A group of boozy care home residents have created an award-winning gin.
Using their advanced age as experience to detect the best possible flavour combination, the pensioners have nabbed a prestigious medal following their work at a distillery.
One group, who live at Berkley Fernhill House in Worcester, travelled down to Bicester, Oxfordshire to give staff at Sky Wave distillery a run for their money, while residents at the more local Cumnor Hill House in Oxford also joined in.
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Among the gin-loving aficionados was 88-year-old Ann Bentley, 87-year-old Bob Bell and 75-year-old Pamela Millet – all of whom got stuck into the process.
Pamela, who has lived in parts of the country where juniper grows wild, was particularly knowledgeable about its qualities, spending time rolling berries between her thumb and forefinger, but still found much to learn.
The gin-lover said: “I find it very interesting, the use of different botanicals in gin.
“Because although you think ‘I know about juniper’, you find out that you don’t.”
And the group have stressed that their involvement has been very real – with the residents tasting, smelling, sampling, and even analysing the botanicals by holding them up to the light – all to decide what belongs in the glass and what doesn’t.
The result? Golden Hour, a bespoke London dry gin which has just been awarded a Master Medal – the highest accolade at the Global Gin Masters.
It was one of only five of 159 gins from across the world awarded the prestigious medal, as reported by Need To Know.
It came after residents voted gin and tonic as their favourite tipple, prompting staff to team up with the gin company to arrange a day in which they could explore botanicals, debate flavour profiles, and work alongside the Master Distiller, Andrew Parsons.
Laura Perry, CEO of Berkley Care Group, who run the care homes, said: “Gin is a drink that is obviously really important to an awful lot of our residents.
“There is something distinctly British and wonderful about having a lovely gin and tonic.
“So, we thought: why not create a house Berkley gin that residents have actually contributed to?
“Our residents genuinely created this gin.
“They explored botanicals, challenged flavour combinations, and worked alongside expert distillers to produce something they were proud to call their own.
“Seeing their creation recognised on the global stage proves that creativity, expertise and great taste don’t diminish with age.”
Andrew Parsons of Sky Wave agreed, adding: “We’ve created bespoke gins for prestigious organisations before, but never one shaped by so much life experience.
“The residents knew exactly what they liked, and Golden Hour is a direct reflection of their opinions.
“Winning the highest honour makes it even more special because this success truly belongs to them.”
The gin is available to purchase online, as well as being served across the Berkley Care Group homes.
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