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Bella Luce is an historic Norman manor house just minutes from Guernsey’s stunning coastline, and as home of Wheadon’s Gin, is the only commercial distillery in a hotel in the British Isles.
Produced in traditional copper stills in the atmospheric cellar lounge of the Bella Luce Hotel, proprietor Luke Wheadon uses rock samphire foraged from nearby cliffs and other locally sourced flavourings with a traditional blend of botanicals to produce perfectly balanced gins. More exotic, botanicals are sourced from a small network of local and international growers and producers
Wheadon’s distil a number of different, seasonal, gins, each crafted to compliment the flavours in a G&T, martini, negroni or other classic drink.
Their three flavours are:
Rock Samphire and Pink Grapefruit
Mandarin Lime & Hibiscus
Yuzu, Lemongrass & Green Tea – this one was my particular favourite, especially when paired with ginger ale and a slice of fresh lime.
Until recently I had never been a gin drinker but have realised quite quickly that great gin is all about flavour; balancing selected botanicals to produce a spirit perfect for sipping on its own, pairing with tonic, or as the basis for a gin-based cocktail. I was therefore intrigued when I discovered that there was a hotel in Guernsey that specialised in gin and offered a number of gin-based experiences.
These experiences offer the opportunity for you to have an education in gin, learning about its fascinating history and the discover the influence of different botanicals.
The Experiences
The Gintroduction
Regular twice-weekly half hour experiences offering an introduction to the history of gin and to the Bella Luce small batch distillery, accompanied by a Wheadon’s Gin & tonic and a tasting of a variety of London Dry style gins.
6pm every Wednesday and Friday
£20 per person. Booking essential.
Breaking Down the Botanicals
Spend an hour, starting with a Wheadon’s Gin & tonic and going on to taste a variety of different gins and developing an understanding of the role of different botanicals. This experience has a focus on small batch distilling and how they approach flavour at the Bella Luce small batch distillery.
£35 per person (minimum 4 people). Booking essential.
Design Your Own Distillation
An immersive two hour experience exploring everything from original Dutch jenever through to the latest craft gins and gin cocktails and discussing flavour and the roles of botanicals. You will then design an infusion that will be distilled whilst you dine on a three course meal, so you take away a miniature bottle of bespoke gin.
£50 per person (minimum 6 people), excluding dinner. Booking essential.
Gin and Dine
Prolong the pleasure for your taste buds and make a night of it, by following a Wednesday or Friday half hour Gintroduction experience in the Bella Luce small batch distillery with a three-course dinner in their award-winning restaurant.
From 6pm every Wednesday and Friday.
£45 per person (including gin tasting and 3-course set menu dinner). Booking essential.
Bella Luce is a beautiful building and if I return to Guernsey I would definitely look at staying here. The cellar lounge which houses the distillery has a relaxed atmosphere but also has the essence of being the hub of something special and creative.
As someone with very little knowledge of gin it was an interesting experience to learn about the process of distilling and the complexity of combining flavours. It has definitely sparked an interest and I will definitely be looking into more gin tours and tasting in the future.
Following the gin tasting, the second part of the evening is the three course meal in their lovely restaurant. The menu is impressive and well worth a visit for the food alone.
Overall I would highly recommend a visit to Bella Luce. It’s a fascinating subject and definitely needs to be visited during your time in Guernsey.
Have you been on a gin tour in Guernsey or elsewhere?
Let me know in the comments.
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