We’re big fans of Sumas in Gorey. If you’re eating out east, there aren’t many other restaurants that can offer a casual cool mixed with a premium food offering in quite the same way; the restaurant is well loved by locals and tourists for its picture postcard views, strong seafood offering and friendly service. In recent years they’ve also been working on offerings of a more experiential nature, inviting guests to enjoy special one-off pairing menus. We’ve been invited to Sumas to enjoy a wine-pairing evening in the past and, more recently, to an evening hosted by the brand Double Dutch. The new, lively tonic brand matched their products to a range of gins, with each G&T matched to a dish created by chef Danny Lancaster. The night went down a storm.
Mixing botanicals to create a gin is obviously similar to a chef choosing perfect menu ingredients. The staff’s attention that evening can’t have been focused solely on the food as, unbeknownst to attending diners, there were other plans afoot in the kitchen to do just that. This summer chef Danny and owners Paul and Tara Dufty hatched a plan to create a gin of their own. A few regulatory loopholes and a giant gin still later, the team were sketching ideas for Sippin gin, a brand created in-house at Sumas for distribution in Jersey and beyond. Spurred on by the success of Guernsey’s Wheatons, the team wanted to present a gin brand born in Jersey.
Getting an idea off the ground takes time and patience. We’ve seen other home-grown spirit brands launch but never get to market. Fortunately, throughout delays with bottle manufacturers and getting their initial product planned, the gin was busy distilling away and their first product, Sippin Rhubarb, was ready when their bold looking white bottles complete with pink rhubarb branding arrived. Last month the team officially launched the brand with a tasting night at Sumas and sampling sessions at Love Wine, who will be wholesaling Sippin going forward. Feedback has been great, so expect to see the striking bottle popping up behind the bar of your favourite speak-easy over the Winter season. Get Sippin for Christmas!
