It’s no secret that Autumn is my favourite time of year. The delightful cosiness that seems to envelop every waking moment - frosty mornings, leaves tumbling from trees, the return of your best woollen jumpers, and the glorious smell of woodsmoke clinging to the evening air.

The act of foraging still feels like a slightly political act from the folk at Sloemotion, a craft distiller who insist on keeping ingredients as natural and local as possible in an increasingly saturated (and not always quality-led) 'craft' spirits market. The Little Red Berry Company are a multi-award winning company based near Ripon. They have been producing alcoholic liqueurs and flavoured gins since 2011 when they took their first Yorkshire gins to Otley Show for locals to sample. The favourite from this particular brand is their Lavender Edition, which promises dry lavender notes on the nose and candied lavender on the palette. Our flagship product is our award-winning Hedgerow Gin, which is made with a blend of locally sourced botanicals. We then take that Gin and add Sloe berries to steep for a period of months to make our fantastic Sloe Gin.The York Gin Company was founded by four friends who share a love of gin and a passion for their historic city. York Gin was the very first to be distilled in the city of York and despite being on sale for just 6 months, it is one of the most popular Yorkshire gins on the Summer Tasting Menu at London Gin Club, Soho.

You can drink your Hedgerow Gin (young), this Christmas, but it’ll be even better if matured and left until next year. Whichever option you choose is up to you! The first batch of gin from the Harrogate Tipple Distillery was released at RHS Harlow Carr in October 2016. Originally produced in an old Smokehouse in the centre of Harrogate, Premium Harrogate Gin is now distilled at Harrogate Tipple’s new distillery on the Ripley Castle Estate. Their more recent offering, Hedgerow Gin, is crafted in small batches and brings together the flavours of crab apple, nettle leaf, sloes, elderflowers, and rosehip. Sloemotion recommends serving this with a dash of tonic and a sprig of thyme. Their London Dry Gin is distilled with 11 botanicals from across the globe, including hibiscus, green pepper and rosemary. Best served with tonic and a slice of pink grapefruit. Slingsby London Dry Gin Addingham Fruit Liqueurs is a small family run business, set up by Fiona Mann in Addingham, near Ilkley. Fiona was introduced to Sloe Gin by her late father-in-law and soon realised that you can “add any fruit to any spirit base”. After much encouragement and support from family and friends, she began experimenting with locally foraged fruits.For those who prefer a flavoured gin, our Hedgerow Rhubarb and Raspberry Gin is a popular choice. We take pressed Yorkshire Rhubarb juice and blend it with our Hedgerow Gin and gently infuse it with Raspberries. Despite the fruitiness, this is still a very dry gin.