. The Golden Fork Awards pits the regions of the Uk as well as international entrants against each other from across Great Taste food and drink categories, 14 will win a top Golden Fork Award and one will be the Supreme Champion.

Multi-award-winning Spirit of the Downs has been created from grapes grown by small batch English sparkling wine producers, in and around the South Downs National Park in Sussex. These premium small batch vintage spirits have been created by wine specialist Michael Yeoman using traditional production methods with a combination of both indigenous, wild and champagne yeasts. Each bottle of small batch distilled spirit is unique to a single vintage and varietal. (Labelled with its own unique limited release number).

Michael Yeoman, Founder, Spirit of the Downs, says: “I have been inspired by the quality of wines being produced here in the Sussex and along the South Coast to produce a range of fine spirits to complement the sophistication and quality coming out of the local area. Spirit of the Downs can be drunk on its own, over ice, with a good quality tonic as a long drink or to add complexity to a range of cocktails (as a cocktail ingredient). I am so proud of the quality that we have been able to produce, and even more proud that we have worked so closely in the traditional style with local vineyards. We are extremely excited about the future and establishing not only our brand, but a new style of drinking vintage spirits in the South of the England.” 

Sustainability is a core value of Spirit of the Downs where waste from English wines is used to produce the range of artisan spirits. In a virtuous cycle waste produced by Spirit of the Downs is used at Trenchmore Farm as a fertiliser for their award-winning cider. Spirit of the Downs brandies are also being used by local vineyards as a ‘secret recipe’ dosage for their sparkling wines, to add complexity and depth of flavour.

Spirit of the Downs will also launch five new varietals coming out of several local vineyards from the 2020 vintage which include Breaky Bottom Vineyard, Plumpton Estate and Tickerage with varieties of Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Champagne Mix and Pinot Noir which will be released in Spring 2022.

For more information about Spirit of the Downs please visit https://spiritofthedowns.co.uk/shop/

Spirit of the Downs, Pinot Grape Spirit
Great Taste Award Winner 3*** Star, IWSC Bronze medal 2020
RRP: 50cl £30.00

Spirit of the Downs is a sustainable product using pressed grapes from English sparkling wine production to create a unique craft spirit. After distillation, the pomace from Spirit of the Downs is used to (feed the cattle and) help fertilise the apple orchard at Trenchmore Farm, near Bolney.

Great Taste Judges: “This is rather exceptional – there’s a beautiful creaminess to this eau de vie. It carries its alcohol so lightly, it’s positively dangerous. Raisin notes are prominent and give just a touch of sweetness to this sublime drink. Aromas of dark honey and raisins on the nose. The playful flavour was surprisingly delicate and gave a long, satisfying finish. Very sophisticated.” Great Taste Award tasting notes.

Spirit of the Downs, Handcrafted Artisan Sussex Brandy, Chardonnay varietal aged with French Oak, Vintage 2019 
Great Taste Award Winner 1*Star rating
RRP: 50cl £31.00

Small Batch Distilled using English Sparkling Wine Grapes – Limited release of 250 bottles of 50ml. This brandy benefits from eight months of aging on the Chardonnay grape and aging with French oak to provide a “VS” style Sussex brandy. The grapes help create a more intense English brandy with plenty of fruit with flavours of sweet caramel, Crème Brule, Raisins and balanced oak with smokiness and long finish.

Great Taste Judges: “A refined and elegant spirit with a rich limousin oak spiciness. Remarkably smooth with a very slight toast/smoke character and sweet biscuity note making this a very accessible and easy drinking brandy with a refined medium dry fruit flavour. Absolutely delicious.” Great Taste Award tasting notes.