6 O'clock Gin Bristol

6 O'clock Gin

The 6 O’clock Gin Story in their words

6 O’clock Gin is a craft gin brand patiently distilling strikingly smooth artisan gins in small batches, using traditional skills and only the best natural ingredients. We are owned and operated by the family-run artisan spirit company Bramley & Gage, based in Thornbury on the outskirts of Bristol. We pride ourselves on the care and attention in our master distiller’s expertise, which we have nurtured and developed over more than 30 years of operation.

Our story starts back in 1988, when Edward and Penny Kain owned the Dittisham Fruit Farm in the South of Devon. Looking to diversify and put their surplus fruit to good use, they started making and bottling delicious liqueurs and selling them in local retail outlets, with some considerable success.

A few years later they sold the fruit farm, but retained the liqueur-making business and named it Bramley & Gage. Sales continued to grow steadily as wider distribution was achieved throughout the country.  Edward had always enjoyed home-brewing, and it was during this time that the first incarnation of the family gin recipe was created as a base for his excellent sloe gin.

In 2007, Michael and Felicity took over their parents’ now prosperous distillery and moved the business to Bristol. Edward remained involved in the business as Master Distiller, bringing his experience, skill and precision to the challenge of creating a new artisan gin for the premium spirits market.  Together they set about perfecting the family gin recipe. The wonderful flavour of 6 O’clock Gin emerged through experimentation: carefully selected botanicals, led by juniper, precisely balanced for a refreshingly clean taste.

The 6 O’clock Gin name was inspired by a long-held family tradition of indulging in the first G&T of the evening at 6 o’clock; a very British custom with colonial roots, still enjoyed at the distillery and shared by gin-lovers all over the world.          

Three years later, 6 O’clock Gin was launched to the market and sales took off, with immediate distribution gained through the channels already established with the handcrafted liqueur range.

Then came Kathleen, a new, larger copper-pot still, specially designed and commissioned for the production of 6 O’clock Gin.  Kathleen’s distinguishing feature is her double-sphere head that increases the contact between the evaporating alcohol and the copper; this combined with increased amounts of reflux, ensures the striking smoothness for which 6 O’clock Gin is known.

Our intention has always been to build a well-thought out core range of classic gins that will stand the test of time. This selection currently consists of our flagship, strikingly-smooth London Dry, in its iconic Bristol-blue glass bottle, which serves as the spirit base for the rest of the range. There are two fruit gins, Damson and Sloe, which are notable for having at least twice the maturation time of other similar gins on the market; and an exquisitely engineered export-strength spiced London Dry gin called Brunel. The latest addition is Romy's Mango, Ginger & Lime, made In collaboration with celebrated chef Romy Gill MBE.

Our other recent venture aims to provide our customers with the same delicious gin and tonics in the convenience of a can. We first launched our ready to drink range consisting of London Dry Gin & Tonic (7% ABV) alongside a low calorie, low alcohol version – Light & Low (0.5%) in 2020. We have since added Damson & Ginger, Exotic Orange, Light and Mango, Ginger & Lime. Whether at a party or on their way home from a hard day’s work, our customers can now enjoy these delightful drinks on the go, at home or wherever the spirit takes them.

Proudly British, we are very clear about our values. Although the traditional skills in the making of our gins have been taken from the farm and perfected in a more modern industrial environment, our approach to the craft of distilling remains the same. It is both calculated and precise, using our knowledge and expertise to ensure consistent quality and our signature smoothness. We firmly believe in and value the ethos of craft gin and will continue to handcraft 6 O’clock Gin in small batches using our traditional skills, albeit with a modern twist, and only the best natural ingredients for many years to come.

Join us for our gin tasting evening hosted at Sheppy's Cider on Friday 22nd July. More information on the link below: