Home House, London’s most iconic private members club, is exclusively launching its very own London Dry Gin. Inspired by the Countess of Home’s favourite drink, the club has partnered with award winning luxury Gin distillery Oro, based in Lockerbie, Scotland, to create a unique spirit that captures the extraordinary heritage and epicurean essence of Home House. The Gin has already been awarded a silver medal at the World Gin Awards 2023 in the London Dry Gin category.
A shrine to hedonism in the centre of London, Home House was originally commissioned by Lady Home as a sophisticated palace designed purely for enjoyment to entertain London’s high society of the 18th century. Famous at the time, Lady Home earned the nickname “Queen of Hell” for her “irascible behaviour and lavish parties”. Designed in 1773 by leading architects James Wyatt and Robert Adam, the walls that were home to many famous personalities throughout the years still host a collection of colourful characters and individuals today.
Stories of Lady Home’s international travels and adventures inspire the Home House London Dry Gin, taking botanicals from around the globe that are rather unique in gin production. Home House’s General Manager Giuseppe De Wilde and his team worked very closely with Oro’s head distiller Ray Clynick, creating experimental flavour profiles in their lab for tastings, carefully refining and re-designing the spirit until reaching the desired flavour profile.
“Home House London Dry Gin celebrates the Georgian era’s place in history as a platform for new ideas, tastes and boundary-pushing experiences, with exotic ingredients drawing influence from the countess’s multi-faceted background.” says Giuseppe De Wild, General Manager at Home House. The finest Spanish Saffron and Macedonian Juniper caress the senses, melding delicately into English Rose and Orris. A subtle, piquant hint of the rarest Lignum Vitae (means ”wood of life”) follows, an ode to Lady Home’s Jamaican roots, finishing with a smooth and delightful note of Osmanthus tea.
Oro’s expert team carefully sourced Lignum Vitae from Jamaica. Head distiller Ray Clynick commented “It is a very rare ingredient to be used in spirits and took months to clear through customs.” Documented during the travels of Christopher Columbus, Lignum Vitae is the national flower of Jamaica and translates from Latin meaning wood of life, potentially due to its medicinal qualities. Using this botanical within the spirit brings an earthy piquant note to the profile.
Fusing 18th century splendour with 21st century style, the design of the Home House Gin bottle was designed to reflect the extraordinary architecture and vibrant spirit of Home House. The bottle draws inspiration from the Art Deco period with beautiful and fine fluting down the glass, whilst the luxurious packaging showcases architectural elements of the magnificent building. “We suggest serving Home House Dry Gin with plenty of ice and tonic, mango bitters with a garnish of dried mango. We wanted to use an interesting garnish, such as mango, which was designed into the spirit using Osmanthus tea, as this balances bright, fleshy fruits. In terms of cocktails, together we tried a Home House Negroni and it created a truly superb rounded cocktail that was full of depth and flavour.” says Giuseppe.
During its exclusive launch phase, the Home House London Dry Gin is available for purchase by members only via the Home House website and via the club’s front desk, priced at £37.50. Non members can enjoy the Home House London Dry Gin, as well as the club’s facilities and events by staying in one the 23 luxurious bedrooms and suites.
During the time of their stay, bedroom guests will have access to the club’s outstanding range of facilities including restaurants, bars, an exclusive nightclub (The Vaults) which can be hired for private events, a Winter Garden Lounge, a cigar lounge, a boardroom, a gym, as well as a thriving calendar of exclusive members’ events.
