Down a quiet lane in the heart of the Flintshire countryside, an extraordinary alchemy is taking place. Carefully chosen and prepared botanicals and infusions are gently commingling in a traditional copper still as eight tortoises of varying size bimble about in the garden outside. Time ticks by, drip by measured drip, in this place where everything is considered and nothing is ever rushed. This is the home of the Clwydian Range Distillery, quite possibly the smallest in Wales where a truly Welsh gin is produced.

After a couple of years of trialling different recipes and flavours while waiting for various permissions and licences to be granted, Cariad Gin was launched in November 2018, with the introduction of the first two varieties, Marmalade & Bay Leaf, and Blackcurrant, followed by the more recent launch of Lemon and Lime Gin.

This small business is solidly built on true family values, with everybody from the children to grandparents being involved at every stage, from picking local gorse petals through to labelling and delivery – indeed, it was the children who were keen to have a tortoise as the logo in tribute to the family’s much-loved pets, foraging for gorse flowers just as the tortoises forage for their food, this is why a depiction of a tortoise now appears on each bottle.

“Experimentation with new ideas and recipes will continue and although we are keen to grow our brand and increase capacity, we will stay true to our roots and continue with our ethos of using a small still for each batch – we’ll just use more of them”

Iechyd da, Cariad!