Gin 'with a taste of Doncaster' is launched by Yorkshire distillery

Hooting Owl say it has taken inspiration for the gin from the flavours of South Yorkshire, blending botanicals which capture the spirit of the region.

The Hooting Owl Distillery was set up by proud Yorkshireman Dominic M’Benga, with the aim of providing the finest, smoothest, hand-crafted Yorkshire gins, inspired by landscapes around the county.

As part of Hooting Owl’s collection of four Yorkshire gins, the recipe for its South Yorkshire Gin incorporates an “earthiness,” a taste inspired partly by Dom’s knowledge of the Doncaster region.

The addition of dandelion root and rowan (also known as mountain ash), for example, were inspired by natural spaces and woodlands across the county, including Potteric Carr and Sandall Beat Wood.

“I’m a proud Yorkshireman,” Dom says, “It seemed obvious to me that my love for the county would be built into Hooting Owl’s gin recipes and I experimented a lot to get the right balance of flavours.

"There’s a reason behind each of the ingredients we include, and our South Yorkshire Gin is heavily influenced by the local area – there’s a bit of Doncaster in every glass.”

The distillery’s gins begin with a carefully crafted initial recipe, Hooting Owl’s Signature Gin, and then different botanical ingredients are added, each relating to the specific part of the county and the Hooting Owl story.

South Yorkshire Gin is a blend of 18 different botanicals.

“Doncaster and the wider South Yorkshire region gave me lots of food for thought when I was creating the recipe. I was really struck by places like the gardens at Brodsworth Hall and included a touch of mint and rosemary in the recipe to pay homage to places like that.”

Hooting Owl’s South Yorkshire Gin is described as a “gin of character” which Dom believes is fitting.

“With all our gins we have tried to capture the character of the specific area. With our South Yorkshire gin there’s a bit of Doncaster in every glass.”

Quantity isn’t the aim for Hooting Owl as small batch, traditional distillation methods are what allows Dom to get the premium spirits and the precise mix of flavour he wants, and he believes it’s how he is able to "capture the character of the region.”

“Yorkshire is so good there’s four of them!” Dom laughs, “It’s the same with our range of Yorkshire gins. Each part of the county is represented because Yorkshire has too many great qualities and flavours on offer to produce just one Yorkshire gin - South Yorkshire deserves its own.”

For more information about Hooting Owl’s South Yorkshire Gin visit: www.hootingowldistillery.co.uk

Hooting Owl distillery was founded in 2018 and distils small batch premium Yorkshire spirits including gin, rum and vodka.

Dominic was born and bred in Yorkshire and uses his knowledge and love of the county to build the recipes for his spirits, each one inspired by the region and a desire to create high quality products.