When lockdown was announced Sarah and Patrick spoke to their friends David and Rachel at Norfolk Brewhouse, home of Moongazer Ales. Faced with pouring barrels of beer down the drain David was understandably worried about their future and devastated to see good beer go to waste. But all was not lost. The two teams got their heads together (virtually of course) and hatched a plan. Over the coming weeks Patrick filled the Black Shuck still with hundreds of litres of Moongazer ales including their Bouchard Dark Mild. When Faith (the still) was asked to do her magic she did not disappoint. A clear spirit with tasting notes of hops and malts was produced. The two teams then used the power of Zoom to have a virtual tasting session to decide what to do with the new spirit. After much tasting and discussion it was agreed to amalgamate the two brands Moongazer and Black Shuck to make the new brand name Moonshuck. Yes, it does sound a bit like Moonshine - more on that later. As for the name of the spirit - well it needed something to give a clue to its character. Various names were discussed including Gaze and Howl, Hopnip, and even Bunny Growler (I will leave that one there). When the votes were in the name Distale, as in distilled ale, was the unanimous winner. By the time the group were ready to work on label design another idea had arisen and so the name was updated to White Distale. So how is Moonshuck connected to Moonshine? Moonshine is a white spirit made from a distilled grain mash but the similarities end just about there. Moonshine has a reputation for being coarse, cheap and illegal. Legend has it that during the 18th century moonshiners made 'White Whiskey' at night time, using the light of the moon, to avoid detection by tax collectors. Now what about that term White Whiskey? It is not an official term with a legal classification so what is it and where does it come from? White Whiskey is basically raw, unaged and unfinished whiskey. The process for making a whiskey involves mixing water with malted grain to make a beer type mash. The fermented mash is then distilled to produce a white spirit which is then barrel aged for a number of years. It is during the ageing stage that the whiskey takes much of its flavour and colour from the barrels. Setting up a Whiskey distillery requires a lot of patience. You will have to wait several years before you have anything to sell as all whiskies must, by definition, age in a barrel for at least 3 years. Hence it is not surprising that many whiskey distilleries choose to release a 'white whiskey' while they wait for their prized spirits to age. It seemed logical to put some of our White Distale into barrels as a little experiment. The barrels were left alone for around 6 months then samples were tasted every few weeks. The aim was to retain the malty, hoppy notes whilst taking on some character from the barrels. The regular tasting became critical as it was intended not to over-oak the spirit. In October 2022 after applying some Back Shuck magic the team, delighted with the flavour, decided it was time to prepare the Golden Distale for bottling. Due to the experimental nature of the Golden Distale there will be just 120 bottles of this first edition Golden Distale launched in November 2022. This will coincide with the release of a new edition, small batch, of White Distale which will also have just 120 bottles in the batch. If you want to know more about the Moonshuck Distale story then you can always arrange a visit to the Black Shuck distillery where you can also try before you buy.

When we, the Black Shuck team, embarked on our Gin story 11 years ago, most people had very little interest in Gin or how it was made. How times have changed, for the better of course. There is no longer such thing as a 'typical Gin drinker'. Long gone is the 'mothers ruin' reputation. In it's place Gin has gained a reputation for being not just a quintessentially English drink for older ladies but an on-trend experience ideally shared with friends. The arrival of 100s of new Gins on the UK shelves has meant that there is plenty to explore and share. Each distillery has it's own story and each Gin has it's own profile making the opportunities for new experiences almost endless. We have found that Gin lovers (old and new) now want to know all about the provenance, the sources of inspiration and the method by which the Gin was made. It is quite useful that most distilleries, including our own, take great pleasure in sharing their stories and every story will be unique. So how can over 800 UK distilleries all be so different. For a start let's have a look at the methods used for making Gin. The art of distilling alcohol was being explored in all corners of the world by the 10th Century. Evidence dating back to the 1st century shows Alchemists working in Ancient Egypt constructing the first alembic stills. Alchemists hoped that the potions created would have healing or magical properties. Herbs and roots were introduced to make medicinal remedies. Some even claimed to prolong life! It is not surprising that you will still find many of the same botanicals in our Gins. Today we have different stills and different methods available to us when creating Gin and other spirits. Whilst some methods are regarded more traditional than others our view is that they can all be considered authentic. Just to be clear. A still does not make alcohol, it separates 2 liquids