As a member of the OGA and the owner of a Cockwell’s Bristol Pilot Cutter, ‘Merlin of Falmouth’, Lance Whitehead was delighted to be invited to support the OGA60 Diamond Jubilee Celebrations during which a pop-up bar will be set-up and other bars in the Suffolk Yacht Harbour area have offered to serve the gin too, so everyone should have the chance to sample the gin. Race prizes of Dartmouth English Gin, Dartmouth Navy Strength Gin and Calancombe Estate Cassis and wines will be awarded to each class in the OGA East Coast Race.
With long seafaring ancestry and close family connections to Dartmouth, it is no surprise that Lance and Caroline Whitehead opted for ‘Dartmouth Distillery Co’ as their brand in 2018, when they launched their classic London Dry Gin from their family vineyard and orchard, Calancombe Estate, not far from Dartmouth. Caroline’s family were shipbuilders on the Dart and in Brixham, launching and operating brig schooners and Brixham trawlers throughout the 1800s and into the 1920s. Until the Second World War, Lance’s grandfather was captain of the ‘Devonshire’ a Bibby Line ship based in Dartmouth from where diplomats, civil servants and soldiers would travel to ports across the Mediterranean and as far as India.
Dartmouth English Gin and Dartmouth Navy Strength are celebrated for their complexity and incredible smoothness. Each has a special charisma, that has won them a passionate following, and they have been recognised with a range of top national and international awards. The gin has proved to be popular with the gin cognoscenti such as Olivier Ward, a globally renown commentator:
“A truly special contemporary classic ranked the top tier of Dry Gins anywhere in the world. There’s bright citrus, soft florals, clear gin heart and onto a lingering finish. The perfectly layered journey is a treat to the senses. A must have.”
Oliver Ward
Dartmouth Distillery Co. has been an enthusiastic supporter of various marine charities, including The Seahorse Trust, the RNLI, Dart Sailability, and The Marine Conservation Society. In addition, they are always keen to support classic boating events. To date, The Falmouth Classic Regatta, The British Classic Regatta and the Uffa Fox 50th Celebration in Cowes and a close relationship has developed with Chelsea Publishing’s Classic Boat and Sailing Today/Yachts and Yachting resulting in Dartmouth English Gin being awarded as prizes at the 2023 Classic Boat Awards and the 2022 British Yachting Awards held at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London.
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