The Hope Distillery OÜ; Gindome

They say that it’s the hope that kills you…

And on a warm summers night in Germany, where it was a case of waiting for someone to deliver the killer blow (to avoid a mass shootout at all costs), hope was the strategy that we were clinging on to with our lives. But can hope ever really be a strategy?…

For over an hour, we had managed to dodge bullet after bullet by ducking and weaving, but shots were being fired from all angles. Just as we were set to unleash our own big guns from our holster, the killer shot was landed. No one ever expects the ‘Spanish Inquisition’. But if the last 58 years have taught us anything, it is that perhaps we should have always expected that the Spanish would beat the England football team to the European Championship trophy in July 2024. But that doesn’t make it hurt any less…

England fans certainly got to enjoy some highs during the Euros. Jude Bellingham’s thrilling last minute overhead kick that spearheaded us in to the later rounds of the competition. Ollie Watkins arriving as a late substitute to slot us in to the Euro Finals (‘up the Villa!’). We won a bloody penalty shootout for goodness sakes! And that’s not even acknowledging the fact that the Germans crashed out early doors, despite being the competition hosts (a beautiful thing in itself). 

But what goes up, must come down. And there were some real lows. Kieran Trippier playing on the left, presumably as he was playing with two left feet. The excruciating ‘Trent in Midfield’ experiment. Southgate bringing a host of talent, only to play all of them at Right Back (Right Back on the bench that is). And perhaps most critical was that our marksman Harry Kane appeared to be a little out of sorts… I’d summarise that Southgate was very much like The Undertaker during the classic WWF (WWE if you must) ‘Casket Match’ against his brother in 1998. He couldn’t get Kane in the box either…

It turned out that it was indeed ‘coming home’. It’s just that ‘home’ had a Spanish postcode and a penchant for Tapas. Bugger. For an all too brief and fleeting moment, we were ‘living the dream’. But as the final whistle blew it became painfully apparent that it was more a case of the ‘nightmare persists but so do we’.

But out of the ashes of disappointment, hope springs eternal. Which was certainly the case when my emails lit up that evening.

I’ve had the absolute honour and privilege of being a Community Gin Judge for ‘The Gin Guide Awards’ for the last three years, celebrating everything that’s fantastic about the industry. There have been some notable entries over the years that stand out; from mind-blowing juniper masterpieces through to some ‘fishy nail varnish remover’ elixirs that are probably longer lasting in the memory for all of the wrong reasons. But it was an anonymous sample from the London Traditional category that captured my heart this year, and went on to receive my highest EVER judging score.

Upon the brands being revealed, and awards being dished out, I always make it a point to reach out to the creators of the blind samples that captured my imagination the most. And on this occasion I had mail from Estonia, and a man named Steen, who was keen to allow me the privilege to get to know his brand a little better.

Now I just ‘Hope’ I can do him justice…

The Hope Distillery; Hope springs eternal

Allow me to introduce you to Steen Lerche-Jensen; founder and Master Distiller at The Hope Distillery OÜ.

Danish by birth, but now residing in Estonia, Steen’s journey in to the gin world started back in 1997 when he upped sticks and moved to London in search of adventure. His career as a Quality Assurance and Test Manager in the IT arena gave him the opportunity to travel with work to an array of different countries and cultures. And it was during these trips that Steen developed a hobby, that would evolve in to a passion, of sampling the local gins and taking notes. And as his home address book started to wrack up postcodes, with Steen going on to live in the likes of Holland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Australia…that’s a lot of gin & a lot of notes! 

Eventually, the inevitable happened, and curiosity and intrigue turned in to a business idea. Lerche-Jensen returned to London to undertake his education as a Master Distiller, putting his money where his mouth was when it came time to purchase the necessary premises and distilling equipment. There was no going back now… ‘Hope Distillery’ was born.

There are no prizes for guessing where the energy was placed, in regards to product development – attention was immediately turned to creating a gin brand. The result you ask? GINDOME.

The endeavour started with a simple enough sounding brief; “Gindome will be a story telling gin and inspiration will be found in many known legends.” So it’s perhaps fitting then that their slogan is “Spirit of Legends”. But more on the good stuff to follow shortly.

Having started with a more than solid base within their London Dry ‘Viking Gin’, Steen and the team have gone on to establish a core line up of no less than 5 gins. Alongside the Viking, you’ll find the ‘Mermaid Navy Strength’, the ‘Old Tom’, the ‘Admiral Barrel Aged Gin’ and the intriguing pretty in pink ‘Ambrosia Gin’. What I LOVE about these gins is that they all clock in at a considerable weight of ABV’s in excess of 40% – it’s a small point, but one that tells me instantly that short cuts in the pursuit of just making ‘a quick buck’ haven’t been taken here. As Steen says himself, each spirit is “crafted with passion and expertise. Our goal is to create the finest premium gins for enthusiasts worldwide.”

