We have always made our own homemade gin, by gathering the various berries from the hedges around our countryside cottage and picking the rhubarb and damsons that grow in our orchard. Growing in the land around us was the perfect amalgamation of botanicals required for our very own gin.
My husband Joe is from Kent and traditionally made his own gin. When we made it for our family it was incredibly sweet, averaging at about 35% - so small sips and pacing ourselves was necessary!
Our cottage sits on the shores of Strangford Lough – an outstanding area of natural beauty that I recommend you visit. In this area there is an abundance of sea aster, a perennial with an array of health benefits, including high levels of antioxidants and vitamins C and D. It’s a plant we have been foraging and using in our day-to-day cooking for years, and felt it was the perfect addition to our unique recipe. The sea aster is what gives our gin its distinctive creaminess.
This, plus the array of berries in our hedges – sloe, blackcurrants and blackberries – allowed for a distinct flavour unlike anything we had tried before.
After realising there was a gap in the market for a zero-alcohol gin, we decided to take the opportunity to alter our family recipe and fill that gap.
We are the first company in Northern Ireland to create our own zero alcohol gin, and over the Christmas period of 2025 decided to bring our brand-new product to independent markets. So far, our feedback has been fantastic, and we’re so excited to share this special drink with you.
Our signature serve: Plain tonic, a slice of grapefruit or orange and ice.
You can find Strangford Lough Zero Alcohol Gin at: Balloo House, Capparelli, Indie Fude, Millbank Farm, Lightfoot Kitchen, Horatio Todd’s, Finnebrogue Wood, Robert Neill Wine, The Parsons Nose, The Poachers Pocket, McGrattans, Guillemot Cafe, Daft Eddy’s and JN Wine.
