Sussex Gins & Distilleries
The gin distilling industry in Sussex has blossomed in recent years, with a host of small producers harnessing the region’s landscape, water and local botanicals to create distinctive gins that speak strongly of place. From hand-labelled batches distilled with South Downs aquifer water to wild-foraged hedgerow ingredients, many producers in East Sussex and West Sussex have put focus on emphasising local character, establishing Sussex as an exciting region for contemporary craft gin. This was highlighted by Mousehall Distillery being a Winner in The Gin Guide Awards 2023 and putting Sussex firmly on the gin map.
- Each year Sussex Distillers Festival gives the opportunity to enjoy locally produced spirits and meet the makers - find out more.
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Authentic Sussex Distilleries: The gins featured in this guide are gins which, to the best of our knowledge, are produced in Sussex. There may be additional products named after places in Sussex or that are based in Sussex, however, they will not be featured in this guide if our understanding is that they are produced outside of Sussex.
Sussex Gin Reviews - A to Z
CopperPot Distilleries Gin (St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex)
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CopperPot Distilleries was founded in 2024 by Dionne & Jo Tester and is based in St Leonards-on-Sea near Hastings. After going on a gin tour in Cornwall, science teacher Dionne was inspired by how scientific gin distillation was and bought a 2L copper pot still to start researching and experimenting with. Now with 60L and 10L copper pot stills for production, which inspired the 'CopperPot' brand name, Dionne & Jo's first launch was their 'Moonshine' London Dry Gin, followed by a Navy Strength Gin and Strawberry & Raspberry Gin.
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Devil's Dyke Gin (Southwick, Brighton - West Sussex)
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Devil's Dyke Distillery was established in 2021 by photographer Faye Collyer-Rolls. Originally started as a lockdown project, the distillery is now home to a 100L still and is open for visits, tastings, and cocktail making masterclasses, as well as being home to an extensive range of gins, vodkas and liqueurs. The distillery is named after the Devil's Dyke landmark near Brighton - a 100m deep V-shaped dry valley - with the herbs, flowers and berries of the surrounding South Downs being inspiration for the gin recipes.
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Mousehall Sussex Dry Gin (Wadhurst, East Sussex)
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Mousehall Country Estate lies within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in East Sussex and was first recorded in the Doomsday book in 1086. Gary and Kathy Jordan, the owners of Jordan Wine Estate in South Africa, discovered the neglected property in 2017 and decided to revive it. Together with their daughter Christy they established a vineyard and redeveloped an abandoned barn into Mousehall Distillery & Winery. The distillery is now home to their 400L Mueller copper pot still and is open for tours and tastings.
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For more gins produced in Sussex, try...
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WEST SUSSEX:
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Gin Distillery Tours in Sussex
Six gin distilleries in East Sussex and West Sussex are open for either tours and tastings or gin making experiences, making for ideal experiences for gin lovers living in or visiting Sussex.
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WEST SUSSEX:
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Meet the Makers
Get to know Sussex's finest gin creators and distillers in our 'Meet the Maker' interviews. Find out what inspired them and how they created and launched their gins, how their gins are made, what botanicals are used, what you can experience if you visit their distilleries, how best to serve their gins, and what they have planned for the future:
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CopperPot Distilleries - Dionne & Jo Tester
"We wanted to go as traditional as possible and with the most amount of copper as possible to make a smooth gin. We started with a 2 litre still that we named Belle, then a 10 litre still we named Ami, and then a 60 litre still we named Missy. Missy got her named as when she first arrived and was built we discovered she had missing parts!" |
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Devil's Dyke Distillery - Faye Collyer-Rolls, Founder
"I’ve owned a photography studio in Brighton for 18 years, but during lockdown the furlough payments weren’t quite covering my gin habit — so I thought, why not make my own? What started as a lockdown project quickly turned into a full-blown obsession… and Devil’s Dyke Distillery was born! It has grown into a true Sussex story; creative, independent, and a little rebellious at heart." |
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Mousehall Distillery - Gary, Kathy & Christy Jordan
"In September 2017 we discovered the neglected and over-grown property. With a background in Viticulture and our love of a challenge, Mousehall Country Estate was brought back to life. In 2021 we converted an abandoned barn into what is now our Distillery & Winery and home to our 400L traditional Mueller copper pot still. We use 13 botanicals in our gin with South African Rooibos & English Coriander Seed being unique botanicals and a link to both our South African & English heritage." |
