Town-inspired liquorice gin is becoming a best seller

A Midlands woman who was inspired by her Pontefract heritage has created a liquorice gin which has become a best seller.
Jenny Robinson wanted to mark her family heritage with the tipple.Jenny Robinson wanted to mark her family heritage with the tipple.
Jenny Robinson wanted to mark her family heritage with the tipple.

Jenny Robinson, who is from Lincoln, came to West Yorkshire 18 months ago to research her family tree and located a distant relative, who at the age of 96, was able to give her information on her great,great grandfather who grew liquorice at Nevison’s Leap on the outskirts of the town.

The history lesson motivated Jenny to produce the flavoured spirit, but only as a hobby from the outhouse in her garden.

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Admitting to being partial to gin, but having never made any before, Jenny, 60, said that once she got the flavour to her liking, demand soared from pubs in her home city while it also became the best-selling gin at a specialist shop on Lincoln’s famous tourist trap, Steep Hill.

The gin is proving popular.The gin is proving popular.
The gin is proving popular.

Having to register with HMRC and cut through endless red tape, Jenny says that orders continue to grow.

Jenny, a retired designer, said: “It started out as a daft idea that I played about with but after getting the taste I wanted I shared it with various people, pubs and shops and they thought it was brilliant.

“I just thought ‘what could I do to help make liquorice popular?’”

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Classed as a gin rectifier, Jenny simply adds the flavour to gin that she buys in.

She uses pure ground liquorice root, but admits she struggled to find the ingredient at first, even approaching Farmer Copleys, but they were unable to supply the amount required.

Other gin makers have been known to have liquorice flavourings added, but none that she is aware of use the pure ingredient.

“I was disappointed to find out that nobody really grows liquorice in Pontefract anymore,” she added. I tried getting it from there and it’s a shame I couldn’t find any, not enough for what I need. Hopefully someday it could be brought back.”

Priced at £15 a bottle, order the gin at liquoricegin.com