London gets its first absinthe distillery

Devil’s Botany, London’s first dedicated absinthe distillery, has opened in the east London district of Leyton.

The distillery is the brainchild of the owners of East London’s The Last Tuesday Society, the Hackney bar best known for its unique decor and taxidermy collection, as well as its huge collection of absinthe and absinthe-based cocktails.

Founders Allison Crawbuck and Rhys Everett are hoping to put absinthe on the map in the UK capital.

“Devil’s Botany London Absinthe honours the traditions mastered by the historic absinthe distillers of Switzerland’s Val-de-Travers while introducing a new style of absinthe that is quintessentially British,” co-founder Crawbuck told Time Out.

The distillery’s first batch of absinthe, which Crawbuck describes as a “long-lost cousin to gin”, uses 14 different botanicals, including meadowsweet and elderflower, sourced from Hackney’s marshes.

The absinthe has an ABV of 55%. The spirit, priced at £40 a bottle, is recommended to be served with ice-cold water.