How did gin liqueur change a community?

The story starts in 1904 with a rebellious English vicar, Reverend Hubert Lester. 

Affectionately known as “The Rev” by his congregation in Yorkshire, he turned his passion for distilling spirits into a fundraising project to help the poor. 

At the time, a vicar distilling spirits would have been scandalous for the church. This coupled with heavy taxes and regulations, made the project problematic for The Rev. 

Determined to make his dream a reality, The Rev distilled in secret. To avoid being caught, he had to hide and reallocate his still around local woodlands. On one occasion, The Rev was apprehended and sent to jail until he gave up his precious still. 

Despite the setbacks, The Rev created high quality gin liqueurs for his congregation which were created to bring people together during his favourite seasonal celebrations. 

Fast forward to the present day. The Great Grandson of Reverend Hubert, Thomas Lester hosts a dinner party and is gifted an antique hip flask with a recipe for The Rev’s winter gin liqueur. 

Having already dabbled in homemade liqueur making, Thomas couldn’t wait to test the recipe and learn more about his ancestor. The resulting liqueur was a roaring success and revealed to Thomas that he’d found his calling… 

Excited to share his new found skills with the world, Thomas started making Reverend Hubert’s Winter Gin Liqueur at home and selling it in his local community. Much like The Rev did in 1904. 

Not long after, Thomas partnered with food & drink expert, Joe Wadsack who helped to refine The Rev’s original recipes into the Reverend Hubert gin liqueurs of today: Summer Cup and Winter Gin Liqueur. 

Designed for occasions that bring people together, the Reverend Hubert range of gin liqueurs are now crafted in the Cotswolds, using real fruit and spices. From Amalfi Lemons and Sri Lankan spices to English rhubarb.

They are multi-award winning and have been sampled by celebrities on Sunday Brunch and Saturday Kitchen. Including Matt Tebbutton (British chef and TV food presenter) who said “I love this, it’s delicious!” (watch the reaction here).

Curious to try the Rev’s secret recipes? Request a sample using the button below.