Distilled to retain the flavour of the botanicals, Hayman’s London Light is refreshingly citrussy with notes of piney juniper.
Bottled at 12.5% ABV, London Light has been tailor made so that once mixed, it creates a way of enjoying all the flavours you would usually expect from a G&T, but with a third of the alcohol – ideal for those looking to drink in moderation without compromising on taste.
Sounds familiar? It is, and for good reason.
The distillery previously created a hyper concentrate bottling in 2019 called Hayman’s Small Gin, where you can make a G&T that’s genuinely bursting with flavour and character (and that tastes just like a full strength double measure serve), by only using 15ml.
Not just ahead of its time when released, it remains one of the Low and No category’s stand-out gin offerings. So why create a similar product again but in a different format?
James Hayman, co-owner and 5th generation family member of Hayman’s comments “Whilst Hayman’s Small Gin has been well received and has a loyal at home following, Hayman’s London Light will be more accessible for the on-trade in a 70cl bottle with a simpler communication for the consumer too”.
In this regard, Hayman’s London Light is an evolution on Small Gin that's merely intended for a different audience who serve spirits and substitute ingredients in recipes in very different ways that one might at home. So why not go all in and make a zero-alcohol version and differentiate the two further?
Put simply, it’s not the part of the distillery’s vision for what it wants to do. “Whilst many focus on ‘no alcohol’ we are committed to making distilled spirits that retain the flavour of gin. We focused on creating an experience that tastes like gin so that drinkers who choose to consume occasionally in moderation have an alternative. We feel that 0% simply can’t emulate that experience in terms of taste.”
It's a sentiment we believe in here too. No-alcohol spirit alternatives can be brilliant and delicious. But they are not the same drinking experience in terms of flavour delivery.
Even though Dry January is underway for millions of people right now – the now mainstream use of the term Sober Curious and the astonishing rise of #DampJanuary tags on TikTok shows the continued growth in interest around drinking in moderation rather than abstaining all-together.
Add to this recent the CGA x Crossip research that stated that four in five bars are planning to increase their low alcohol range in 2023, and a global audience that is currently more interested in lower alcohol spirits rather than ‘no alcohol’ (keep in mind that Hayman’s is now sold in over 70 countries) - the release couldn’t have come at a better time.
You can find out more about Hayman’s London Light here: Hayman’s Distillery