Snowflakes; A Love Brand

The other thing that I love about this brand is that ‘Hope’ isn’t just in their name – it is at the very core and ethos of what they do. In driving to give hope to others, there is a rather beautiful and philanthropic heart to The Hope Distillery in the form of their Snowflakes Charity. 

Seeking to help children who are facing poverty, Lerche-Jensen explains that “we from The Hope Distillery cannot change the world, but on the small island saaremaa where we are located, we will try to give a little light of hope to the children living in poverty.” And so for each bottle sold, a portion of the profit is squirrelled away in to the Charity Snowflakes account, which is used each Christmas to give presents to as many children in need as possible. 

Steen concludes that “if we, one time a year, can give this feeling to children who need this so so much, then this is worth all the work put into this”. These are the sorts of actions that really make a business a ‘Love Brand’, creating that emotional connection that extends far beyond just the base product inside the bottle. 

Gindome gins to taste

And so what of the liquids inside you ask – do they deserve legendary status? There was only one way to find out…

Viking Dry Gin

‘This gin draws inspiration from the fascinating story of the Estonian Vikings, which until recently was an almost unknown chapter in history. A decade ago, two Viking ships were discovered in Salme on the island of Saaremaa, shattering the notion that Viking culture was confined solely to Scandinavia’.

The aroma is superb – it is full to the brim of juniper, whilst retaining a gentle nature that doesn’t seem befitting of its 47% ABV. There is no sense of harshness on the vapours. 

The gin is silky smooth on the palate, with next to zero alcohol burn whatsoever. The juniper is ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE, engulfing the tongue, with complimentary notes of citrus peels & well balanced herbal back notes. The finish is warming and long, with a good sense of flavour evolution. 

More than at home in a G&T (and I’d hazard a Martini), I genuinely wouldn’t change anything about it – this is a stunning gin.

A gold medalist from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SWSC) 2022, it was hardly surprising to see this gin named as a winner within the Gin Guide Awards for 2024. And no wonder that it received my highest ever judging score – thoroughly well deserved, with a very bright future in front of it. Outstanding.

Mermaid Navy Strength

‘Mermaid gin is inspired by the tale of The Little Mermaid, celebrating the distiller’s Danish origin. But it is not just a tribute to the classic fairy tale, but also to today’s women. It embodies the spirit of the modern women who is not afraid to embrace their femininity while still being powerful and independent. We beat the Danish too.’

Everything about this expression is exquisite and beautifully delivered.

At 58.2% ABV, it imparts the kind of sting on the nose that you would expect – nay, demand. That said, it hits the mark on all key fronts; juniper, citrus, rounded sweetness and an underlying salinity that just seems to help the whole package ‘pop’. 

The tasting is akin to the Viking Gin…but on steroids. But not the kind that were pulsing through Vince McMahon in the early 90’s, more like the botanicals having taken a firm kick up the backside to get them to up their game (just when you thought it wasn’t possible!). 

But if you really want your socks removing, then take a sip. Whilst a reassuring heat is definitely landed, there’s a level of smoothness that is as welcome as it is unexpected. There’s an almost tangible chewiness to the weight of the juniper, supported by a syrup like mouthfeel. The citrus, and cinnamon sweetness, are bright and vivid, and help to bring a well balanced and rounded character to the gin.

As much as I could sip this gin neat all day long, it certainly lends itself to a multitude of serves. It is outstanding in a G&T, with the boisterous nature of the gin refusing to be tamed. But I’m willing to hazard a guess that the powerful backbone of this gin would shine in a range of cocktails, with my money being on it taking a starring role in a Negroni – the juniper, sweetness and power shining in the short serve classic.

Ambrosia Gin

‘In ancient greek mythology ambrosia is described as the food or drink of the greek gods. It is often said to confer longevity or immortality upon whoever consumes it. This is the inspiration for Ambrosia, which is built on a solid Gin foundation of Mediterranean Juniper, Coriander seed, Angelica root and Orris root.’

On the palate, there remains a pleasingly juniper forward profile on display and in the spotlight. Any anxieties of a synthetic and overly sweetened ‘pink mess’, that may be imparted by the look of the liquid, are immediately put to rest. 

The 45% ABV alone brings a full bodied mouthfeel, and restrained raw aggression. There’s a really nice heightened level of sweetness carried on the flavour profile, with pangs of cinnamon, liquorice root, sweet cardamon and suggestions of raspberry. What I really like is that this isn’t an overly sweetened affair – there’s a subtly and poise to the gin, which brings a ‘less is more’ approach to the spirits points of difference. 

