What could possibly lure Charlotte out of hibernation? A visit to Madame Jennifer’s Distillery ought to do it!

Unlike Elsa the cold has always bothered me and as the days get shorter and colder, I am increasingly tempted to hibernate. This is an issue even when it’s a dry and calm day so you can imagine my reaction when there are weather warnings, and we are being told to brace ourselves for the arrival of Storm Bert. Usually, I’d gladly use Bert as an excuse to keep my slippers on, bury myself in blankets and snuggle into the armchair.

So, what could possibly persuade me to leave the armchair, swap blankets for scarves and don boots instead of slippers? Well, if anything is going to tempt me outside on a cold, wet & windy day it’s a trip to a distillery! We’ve worked with Madame Jenneifer’s for a few years now and I am already a fan of their Limoncello, also as a marketeer I do love their vintage-style logo, but I had never been to visit them so when we were invited to go down, I happily accepted.

We sometimes mention hidden gems when talking about things to see & do and I think this one may be one of the most hidden yet as it tucked away in a residential area known as Poet’s Corner. I was going with a friend, so I suggested we meet at the Poets Smokehouse pub and then wander down to the distillery together. In the end we had no problems finding it as the instructions from Inger were very clear and I was soon peering out of my hood, delightedly spotting a friendly face peeking out at me from another hood who immediately suggested we head indoors away from the wind.

We were led into the distillery which felt like a cosy hideaway from the outside world. All thoughts of Storm Bert were forgotten as we were offered a seat and a gin & tonic. Then it was time for the tour to begin, Ian gestured around the room and that was the tour done. Yes, this is a one-room distillery so rather than a tour, I would describe this as an experience. As such I decided that I would leave my phone in my bag. Usually if I’m doing a review, particularly if it’s at a restaurant, I like to take my own photos to include in the post, to add to the authenticity and basically to prove I was really there. However, on this occasion I was aware that my photos wouldn’t really add anything, I’d just be reproducing poorer versions of their professional ones. Another reason for this approach is that the tour, or the experience, involves the geniuses behind Madame Jennifer’s – Ian and Inger – talking you through what they do and how they came to create each of their lovely spirits. They are a thoroughly engaging pair; I was enjoying listening to them and I didn’t want to be rude by interrupting the flow by snapping away & more importantly I didn’t want to miss anything.

In case you’re wondering about the name, Madame Jennifer harks back to the late 18^th century when it was believed that the Gin Act marked the death of Madame Geneva – the personification of gin. But Madame Geneva has been reborn as you cannot contain this spirit! Ingmar and Ian started the distillery back in 2018 and while they agreed on the base ingredients, they disagreed on what makes the perfect gin. Ian favoured liquorice and more earthy flavours, whereas Ingmar wanted a lighter, more citrussy drink. Rather than battling it out they decided to simply go ahead and make both and launched their new venture with The Chemist (Ian) and The Biologist (Inger). At this point, Ingmar cheekily points out that The Biologist remains their most popular seller. While I did genuinely enjoy both drinks, I have to agree that The Biologist is the one I’d go for. Sorry Ian!

While I was aware that since that initial launch Madame Jennifer’s no longer focuses solely on gin, I have to admit I hadn’t appreciated the range of spirits they have developed. I think the variety of products would be impressive from any distillery but from a little one tucked away in Poet’s Corner it’s even more so. I won’t take you through everything that was discussed as I really want you to experience it for yourself, but I will just mention a few of my favourites. There was the vodka which is pleasingly called ‘Bubble-Plate’, a fun name in and of itself but even more so when Ian explains that it has been named after the plates within the still – look at those bubbles go!

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Generally, I wouldn’t drink vodka neat, but I could with this one as it had such a smooth, clean taste, none of the harshness of some of the big-name brands. I also loved the fact that during lockdown Ian wanted to make a negroni, but he was missing Italian bitters, so he decided to work out how to make his own – as you do! Perhaps we should be referring to their unit as a laboratory rather than a distillery? Either way Ian successfully produced his own bitters, or Amarro, and this is also available to buy if you fancy mixing your own cocktails alternatively, they also sell a ready-mixed negroni.

The industrious duo make gin, vodka, bitters & negronis but surely that’s it? No, they also produce liqueurs. I’ve already mentioned that I’m a fan of the limoncello and apparently I’m not the only one as even Italian visitors love it so that’s got to be a good sign. There’s also a delicious coffee liqueur which can be sipped on its own or used to create an Espresso Martini, they have even managed to create an equally delicious de-caffeinated version.

Even with all the lovely beverages I have mentioned so far that still isn’t the whole range but I’m not going to list everything partly because it will make this post too long but mainly because I want you to visit Ingmar & Ian and have the full experience. However, I must mention the drink that really took me by surprise that I absolutely loved.  Ian brought out their oak-aged gin, which I had no idea was a thing, but I instantly fell in love with. If you like whisky, particularly a smoky one, then you will love this too. I think this would be a great gift for someone who claims they don’t like gin as this clearly demonstrates the wide variety of gins available! Or if you know a whiskey aficionado then this is something they will love but probably won’t have tried.

And all too soon the tour was over, we’d sampled everything, and it was almost time to leave. However, in addition to tasters and your welcome drink, visitors also get a 200 ml bottle of your choice, to take home. It was a real struggle making that all important decision, I was tempted by the vodka but in the end opted for the seasonal Christmas Gin. Visitors can also take advantage of a 10% discount in the shop and while there is absolutely no pressure to buy anything I’m guessing most people do as why wouldn’t you?  I bought of couple of gifts, but I simply couldn’t leave without buying a bottle of that amazing Oak Aged Sussex Gin - a warming drink for those nights spent buried in blankets, snuggled in my armchair.

Oh & for the sake of authenticity, while I didn’t get any photos at the distillery, here's a shot of my purchase resting on my snuggly scarf:

There are many reasons why I love Brighton, but the key reason is the people. This is a city full of creative, passionate people who make this such a special place to visit, and Inger & Ian are another example of this, their enthusiastic spirit (pun intended!) is infectious. So, while it may not be a tour in the traditional sense, it is an experience I heartily recommend.

To book your tour head to Madame Jennifer's website to book online now. 

Charlotte.   

^{Tickets to the distillery tour were gifted, purchases and other expenses were paid-for by the reviewer.}