At Rugby Distillery, we’re not just about crafting fabulous gin; we’re all about infusing fun, history, and a touch of cheekiness into every bottle. Our gin celebrates the spirit of Rugby, quite literally!
We’ve always had this burning desire to mix our hometown’s rich history with the game of Rugby, and if you look closely, you’ll see that our bottles pay homage to the tough shoulders of players and the iconic stripes from those classic jerseys.
We’re not just making gin… we’re crafting liquid history.
Rugby isn’t just a place on the map for us, it’s the place we’ve called home all our lives. The game of Rugby runs through our veins like gin runs through a cocktail shaker. Distilling gin here in Rugby is our passion, but there’s always been something missing – a dash of Rugby’s story in every sip.
We wanted our botanicals to echo the game’s tale, just like our brand does.
So, let’s rewind the clock to 1567 when Rugby School, one of Britain’s oldest independent schools, was founded. It was on those very school playing fields that the legend of Rugby was born. In 1823, a local lad named William Webb Ellis did something utterly groundbreaking… he picked up a football in his arms and ran with it, giving birth to the game we all know and love today. Our flagship 1823 London Dry Gin is our toast to that epic moment in history.
Now, hold on to your gin glasses because here comes the fun part. Rugby School decided to do something pretty wild a in 2022, they put up the grass from the original Rugby School Rugby Pitch, aka ‘The Close,’ for sale! It was like the universe conspiring with us to add a pinch of history to our gin. You see, this is the same ground where Willy Webb Ellis first broke the rules and ran with the ball.
And what did we do? We snatched it up, of course!
One of our own, Richard, is now the proud owner of four lush bolts of ‘The Close’ turf, lovingly tending to it in his garden. Its our own little piece of history.
We’re not just any gin distillery; we’re the only small batch gin distillery in Rugby, Warwickshire.
And now, our gin botanicals are going to be infused with the very grass where William Webb Ellis first ran with that iconic ball, making each sip a tribute to the game’s beginnings.
As we gear up for the 200th anniversary of the game in 2023, Rugby Distillery is ready to throw a gin-tastic celebration like no other. Our spirits truly are “Crafted In The Fields” of Rugby, and we’re inviting you to raise a glass with us. Here’s to our town, our game, and the history we’re sipping together.
Cheers to the next 200 years of gin and Rugby!
