Spirit of Rock

From beachside beginnings to bold Cornish distilling ambitions.

Rock Distillery began, improbably enough, with a walk along Rock Beach and a dog called Blue. From that simple start has grown a Cornish drinks company of considerable range and intent. Today the distillery produces gins, rums, whiskies, vodkas, brandies and liqueurs, with retail sites in Wadebridge (PL27 7FE), Bude (EX23 8BH), Tintagel (PL34 ODA), Padstow (PL28 8AN) and Dartmouth (TQ6 9DW).

Gin remains central to the enterprise. There are ten in the collection, each made without sugar and from entirely natural ingredients. No syrups or artificial flavourings are introduced; the emphasis is on clarity of flavour and careful sourcing. The line-up runs from classic expressions to more contemporary interpretations, all designed to stand on their own merits or work confidently in a glass. A recently introduced Dry Vermouth has quickly found favour. Paired with Cornish Gold Gin, it forms a bracing Martini: two-thirds vermouth to one-third gin, stirred and finished with an olive. It is a combination that speaks of precision rather than excess.

Whiskey production has become an area of serious commitment. The first release, a three-year-old spirit distilled from single malt pale barley, is fermented and triple distilled before resting in ex-French red wine barrels. Maturation takes place at a steady 21°C, after which the spirit is cut with Cornish spring water. The relatively warm conditions encourage a fuller profile at a younger age. An eight-year-old expression, released at Christmas and matured in the same barrels at the same temperature, demonstrates the cumulative effect. The distillery calculates that for every five-degree rise in temperature, maturation effectively doubles, giving this whiskey a depth associated with much older spirits.

Alongside the core range sits an expanding selection of liqueurs, now numbering eleven. Peanut Whiskey has proved especially popular, served after dinner or as an apéritif with salted nuts. Brandy Snap and Lemongino offer further variety. Each shop includes a tasting station, inviting visitors to try before they buy and to discover, glass by glass, how far that first walk on the beach has travelled.

CORNISH ROCK DISTILLERY
Unit 34-38 Clear Space
Dunveth Business Park
Wadebridge PL27 7FE
01208 851718
www.rockgincornish.com