Creating spirits for James May is never straightforward. Following the success of Asian Parsnip and American Mustard, we were asked once again to develop a spirit around an unusual concept.
Previous projects had focused on distinctive ingredients. This time the challenge was completely different. The brief centred on a scent rather than a flavour.
The instruction was simple. Capture the aroma of rain falling on London's pavements.
At first glance, that sounds impossible. Unlike flavour, scent is highly personal. What one person finds nostalgic, another may barely notice.
The process forced us to think differently about spirit creation. Rather than focusing on taste alone, we explored the relationship between aroma, memory, and perception.
Scientists use the term "petrichor" to describe the distinctive smell released when rain falls on dry ground. The word was first coined by Australian researchers in 1964.
Petrichor is created through a combination of factors. These include ozone, plant oils, and geosmin.
Geosmin is a naturally occurring compound produced by soil-dwelling bacteria. It is responsible for many earthy aromas found in nature.
Many people unknowingly experience geosmin through beetroot. It is the compound that gives beetroot much of its recognisable earthy character.
That discovery became an important part of our development process. If we wanted to evoke the smell of wet pavements and fresh rain, beetroot offered a logical starting point.
The challenge then became refinement. Too much beetroot would dominate the spirit. Too little would lose the effect entirely.
Numerous botanical combinations were tested. We experimented with different beetroot preparations, extraction techniques, and supporting ingredients.
Fungi also played a role during development. Their earthy characteristics helped us explore different aspects of petrichor and soil-like aromas.
Countless trials followed before we achieved the balance we were seeking. The final spirit captures freshness, earthiness, and complexity without becoming overpowering.
London Drizzle became one of the most unusual spirits we have ever created. It challenged conventional thinking and pushed us into entirely new territory.
More importantly, it demonstrated how flavour and aroma can tell stories. In this case, the story was unmistakably British. The smell of rain arriving over London's streets after a dry day.
