BOTANICAL JOURNEYS
THE BOTANICAL ATLAS
Every spirit begins with a place. From the chalk downs of Wiltshire to orchards, mountains and coastlines across the world. Explore the plants, landscapes and stories that shape our spirits. Discover where our botanicals grow, how they are harvested and the flavours they bring to every bottle.
A MAP OF FLAVOUR
FROM LANDSCAPE TO GLASS.
Every spirit begins long before the still is switched on. It starts in chalk grasslands, hedgerows, orchards, vineyards, and gardens. The Botanical Atlas follows the ingredients that shape our spirits, revealing where they grow, who cultivates them, and how they influence flavour. Explore the plants, landscapes, and partnerships that connect Downton Distillery to the Wiltshire Downs and discover how every bottle tells the story of a place.
The atlas also reveals another side of our work. Across Wiltshire, Dorset, and Hampshire, farmers, vineyards, cider makers, and growers produce exceptional ingredients. Alongside every harvest comes a by-product. Pomace from vineyards, surplus cider from orchards, spent fruit, walnut husks, and other overlooked materials often hold untapped potential.
Rather than seeing these resources as waste, we see an opportunity. Through distillation, ageing, and experimentation, we transform them into distinctive spirits that celebrate both craftsmanship and circularity. Vineyard pomace becomes Marc de Downton and Chardonnay Vodka. Surplus cider becomes Eau de Vie de Cidre. Fruit harvests inspire seasonal releases and new orchard spirits.
This approach reduces waste, supports local producers, and keeps value within the landscape. It is a simple philosophy. Grow. Harvest. Create. Return. What might once have been discarded becomes part of a new story, proving that some of the most interesting spirits begin where others see an ending.
MORE THAN A DISTILLERY
FROM SEED TO SPIRIT.
Every bottle begins with plants. Some are grown beside the distillery. Others are sourced from landscapes that have shaped flavour traditions for centuries. Together they create the character, aroma and complexity found within our spirits. Explore the numbers behind the botanicals, the ingredients we use, and the role they play in every bottle we produce.
Grown, distilled, composted, renewed. A simple cycle that returns every botanical to the soil it came from.
THE BOTANICAL ATLAS
The Plants Behind Our Gins.
Every botanical contributes its own character. Some bring bright citrus notes, others add spice, structure, floral aromas or earthy depth. Explore the plants that shape our spirits, discover where they grow, and learn how each ingredient influences flavour in the glass.
A WORLD OF FLAVOUR
Each botanical contributes something different. Citrus brings brightness, roots add structure, spices create warmth and herbs deliver complexity. Discover where some our ingredients grow, both locally and internationally. Starting with the Holy Trinity, Juniper, Coriander and Angelica.
ALL GINS
JUNIPER
Juniper gives gin its unmistakable bright pine‑bright character. We are helping restore this declining species across the Wiltshire Downs, but each 100-bottle batch requires up to 5,000 berries, so we currently source premium berries from Poland.
ALL GINS
ANGELICA ROOT
Native to Europe's river valleys and meadows, Angelica Root provides structure and balance to our spirits. Sourced from Belgium, its earthy, herbal character acts a natural binder bringing botanicals together while adding depth and a lingering finish.
ALL GINS
CORIANDER SEED
Grown beneath the warm North African sun, coriander seed brings bright citrus, gentle spice and subtle floral notes to our spirits. Sourced from Morocco, it complements juniper while adding freshness, balance and complexity. It defines a traditional London Dry.
ALL GINS
ORANGE PEEL
Grown in the sun-drenched groves of Spain, it brings bright citrus aromas and natural sweetness to our spirits. Its vibrant oils lift the botanical profile. Unlike lemon, orange brings a soft, rounded sweetness that smooths the edges of juniper.
EXPLORER'S GIN
RED CEDAR
Native to North America's Pacific forests. Western Red Cedar brings bright evergreen aromatics, soft resinous warmth and a gentle citrus‑pine lift. It adds depth and structure to Explorer's Gin. Growing in our Distillery garden, the aromatic foliage is harvested to create this distinctive flavour.
GREAT BUSTARD GIN
YARROW
Harvested from the distillery and the Downs. This lends meadow‑soft floral notes, gentle herbality and a dry, chamomile sweetness, weaving the quiet presence of chalk grassland through the gin with every slow, expressive distillation. Yarrow helps bind citrus, spice and juniper.
GREAT BUSTARD FLIGHT
ROSEHIP
Wild rosehips from the Downs offer jammy red‑fruit richness, gentle floral warmth and a clean, tart thread. Their natural weight adds body that rounds the gin beautifully, delivering an exceptionally smooth, quietly luxurious spirit infused with the character of late‑season hedgerows.
GREAT BUSTARD AUTUMNAL
QUINCE
Wiltshire quince offers honeyed orchard fragrance, a gentle jammy sweetness and soft floral warmth. Its clean acidity and natural body round the spirit beautifully, delivering an exceptionally smooth gin that carries the quiet richness of late‑season Wiltshire fruit. It can soften juniper and spice.
THE BOTANICAL ATLAS
The Fruits Behind Orchard Spirits
The Orchard Spirits Collection celebrates the fruit growing around us. Sourced from local orchards, vineyards and trusted partners, many ingredients are kindly donated to ensure surplus fruit finds a purpose. From apples and grapes to damsons, quince and walnuts, every harvest captures the character of the local landscape while helping reduce waste.
LOCAL PROVENANCE AND FLAVOUR.
From local vineyards and traditional orchards to hedgerows and kitchen gardens, these fruits help define our Orchard Spirits Collection. Discover the growers, locations and ingredients that transform local harvests into distinctive spirits.
NOCINO
WALNUTS
Distillery‑grown walnuts offer dark, earthy warmth, subtle spice and natural sweetness that define our Nocino. Their richness adds body and roundness, delivering an exceptionally smooth spirit carrying the quiet character of the walnut trees rooted in the distillery grounds. Great carmalised as well!
Eau de Vie & Pommeau
CIDER APPLES
Cranborne Chase cider apples grown on the Dorset–Wiltshire Downs bring bright orchard freshness, gentle tannins and a soft, rounded acidity. Their concentrated flavour adds depth and structure, shaping a smooth, expressive spirit rooted in the rolling chalk landscapes where these traditional apples thrive.
MARC
GRAPE POMACE
Chardonnay grape pomace from Domaine Hugo is fermented then distilled, carrying intense cacao and peppery notes from extended skin contact. Its natural residual sugars bring a gentle sweetness at the finish, creating a smooth, expressive spirit that retains the vineyard’s depth, texture and unmistakable character.
EAU DE VIE
JUICE LEES
Mixed‑grape juice lees, collated from each pressing of red and white grapes, are racked then distilled. They yield a spirit of delicate notes, bright with subtle florals and soft natural sweetness. Distillation reveals a lighter, more ethereal expression of the vineyard than the richer, cacao‑driven pomace distillate.
