From the Cotswold-based craft distillery, Spirit of Ilmington, this artisanal Apple Brandy is certainly a winter-warmer. Using apples grown in local orchards, this brandy is crafted using a base of Ilmington’s Grumpy Frog Cider distilled on a copper pot alembic still.

The story began in 2014 when it was decided that something ought to be done with the glut of apples from the fruit trees in the village gardens which had made the first fermentation of cider.

Neighbours were invited to a party to celebrate the finished product. During the following year the project grew as locals brought their spare apples to add to the mix. There was too much cider for private consumption, so the capacity was bottled and given the name of ‘Grumpy Frog’. By 2016 the harvest had increased, and the village had produced 1600 litres of cider. Soon they were granted a Distillers’ license and bought a very beautiful traditional copper still and began the exciting process of developing an Apple Brandy THE SPIRIT OF ILMINGTON.