Born and bred in the heart of Salford, sisters Kerry Collins, Hayley Robinson, Kate Haslam, and Lucy McAvoy first launched SIS4ERS Distillery in 2018.
The distillery has pivoted heavily through the pandemic, upscaling their gin production, introducing an online ecommerce shop, and introducing the sale of ‘G n T’ experience packs including tonic and the relevant garish.
Now, they have introduced an afternoon tea concept into their gin tasting, providing food to keep their experiences open while the region is in Tier 3.
And the new afternoon tea experience comes with BOTTOMLESS gin.
Priced at £45, the experience also includes a tour and tasting as well as an afternoon tea, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available.
As well as a selection of sandwiches, the meat option includes a mini pork and cranberry pie, a blini topped with smoked salmon and crème fraîche, a mini homemade quiche and a chicken thigh skewer with chorizo and sweet piquanté pepper.
The vegetarian version includes a mini homity pie, sourdough crostini with Feta, pesto and roast pepper, and a tartlet with sautéed garlic and parsley mushrooms, while vegan options include a mini vegan sausage with sweet chilli and toasted sesame seeds.
There’s also triple chocolate brownies and scones with jam and clotted cream, with a dairy-free cream option available.
“Our gin tours make up nearly a third of our business, they support wages, rent and overheads – they also heavily impact the shop sales of our gin,” says Lucy McAvoy.
“We can’t afford to simply just stop. So we have made the decision to introduce an afternoon tea concept.
“Our site is fully COVID-19 secure, with screens, PPE, our own sanitizer and we operate social distancing.
“We can’t wait for an unknown period of time to reopen our doors and we are determined to make this work complying with the new rules.”
Back in March, the gin makers started the production of their own hand sanitizer. They are the provider of hand sanitizer for Salford Council, ensuring distributions across the nursing homes and waste management.
The distillery has also just launched a limited edition ‘Home at 10’ gin to encourage people to stick to the national curfew.
The peach flavoured gin – best served with a citrus or lemon tonic – is designed to soften the blow of drinking at home following closing time in the pub, the sisters say.
And for every bottle of gin sold SIS4ERS Distillery will be gifting £2 per bottle to charity So Let’s Talk, a charity that supports the hospitality industry, not just in Manchester but across the whole of the UK.
“We wanted to release a gin that encourages people to be safely home by 10pm while also reflecting the ever-changing world that we’re living in right now,” says Lucy.
“The hospitality industry across the country is feeling the hit of lockdowns and curfews, which is why we wanted to create a product that supports charities helping people in the sector through this difficult time.
“We want to incentivise people to follow the rules, to ensure businesses can stay afloat and people can stay safe.
“While we are living with these restrictions, why not make your late-night drink a delicious one.”
The afternoon tea gin experience is £45 per head for new customers and includes a full tour and tasting, bottomless gin and afternoon tea. You can book online.