Anno Gin was founded in 2011 by two PHD research and development chemists, Dr Andy Reason and Dr Norman Lewis, after they left behind their roles in the pharmaceutical industry to open Kent's first gin distillery in 200 years. The duo combined their love of science and passion for quality spirits to create the brand’s unique profile. The logo, a registered trademark, demonstrates this influence as it was found in a 17th century German text, and was recorded as the alchemical sign for distillation. The name has a much simpler origin, as it is just a combination of Andy and Norman’s names (the first two letters of each, if you’re confused).
What began as experiments in Reason’s kitchen with a 2 litre still has transformed into a gin producer capable of proudly displaying the terroir of the home county from its site, nestled away in the picturesque village of Marden, Kent. A 300-litre German copper pot still was installed after an arduous 18-month wait for a licence, which was appropriately named ‘Patience’ as a tribute to those challenging times.
Anno initially wanted to focus on whisky distillation, but the made the choice to distil gin while letting whisky stocks mature, and now boast several flavoured expressions, and one premium-strength edition, alongside its core, award-winning bottling of Kent Dry Gin.
Anno whisky will be arriving soon (it’s tipped to be released around 2018), but it’s a very small batch and will be sold exclusively through the brand’s website. Anno distilled, aged and will bottle the release, while Westerham Brewery took care of the fermentation of what will be the first official Kent whisky. It will feature no chill filtration, the same as the rest of its products.