Our Story

Our tale begins with two childhood friends, Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax Hall, with a life-long affection for things well made…and Martinis. Before long, they had been introduced to renowned drinks aficionado Jared Brown at a Negroni party (of all places) and before the evening was out he was ready to join them on their mission to create the world’s best London Dry Gin.

Our founders faced a rather unexpected obstacle at the start of their venture – and it arrived in the form of a historic, British law. An excise act still in effect from 1823 made it impossible for distillers to obtain a licence for a still under 1,800 litres, and their shiny new still was only 300 litres. Yet, with persistent passion, unwavering vision (and some Dutch Courage, no doubt), their petition led to the law being changed in 2008. The gin-aissance was born and the spirit was once again crafted in genuinely small, characterful batches.

The Three Musketeers shared the same vision: to smith an uncompromising London Dry Gin, the way it used to be made, the way it should be made. Patience was key when mastering their craftsmanship, as well as a heathy dose of hard graft and a distinctive flair. On the 14th March 2009, the final recipe was made with our first still, Prudence. ‘Sipsmith’ the gin and the brand was born, inspired by the smithery you can savour with every sip.

We like to think buildings have a soul. Our original site, on Nasmyth Street in Hammersmith, was steeped in alcoholic history, but began to feel rather snug as we continued to grow. In 2014 we moved into our current home in leafy Chiswick, where every drop of our gin is still made.

We believe the creativity of a craftsman can never be contained, and our distillers began to channel their enthusiasm through experimenting with ingredients. They would test their mastery by balancing flavours with a seasonal theme, all based on our classic London Dry Gin recipe. In 2015, it was decided that their creations couldn’t be kept from the world, and thus the Sipping Society was born. Our members continue to receive our distillers’ most incredible gin-ovations throughout the year, crafted on our smallest still, Cygnet.

In 2019 we celebrated our 10th birthday in true Sipsmith fashion. Whilst it marked a year of exciting gin-novation (and the launch of our first book, SIP), we also raised glasses to our vow never to change the Sipsmith London Dry Gin recipe. Instead, we introduce more stills, more distillers, and more sipping occasions to serve a generation of gin-lovers.

We are honoured to join forces with our neighbour and institution with a shared pursuit for greatness as Wimbledon’s first official gin partner. Our shared commitment to quality and attention to detail make this the perfect partnership and we look forward to serving some perfectly mixed doubles together from 2021.

As a B Corp, we envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. We join a group of almost 4000 companies in 74 countries, spanning over 150 different industries, all committed to meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance. We’re part of a global movement setting out to benefit all communities, people and the planet.

We once again push the boundaries of innovation through a new bottle design that delivers on beauty, form and sustainability.

The new taller bottle from the makers of the quintessential London Dry Gin features a ripple pattern on the shoulders as a reflection of Sipsmith’s water-loving swan motif, inspired by the swan’s neck of the copper pot stills, which sit proudly on the new label. Eagle-eyed sippers will spot lots of references hidden on the front of the pack; from the founder’s original delivery vehicle (a motorcycle scooter) to a scroll representing the new handwritten HMRC certificate for London’s first small batch gin distillery for 200 years.