An Afternoon in Falmouth
Looking for something a little special to do in Falmouth when you need some late afternoon fun before heading out to enjoy the towns many restaurants and vibrant nightlife.
On Church Street there is a unique Grade 2 listed building with very fine 19th century bowed windows, and tucked inside there is a cosy bottle shop, with booths tucked away in the back and regular tasting sessions. Welcome to Pocketful of Stones, a distillery based in Penzance that produces some unique and very drinkable spirits, using local botanicals.
The afternoon session starts at 3 and you are greeted with a gin and tonic to start, with plenty of time to get to know your table mates and have a chat. Lined up on the table is a flight containing 4 glasses with various gins, mixers are provided, and the tasting begins.
Our hosts were very informative and made the experience both fun and interesting, as a lot of the spirits produced have a backstory or local connection.
Firstly, we tried the Caspyn Cornish Dry, firstly neat and then with a mixer to explore how the taste changes. A classic dry Gin often seen in local bars and restaurants, served over ice with orange. Next came two of the more usual flavours Old Tom Marmalade and Dandelion and Burdock. The Marmalade gin was very citrussy without having the sweetness often associated with flavoured gins and is used to great effect in the Breakfast Martini, made at Indidog an eatery just around the corner. The Dandelion and Burdock gin is very unusual, do not expect the drink you remember from childhood. Finally for this portion of the afternoon we tried the Dr. Squid Gin. WOW. The colour is amazing a gorgeous purple that changes with the addition of tonic, this is a very drinkable gin and comes in a beautiful copper bottle engraved with Corish legends.
Then onto the other spirits produced by this multi-faceted distillery, including a Damson Gin, a take on the winter staple Sloe Gin, drunk with Ginger Beer it is warming and spicey. Various whiskies and agave are also available, the Coffee Agave was a firm favourite, and a bottle came home with us. The last drink on the menu was Morveren Absinthe, inspired by the Corish legend of the Mermaid of Zennor, coloured with seaweed and flavoured with Wormwood grown on the clifftops of St. Just, comes beautifully presented with an Absinthe spoon, and would make a great gift.
All the drinks we tried are available to purchase, and both shops in Falmouth and Penzance provide a refill service priced accordingly.
Thanks to Pocketful of Stones for a great afternoon, this is not an ad, just an experience we look forward to sharing with our touring clients in the future.
