London's first absinthe distillery unveiled

12 January, 2021

Cocktail bar owners Allison Crawbuck and Rhys Everett have launched London’s first absinthe distillery in the heart of the East End.

The duo previously teamed up to create popular Hackney haunt The Last Tuesday Society, which specialised in absinthe.

Now they have gone one step further in a bid to put the anise-based spirit on the map by launching Devil’s Botany in East London.

There is a copper pot still at the distillery, and the team used British wheat spirit and 14 botanicals, including English and Swiss grand wormwood, green anise, fennel seed, Devil’s Claw root, lemon balm, meadowsweet, peppermint, Elderflower and other quality herbs and spices to create the 55% abv absinthe

The first 750 bottles are ready for release, with an rrp of £40 for a 50cl bottle.

“After half a decade researching the spirit’s mysterious origins, we’re very excited to finally launch London’s first absinthe distillery,” said Crawbuck. “Devil’s Botany London Absinthe honours the traditions mastered by the historic absinthe distillers of Switzerland’s Val-de-Travers while introducing a new style of absinthe that is quintessentially British.” –

Everett, who served as head distiller, added: “The distinctively bitter, almost chocolatey notes of grand wormwood are sweetened by the warm spice of green anise and the very present fennel, creating a strong yet wonderfully balanced holy trinity at its base.

To create an absinthe that is delightfully refreshing and herbaceous, we’ve paired the fragrant and minty notes of lemon balm and peppermint with the delicate floral notes of spring herbs that can be found in the surrounding Hackney and Walthamstow marshes, such as elderflower and meadowsweet.

“Grounded by the root of devil's claw, the resulting liquid bears a colourless purity that is distinctive of the original Swiss ‘bleue’-styled absinthes.”





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