which have different boiling points. In our case the alcohol from the fermented wash. This is possible because water turns to vapour at 100 degrees whilst alcohol turns to vapour at around 78 degrees. This is why you should never allow your mulled wine to boil at Christmas! Let's start by looking at the Bath Tub method for making Gin. It doesn't require the use of a still to impart the botanical flavours. Instead the botanicals, which must include Juniper, are steeped in a neutral grain spirit for a period of time before being filtered and bottled. Some consider this to be an amateur way to make Gin. However, there are some excellent examples of Gin made using the bathtub method which should not be overlooked. The term bathtub refers back to 1920 when Gin producers sought ways to continue Gin production on a commercial scale whilst going undetected by police. They disguised their production methods by using metal or ceramic bath tubs for macerating the botanicals in a neutral grain spirit bought from a registered distiller. The Bath Tub method requires little technical expertise and is inexpensive to set up. Next up, the Pot Still or Alembic Still is the oldest type of still. To create a spirit using an Alembic the pot is filled with a fermented alcoholic wort or a neutral spirit wash . Heat is applied and when the contents reach critical temperatures the vapours collect in the head at the top of the pot. From here they are then channelled through a narrow pipe known as the swans neck. Next the vapours pass through a condenser where pipes filled with cold water cool the vapours quickly so that they revert back to liquids. In the 18th century the heat source would have been an open fire. They didn't have to write Risk Assessments then! Today most pot stills are heated by steam coils or jackets powered by electricity. The advances in technology enables the distiller to make adjustments during the distillation process in order to maximise quality and yield. The Alembic is generally considered to be the ultimate in terms of traditional methods for making spirits. The Column Still, aka The Continuous Still was invented in 1831 by Aeneas Coffey. It revolutionised distilling. The column still consists of several bubble caps, each of which behave like individual stills. Hence the column still can do the work of several pot stills in one single run. The end product is typically smoother and higher in strength. This makes the Column Still very efficient and cost effective hence it is very popular with commercial producers. For those who like high tech there is a electronic I-Still which can be programmed and operated via an app on your phone. These automated stills claim to be the most efficient, time saving stills which require minimal skills. The I-Still can be found at the opposite end of the alchemy spectrum to the Alembic Still. It is not for those who prefer a hands on approach. Here at Black Shuck we have a combination Pot and Column still. It is quite traditional to give stills a name and we have called our still Faith. She was designed specifically to meet both our distilling needs and our space availability. In addition to the traditional copper pot it has two columns which each house 3 bubble caps. The Combination Still provides maximum flexibility which allows us to produce all types of spirit. We love the surprises that Faith throws at us every time we explore a new recipe idea and we relish the hands on attention she needs. The combination still is perfect for us because we enjoy the challenge of creating the best spirits possible using a mix of skill and alchemy, science and tradition all topped off with a little bit of Black Shuck luck. If you would like to see Faith in action you can book a visit to the distillery by emailing Sarah info@blackshuckltd.co.uk Each of our Gins offers something quite different and they each have their own suggested serve. BLACK SHUCK GIN (43% vol) Share the Legend Black Shuck Gin is strong and yet smooth, traditional and yet contemporary, complex and yet balanced. It has lightly floral notes from the Norfolk lavender followed by warm sweet fruity tones from the Sea Buckthorn and Bitter Orange Peel Serving suggestion : Pair with Fever Tree Indian Tonic Garnish with Orange Zest BLACK SHUCK BLUSH GIN (41% vol) Share The Secret Black Shuck Blush is subtle and sophisticated. It’s beautiful colour and enchanting flavours have been created naturally through the infusion of real fruits including Rhubarb and Strawberry. Serving suggestion : Pair with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic Garnish with a fresh Strawberry BLACK SHUCK PASSION GIN (43% vol) Share The Passion Passion Gin has both strength and complexity. Distilled with fifteen botanicals, including Passion Fruit, Grapefruit, Lime Flower and Elderflower, Passion Gin delivers a taste sensation to intrigue and excite the palate. Serving suggestion : Pair with Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic Garnish with Grapefruit and Blueberries BLACK SHUCK PINK GRAPEFRUIT GIN (43% vol) Share The Magic Pink Grapefruit Gin has been distilled with bucket loads of fresh pink grapefruit alongside traditional botanicals, including Juniper, Angelica, Cassia Bark and Coriander. The result is a magical, beautiful delicately fruity Gin. Serving suggestion : Pair with Fever Tree Aromatic Tonic Garnish with a Grapefruit Wheel.

A legend that dates back hundreds of years