Anything but Idyll

London

Bone Idyll

I've been contemplating 'local' recently. I am staying local, exploring local, supporting local. So when the opportunity arose to try a local gin, I could not let it pass.

Established by husband and wife Sam and Alex Berry in South West London, this enterprising duo started their foray into gin making with the launch of their first baby, The Good Life Gin. The name is a nod to the successful British TV series from the 80s, set in Surbiton, their very own neighborhood, so a homage was only fitting. One of the copper stills even bore the name of Barbara's irrepressible hardworking character, and I'm sure they still worked just as hard as Barbara did.  Successful entrepreneurs with popular restaurants in Surbiton, Thames Ditton, Teddington, Alex, and Sam's latest. The most exciting venture to date is coming together as I type enter Bone Idyll.  Bone Idyll is not just a spirits brand, and it's a colossal project. It will encompass a distillery on the Kingston riverside to become operational this Spring. Not just a legal distillery, mind you. There will be a cafe, a bar, the opportunity to host events, and a gin school for good measure—all this while producing circa 75,000 bottles of gin, vodka, and rum annually. There will even begin cruises along the Thames. A great bolster to the local economy. Has it excited much? I sure am! Especially if their other spirits are as tasty as their barrel-aged gin, which came in the spirits box, I opted to try. The box feels so luxurious, and the attention to detail of the presentation is top-notch. The box sleeve displays the beautiful artwork of the Surrey Hills. You'll be forgiven for thinking this is an old-world landscape. Look closer, modern London skyline, closer still is that a mobile phone in hand and a bottle of Bone Idyll spirits? The same playfulness is seen in the bottle branding for all their spirits. With the barrel-aged gin, we have the rather eerie man whose eyes follow me everywhere and carries a pet monkey on his shoulder. Is he a 17th-century explorer, a pirate? What tales has he to tell!? I'm sure he would start by describing the gin within the vessel he adorns.  A beautiful gin has rested gently in whiskey barrels for three months caressing the wooden barrel so that the gin is imbued with its smokey character. In the process, it's lost nothing of the juniper and citrus with bright orange at the fore, and the grapefruit were gently trotting alongside. I enjoyed it with London Essence Orange and Elderflower tonic, which complimented the gin. A very well-put-together gift box, an ideal gift for the fussiest of spirit lovers, or just as a treat for yourself.  I am beyond excited for things to come and can already see myself helping to prop up the bar soon at Bone Idyll kingdom and exploring all the other spirits they have to offer.