The addition of tonic calms some of the heat of the neat gin, and allows a little more sweetness and red fruit flavour to come through. 

Whilst enjoyable, and a playful longer serve, I do have to admit that this isn’t my favourite of the expressions. The enhanced focus on ‘Pink’, in my humble opinion, detracts from the core foundations of the Dry & Navy that I love. But I can definitely see the appeal of the spirit to the mass market, and for that the team should be commended.

Old Tom Gin

‘Gindome’s Old Tom pays homage to gin history, inspired by the gin craze of the 1800’s. Extortionate taxing on gin by the British government sent the gin industry underground, with the only telltale sign to alert those ‘in the know’ that an establishment was holding some gin were black wooden cats (known as Old Toms) mounted on the walls outside. In exchange for placing cash under the paw of the cat, a shot of gin was poured.’

Much like its London Dry sibling, the Old Tom greets the nostrils with a refined smoothness and sweet warmth that makes for a polite introduction. Juniper, citrus peels and an earthier sense of spicing routes you in sensibilities that feel reassuringly classic and robust.

The sweetness carries over on to the palate and delivers a smooth and gently spiced mouthfeel and mid length finish. But in my opinion, the weight of liquorice and aniseed comes across as slightly heavy handed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not at all unpleasant – but I do feel that it perhaps overwhelms some of the other flavour profiles & botanicals, making for a slightly more challenging exploration of the neat spirit.

The addition of a mixer brings a taming balance to the liquid, but unfortunately this doesn’t quite capture the caramels and depths of flavour that I would personally look to enjoy on an Old Tom.

Perhaps a case of personal taste on this one.

Admiral Gin

‘Gin, like rum, has a long association with the British Royal Navy. While the sailors were given rum rations as part of their wages, gin was strictly for the officers. However, there were concerns that spilt gin could make the gunpowder impossible to light, so the founder of Plymouth gin, Thomas Coates, created a gin strong enough to pass the British Royal Navy’s proof test (hence the term ‘Navy Strength’).

With Gindomes Barrel-Aged Gin, traditional gin production methods have been enhanced through the magic and influence of oak barrels. The aging process is credited with providing a velvety smoothness and complexity that elevates the gin-drinking experience to new heights.

First off, let’s start with the look of the gin in the bottle; it is very appealing. The nose does little to disappoint, with the aromoa living up every bit to the 50% ABV & carrying a boozy robustness (emphasised by the legs on the glass). I would perhaps say that I struggle to pin point key flavour notes or botanicals from the nosing – I get a sense of the wood, a hint of smoke, and a suggestion of juniper. 

But wow, wow, wow – the palate is superb. I get flavours of Turkish Delight, perfumed lavender, citrus peels, oaky wood and juniper, all balanced with a hint of smoke. The mouth feel is liqueur like, carrying a reassuring weight and a smoothness that doesn’t seem feasible for the ABV. The finish is very enjoyable; there is a nice warming length, with a flavour evolution in to earthier & more medicinal territory of liquorice and aniseed.

It’s little surprise that I judged this gin to be ‘exceptional’, seeing it race to victory and a podium place finish at The Gin Guide Awards 2024.

Gindome; Hope as a strategy

A sad fact about The Hope Distillery, and the Gindome range, is that many in the UK will not have heard (or at least found/tried) the gins. At this stage Steen and the team are still looking for a UK Distributor to help grow their reach. So if anyone out there in the trade is looking for something a little bit special to put their weight behind, and you were waiting for a sign…this is it. This is your sign!

In the meantime, if you’d like to swot up on more about the liquids & generally get a more ‘behind the scenes’ view, then why not check out the teams Gin School – which also happens to be the first of its kind in Estonia. Sure, it’s not a short commute, but it’s all in the name of education right?!

As I reached for the bottle of Viking, just to make sure my notes were DEFINITELY accurate, I pondered that maybe the World Cup 2026 will be our time? And with the likes of Brazil and Argentina due to join the party, what could possible go wrong?! Go and tell Badiel & Skinner to warm up…it’s coming home. 

Contact us

With huge thanks to Steen Lerche-Jensen, and the team at The Hope Distillery OÜ, for my sample bottles of their ‘Viking Gin’, ‘Mermaid Navy Strength’, ‘Old Tom Gin’, the ‘Ambrosia Gin’. 

If you’d like to stay on top of what I am certain is going to be an exciting growth story, then this is where you need to go:

Facebook: @Gindome 

Instagram: @Gindome_eu

Website: www.thehopedistillery.eu

For contact: info@gindome.eu

And don’t forget to stop by @theginshelf across all social media platforms for more blogs & event updates.