Salcombe Gin 'Rockpool'
Salcombe Distilling Co. · Salcombe Distilling Co.
A genuinely place-driven coastal gin that avoids gimmick — Rockpool captures the Salcombe estuary in liquid form without sacrificing the backbone of a proper London Dry.
Nose
A bracing sea breeze opens the nose — saline mineral notes lift juniper and coriander, layered with fresh grapefruit zest and a whisper of English samphire that adds an unmistakable coastal green edge.
Palate
Crisp and clean-cut on the palate, with pine-forward juniper leading the charge, followed by bright citrus oils, cracked pepper, and a subtle vegetal salinity from sea buckthorn and samphire. Bay leaf and cubeb pepper add structure mid-palate.
Finish
Long and mineral-driven, with lingering grapefruit pith, dry juniper resin, and a saline snap that recalls the estuary itself.
- Style
- Coastal London Dry
- Botanicals
- Juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, cubeb pepper, bay leaf, English samphire, sea buckthorn, red grapefruit, lemon peel
- Base Spirit
- British wheat neutral spirit
Cocktail Suggestion
The Estuary — 50ml Salcombe Rockpool Gin, 15ml dry vermouth, 5ml manzanilla sherry, 2 dashes grapefruit bitters. Stir over ice for 20 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe, and garnish with a broad grapefruit twist and a single caper berry.
Food Pairing
Grilled Devon crab on sourdough with lemon aioli and shaved fennel, or oysters with a mignonette of shallot and cider vinegar.
Founded in 2016 in a working boathouse on Salcombe's estuary, the distillery was launched by sailors Angus Lugsdin and Howard Davies, whose Rockpool expression draws on hand-foraged samphire and sea buckthorn from the tidal shoreline just steps from their still.
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