Hepple Gin stars in Fenwick's famed window

All eyes will be on Fenwick Newcastle's Northumberland Street window this weekend as the county's Hepple Gin hopes to make a splash in the name of the summer's most talked about regional event.
Hepple GinHepple Gin
Hepple Gin

Starting today until Sunday, customers will be able to enter the famous window for the first time to enjoy an immersive gin experience, inspired by The Great Exhibition of the North.

The exclusive Fenwick’s Hepple Gin Window Experience will take up residence in the spotlight against a botany-filled backdrop of juniper bushes and wild plants.

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Over the four days, ticketholders will be treated to an intimate four-stage gin experience delivered by experts in their craft.

Each session will begin with an introduction to Hepple Gin from Walter Riddell, the distillery’s keeper and cultivator of the land in the heart of its Northumbrian Moors surroundings, while guests can enjoy a taster Simonside Special gin cocktail.

This will be followed by a vacuum-still demonstration, a talk bringing to life the various stages of distillation and a cocktail masterclass, in which enthusiasts will learn how to make two classic gin-based cocktails, a Martini and a White Lady.

Once the art of mixology has been mastered, guests can relax at the bar within the window and enjoy their two cocktails. Exclusive discounts on Hepple Gin cocktails in Fuego and bottles in the Wine Room will also be available for attendees.

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Rhys McKinnell, director of restaurants at Fenwick, said: “We’re privileged to have some of the finest spirit makers operating in the North currently. Inspired by the Great Exhibition of the North we’re delighted to bring this showcase of craft skills and innovation to Fenwick.

Hepple Gin, produced by Moorland Spirit Company in its small namesake village, is a wild spirit using a combination of botanicals and native green juniper from the land around the distillery. It is the result of a unique and experimental ‘Triple Technique’ distilling process developed by the team.

Born out of a pursuit to create the definitive Martini gin, it is known for its quenching citrus flavour at first sip which evolves into both sweet and savoury notes on finish, including blackcurrant, cedar and sandalwood.

Since launching Hepple Gin in October 2015, Moorland Spirit Co. has won the prestigious Double Gold Award at the San Francisco Spirits Awards in 2017 to add to its first Gold medal in 2016. It has recently been named a finalist in the Best Drinks Producer category of the BBC Food & Farming Awards.

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Walter Riddell from Moorland Spirit Co. said: “This is one of the most exciting and experimental projects The Moorland Spirit Co. have been involved with to date. We are excited to be working with a retailer as prestigious as Fenwick as well as being a part of the magnificent Great Exhibition of the North. We are looking forward to sharing a flavour of the Northumberland moors, explaining the unique techniques our distillery uses and most of all showing customers how we bring a taste of the wilds into Hepple Gin.”

The Hepple Gin Experience will run in slots of 75 minutes for a group of 15 people between noon and 6.45pm. Priced at £25, tickets will include the Hepple Gin Experience, plus a half-price Hepple cocktail at Fuego and £5 off a bottle of Hepple Gin from Fenwick’s Food Hall Wine Room.

Tickets, priced £25, and information from www.fenwick.co.uk/hepple