Ian Hart grew up in the same house in Highgate where Sacred Spirits was eventually born (and where he and partner Hilary Whitney are distilling to this day). Naturally curious and fascinated with science and distillation from an early age, Ian would eventually gain a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge.
After briefly swapping alchemy for algorithms as a Wall Street trader, Ian was drawn back to chemistry through his love of wine. He started off experimenting with his own collection, vacuum distilling fine Bordeaux wines to create richer, more intense variations. He then moved onto gin, teaching himself how to distil traditional gin botanicals as well as more exotic specimens.
Sacred English dry vermouth is just what you want to make your best dry Martini yet. It was developed in collaboration with the legendary Dukes Hotel Bar in Mayfair, said to be the place that inspired James Bond’s Martini. And if you visit there now, you’ll find that every dry Martini is made with Sacred English dry vermouth.
The vermouth is made from English wine made in Gloucestershire. Thyme and savoury give herbal notes, while vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, licorice, nutmeg and frankincense add notes of warming spices. Wormwood and gentian root give this vermouth its distinctive dry bitterness.
The Sacred Spirits distillery was born in 2008, in a room in founder Ian’s house in Highgate, North London. Ian was drawn to science and distillation from an early age, and experimented with distilling wine before moving onto gin. Together with his partner, Hilary, Ian began putting together his own distillery. He taught himself how to distil botanicals, and even commissioned bespoke glassware from York to give him complete control over the distillation process.
The first batch of gin Ian made included juniper, cardamom, nutmeg and the unusual addition of frankincense. The Latin name for frankincense is Boswellia sacra – and this gave the Sacred brand its name.
70cl