The distillery will produce a range of spirits (gin, absinthe, vodka and rye whiskey) with total provenance from grain to glass. It is one of only a handful of distilleries in the UK to prepare its own neutral spirit on site and is the only distillery in the world to use populations of sustainably grown ancient heritage grains. Using genetically diverse populations of rye, wheat and barley grown exclusively for the distillery on farms within a 50-mile radius of Oxford. The majority of grains used in TOAD’s spirits are grown from varieties once common in Britain before the hybrid ‘monoculture’ varieties of late. Thriving in fields which don’t need the chemicals used in intensive arable farming, the result is a crop which is not just ‘organic’ but is part of a new sustainable movement and the pinnacle of current eco-agriculture.

Commenting on the importance of this grain, distillery founder Tom Nicolson says: “Intensive farming has had a catastrophic effect on wildlife. It depletes the soil and contributes to global warming. Scientists are also linking pesticides to illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. There has never been a more urgent need to explore less toxic and more nurturing ways of growing our food.”

When it came to setting-up the distillery, sourcing a set of stills from abroad didn’t fit with TOAD’s philosophy as Master Distiller, Cory Mason, explains; “Our concern with importing stills from Germany was that almost every other craft distiller in the UK is using them’. 

 

Nicolson continues: “So many things are mass-produced – we at TOAD are trying to break the mould. We are entirely focused on creating really great spirits while fighting for the heart and soul of true craft distilling and taking our time to get it right every step of the way. We really care about provenance and it’s our devotion to craft distilling which will, I believe, mark the difference between us and other distilleries.”