793 Spirits

793 Spirits, a UK distillery, has a unique start. Andy founded it in 2016. He began with a small 2L still in his kitchen. He wanted to change ideas about gin being just for older women. Andy came back to his North East home to run his parents' pub on Holy Island.

At first, he made gin just for the pub. But soon, many wanted his 'Holy Island Gin' (HIG). This led Andy to get a bigger, 100L still and set up in the pub's cellar. He then decided to make this his business.

He built a micro-distillery in the pub's beer garden with a 250L copper still named 'Aila-Rose.' Molly, Andy's best friend and a mixologist, joined him. They kept working other jobs while running HIG.

When the pandemic hit, their island community supported them online. This got national media attention. After lockdown, they chose to focus on HIG full-time.

In 2021, they became '793 Spirits.' Their spirit was young and bold. Their first product was 'Mjødka,' a vodka with wildflower honey. Next was 'Creed & Tide' dry gin. It has juniper, citrus, and unique botanicals like liquorice and chamomile.

'Creed & Tide' honours Holy Island's religious and maritime history. The name means to follow one's beliefs and go with the flow.

793 Spirits is still run by just two people in their beer garden. They do everything by hand. They aim to be carbon-negative and plastic-free.

They are planning more gins like 'Siren' and a Lime & Sea Salt 'Hold Fast.' They also want to make rum and aged gin. They are fixing an old building on the island. It will be a shop, gin school, and a bar called 'Spirit & Soul' – for drinks, learning, and relaxing.