Conker Spirit Dorset Dry Gin
Conker Spirit · Conker Spirit Distillery
Conker Spirit is a one-man operation that became a Dorset institution. Rupert Holloway distills in small batches using locally foraged and hand-selected botanicals. This gin has a sense of place — coastal, clean, unhurried — that makes it ideal for sipping with minimal intervention or in a gin and tonic that you actually taste.
Nose
Bright grapefruit peel and restrained juniper open the nose, with elderflower and chamomile floating beneath. There is a gentle earthiness from the Dorset-sourced botanicals and a lingering hint of cassia bark that adds warmth.
Palate
The palate is balanced and articulate. Juniper is present but does not dominate — it shares equal space with coriander, a zesty lemon note, and a soft floral character. The texture is clean and slightly oily, with a peppery mid-palate that provides spine.
Finish
Dry and crisp, with grapefruit zest and fading juniper. A gentle warmth from cassia bark lingers at the edges. Clean and resolved.
- Style
- Dry Gin
- Botanicals
- Juniper, coriander seed, cassia bark, elderflower, gorse flowers, samphire, New Forest heather, lime leaf, grapefruit peel, Dorset wallflower
- Base Spirit
- British wheat spirit
- Distillation
- One-shot distillation in a copper pot still named 'Doris'
Cocktail Suggestion
Dorset Twilight — 2 oz Conker Dorset Dry Gin · 0.75 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur · 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice · Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Food Pairing
Seared scallops with grapefruit beurre blanc
Founded by Rupert Holloway in Bournemouth, Dorset, Conker Spirit was the first gin distillery in the county, built from the ground up in a converted warehouse overlooking the English coast.
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