Eau de Fifteen is a distinctive spirit created from grape juice lees, the often overlooked by-product of winemaking, elevated into something remarkable.

Made in collaboration with Off Beat Wines, led by Nicola and Daniel Ham, it draws on a mix of red and white grape lees from several local vineyards. Each grower brings their grapes to be pressed at the neighbouring winery beside the distillery, creating a shared, circular approach.

After pressing, the remaining lees were allowed to wild ferment, guided by the natural yeasts from the fruit and environment. Once fermentation finished, the liquid was carefully racked to remove sediment, preserving clarity and purity.

We then distilled the wine at Downton Distillery, capturing the delicate aromatics and fresh character of the fruit in its most honest form. The result is a clean, expressive eau de vie that celebrates sustainability and collaboration, transforming what is usually left behind into something refined, distinctive, and absolutely worth sharing.

• Limited edition. Only 40 bottles.
• 350 ml. 40% ABV.
• 55 calories per shot.

How to enjoy

• Sip neat as an aperitif.
• Mix into refined, spirit-led cocktails.

Awards

This is a young eau de vie from a blend of grapes delivering a complex and intense fruit forward profile with clear floral notes. It is unaged so there are no wood or spice from barrels.

Unaged spirits maintain more of the raw aromas from their base ingredients.

Nose: The initial notes are fresh and clean that are both floral and fruity.

Palate: As this is a blend of multiple juice lees, there is mix of profiles.

There are crisp white grape notes at the front of the tongue. Floral tones sit behind with a hint of peach and apricot. The texture stays smooth with a light to medium body. A gentle peppery note often appears late on the palate. The finish stays clean with persistent fresh grape.

Finish: Smooth, rounded full bodied, without any harshness.

• Orchard Spirits is a celebration of local abundance, crafted in small, seasonal batches that showcase the best of what our surrounding landscape has to offer.
• Each release is made using surplus or specially selected fruit grown in partnership with nearby growers and orchards, supporting local agriculture while reducing waste.
• From sun-ripened damsons, windfall apples, green walnuts to grape juice lees.
• These eau de vies and spirits are distilled to capture the true character of the fruit at its peak.
• Limited in quantity and rooted in place, Orchard Spirits tell a story of community, seasonality, and the rich flavours of the land.

Fruit brandies and eaux-de-vie are clear, aromatic spirits distilled from fermented fruit, capturing the pure essence of the fruit itself without added sugars or flavourings.

Commonly made from apples, cherries, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries, and these spirits are particularly celebrated in Europe within the Alsace, Black Forest, and Eastern Europe.

Eaux-de-vie (French for “water of life”) are typically unaged and bottled at around 40–45% ABV, offering a clean, dry, and intensely fragrant profile that showcases the raw beauty of the fruit.

Best enjoyed neat in a tulip-shaped glass, they are often served slightly chilled as a digestif after meals.

Their delicate aromas also make them excellent companions to cheese, fruit-based desserts, or rich chocolate.

While traditionally sipped, these spirits are also finding new life in modern cocktails, adding a unique, aromatic layer to sours, highballs, and aperitifs.

Whether sipped slowly or mixed creatively, fruit brandies and eaux-de-vie offer a refined, sensory connection to orchard and forest fruit at its peak.

We’ve chosen wax seals over paper or plastic because, let’s be honest they’re just more fun.

Each wax seal is hand-poured, giving every bottle a unique finish that feels like opening a treasure.

Beyond the looks, wax is a more sustainable choice than plastic shrink wrap, and it avoids the fiddly waste of paper seals. It’s our nod to tradition, a bit of theatre, and a touch of eco-friendly flair all rolled into one satisfying pop.

• We do hope that you are happy with your purchase.
• We aim to make the return process as simple as possible.
• We must be notified of damaged goods within 2 days of delivery.
• We will refund you using the method of payment used to make the purchase.
• Goods must be returned unopened, sealed and in the original packaging.
• Downton Distillery Ltd will refund accepted returns within 30 days of you notifying us.
• The postage of the return is the responsibility of the purchaser.
• Loss or damage during transit of goods being returned is the responsibility of the purchaser.

• Please note delivery will require a signature from an over 18.
• All deliveries are sent by signed post, whilst courier will be tracked.
• Deliveries will not be made to minors and delivery services will not complete delivery if they are unsure of the persons age.
• We are unable to leave a package (even in a ‘safe place’) without a signature.
• For UK deliveries please allow 3 - 5 working days from payment.
• The distillery is not responsible for Royal Mail strikes or late deliveries by Royal Mail.