The Oxford Artisan Distillery
TypeDistillery
IndustryBeverages
Founded2017 (2017)
HeadquartersOxford, England
Key people
Tom Nicolson(founder)
Dave Smith (chairman)
& Chico Rosa (master distiller)
ProductsAlcoholic beverages: spirits, including gin, vodka, whisky, and liqueurs
Websitewww.theoxfordartisandistillery.com

The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD, previously known as The Spirit of TOAD) is the first ever legal distillery in Oxford, England.[1] It is the first certified organic "grain-to-glass" distillery in the United Kingdom, covering all parts of the distillery process.[2][3][4]

The distillery is located at the top end of South Park, Headington, in the Old Depot of Oxford City Council at the former Cheney Farm. It was founded in 2017[5] by Tom Nicolson, Cory Mason, and Tagore Ramoutar, distilling rye whisky, gin, and vodka.[3][6][7] Shares were offered to the public in 2017.[8][9]

Four organic farms close to Oxford supply the distillery with rye, wheat, and barley.[3][6] The distillery uses ancient species of grains.[10][11]

The Nautilus still

The largest still at the distillery is nicknamed "Nautilus" and has a capacity of 2,400 litres, with a column of 42 plates in two parts. A smaller still with a 500-litre capacity is known as "Nemo". The stills are named after the submarine and its captain in the Jules Verne 1870 science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Both were built by South Devon Railway Engineering[6][12] and are in a steampunk style, made of copper.

TOAD's gin has been judged among the top hundred available.[13] The distillery is a craft gin maker.[14] Early in 2020, Dave Smith took over as chairman from Neil Brown.[15] Later in 2020, the distillery attained organic certification.[16] The distillery was shortlisted for the Sustainable Use of Raw Materials Award in the 2019 Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards.[17] The distillery's products were judged as among the best food and drink from Oxfordshire in 2020.[18]

Tasting selection at the distillery

The distillery produces its own Oxford Rye Organic Dry Gin and Oxford Rye Organic Vodka. The distillery also uses its dry gin to produce a Dam Sloe Gin made from wild damsons and sloe. In 2018, the distillery launched its Oxford Physic Gin in collaboration with the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, using ingredients grown in the garden, and sold at the garden.[19][20][21] Later in 2018, an Ashmolean Dry Gin was launed in collection with the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, featuring spices from the Middle East and Asia to reflect the museums collections.[22] Early in 2020, the distillery started to produce a pink gin liqueur.[23] With the coming of the COVID-19 pandemic, the distillery also started to produce its own hand sanitiser in 2020.[24] Also in 2020, the distillery started to produce an organic gin for Prince Charles, using herbs from his garden at Highgrove House,[25] stocked at Fortnum & Mason in London.[26][27] In Spring 2021, the distillery launched its rye whisky,[28][29] produced by the Portuguese master distiller, Chico Rosa.[30]

The barn building

The distillery includes a Grade II listed barn building,[31] listed in 1972 and now used as a bar and tasting room serving the distillery's products.

References

  1. ↑ "The Oxford Artisan Distillery". Experience Oxford. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Oxford Artisan Distillery". Twitter. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Carruthers, Nicola (27 July 2017). "'Grain-to-glass' distillery opens in Oxford". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  4. ↑ Carruthers, Nicola (2 February 2018). "SB Voices: From grain to glass". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Evans, Marc (27 July 2017). "Grab a glass: The Oxford Artisan Distillery opens in South Park today". Oxford Mail.
  6. 1 2 3 Hayes, Annie (14 November 2017). "The Oxford Artisan Distillery: Medieval grains and steam engine stills". Master of Malt. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Headington history: Listed Buildings/Structures, Barn at Cheney Farm". History of Headington. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Bellwood, Owen (19 November 2017). "Oxford Artisan Distillery offers shares to public". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  9. ↑ Herring, Naomi (9 October 2017). "Your chance to own slice of Oxford's new gin distillery as The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD) launches share scheme". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Jenkins, Moses (2019). "69: Oxford Dry". Gin: A Short History. Bloomsbury USA. p. 10. ISBN 978-1784423438.
  11. ↑ Siegle, Lucy (17 September 2017). "The eco guide to ancient grains". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "Our engineering team are steam engine craftsmen and were delighted to help build the stills for @thespiritoftoad". South Devon Railway. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Buxton, Ian (2015). "69: Oxford Dry". 101 Gins to Try Before You Die. Birlinn. p. 152. ISBN 978-0857902467.
  14. ↑ Hicks, Rachel; Parsons, Andrew (2021). Craft Gin Making. Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1785008153.
  15. ↑ Bellwood, Owen (21 January 2020). "Oxford Artisan Distillery names Dave Smith new chairman". The Spirits Business. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  16. ↑ Kiely, Melita (2 June 2020). "Oxford Artisan Distillery gains organic certification". The Spirits Business. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  17. ↑ "2019 Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards Shortlist of Sustainability Elite Announced". Footprint. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  18. ↑ Baddeley, Nicole (10 October 2020). "Best food and drink products from Oxfordshire". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  19. ↑ Tapper, James (11 February 2018). "Don and tonic: Oxford University launches its own brand of gin". The Observer. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  20. ↑ Eads, Lauren (31 January 2018). "Oxford distillery creates gin made from 17th century garden". The Drinks Business.
  21. ↑ "Oxford Botanic Garden applies for a licence to sell alcohol". Oxford Mail. 27 March 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  22. ↑ Hughes, Tim (24 March 2018). "Ashmolean Museum's own gin proves just the tonic". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  23. ↑ Kiely, Melita (21 February 2020). "Oxford Artisan Distillery creates pink gin liqueur". The Spirits Business. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  24. ↑ Ffrench, Andrew (31 March 2020). "Gin makers TOAD start producing hand sanitisers". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  25. ↑ "Highgrove Organic Garden Botanical Gin". Highgrove Gardens. Highgrove. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  26. ↑ Halleman, Caroline (4 November 2020). "Prince Charles Just Launched a New Organic Gin – It's flavored with herbs from his garden". Town & Country. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  27. ↑ Murphy, Nichola (7 October 2020). "Drink like a royal! Prince Charles' sentimental gin goes on sale". Hello!. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  28. ↑ Lascelles, Alice (5 February 2021). "The rye stuff: America's original whiskey rides again". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  29. ↑ Malczewski, Kate (5 May 2021). "Top 10 spirits launches in April 2021". The Spirits Business. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  30. ↑ Pilley, Kevin (21 April 2021). "TOAD whisky is a disruptive, Oxford-made spirit". City A.M. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  31. ↑ "Barn at Cheney Farm". Historic England. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.

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