Indulge in top tipples hand-crafted in Devonshire’s orchards, distilleries and vineyards, including refreshing bubblies, rich ciders, local wines, chocolatey coffees and sophisticated spirits.
Luscombe Strawberry Bubbly
Blended in Buckfastleigh using Dartmoor spring water
One for popping in a picnic hamper or packing as a seaside refresher, this new bubbly from Luscombe brims with a blend of the finest organic strawberries, organic Sicilian lemons, Madagascan vanilla and soft Dartmoor spring water. Free from additives and nasties, Luscombe was recently awarded a Royal Warrant, a sure sign of Devon quality. Keep a bottle on ice to enjoy in the Devon sunshine.
Price: £21.30
Where to buy: luscombe.co.uk
Sandridge Barton – Sharpham ‘Summer Sparkling’ 2020
Grapes grown and crushed on the edge of the River Dart
Looking to add some Devonian sparkle to an al fresco lunch with friends? This delicious sparkling rosé, packed with delicate red berry, crunchy red apple and pink grapefruit characters will do nicely. Or, should you be visiting the locale, go one better and swing by the award-winning winery’s new location at Sandridge Barton on the edge of the River Dart in the stunning South Hams. Here, you can enjoy a tour of the vineyard, new state-of-the-art winery and visitor centre, followed by a slap-up, locally-sourced lunch at Circa, their new sustainable eatery.
Price: £22
Where to buy: sandridgebarton.com
Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’
Distilled in Salcombe, in ‘Provident’, Salcombe Distilling Co.’s 450 litre copper pot still
Since its launch in 2016, Salcombe Gin’s ‘Start Point’ has become one of the most internationally recognised gins. It’s distilled in Salcombe Distilling Co.’s waterfront distillery on Island Street, Salcombe; one of the world’s only distilleries directly accessible by boat. The signature flavour is inspired by the voyages of the Salcombe Fruit Schooners, which carried exotic goods, fruits and spices.
In the first year of sales, ‘Start Point’ won all of the most prestigious prizes in the international world of spirits, including ‘Gold’ at the World Gin Awards and ‘Double Gold’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, known as the Oscars in the spirits world.
Price: £40*, 70cl
Where to buy: salcombegin.com
*Every UK 70cl bottle purchased helps protect and regenerate 2m² of seagrass by donating 40p to the Marine Conservation Society.
New London Light ‘Midnight Sun’
Crafted and distilled in Salcombe
Whilst we make the most of the long summer days, why not cool down with a non-alcoholic tipple inspired by the wild Nordic regions where daylight ventures through the night. ‘Midnight Sun’ combines hand-picked seaberries and elderberries with the creative use of kelp and pine to give a new perspective on complex flavour combinations.
Buying a bottle of New London Light’s three non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs helps to protect and regenerate one sqm of seagrass with 27p from every bottle sale being donated to the Marine Conservation Society. Did you know? This underwater plant can store up to 10 times more carbon than tropical rainforests.
Price: £27.50, 70cl
Where to buy: newlondonlight.com
Hattiers ‘Egremont’ Premium Reserve Rum
Distilled in Mothecombe, South Hams
Devon daiquiri, madam? Give your cocktail a Caribbean spin with Hattiers Rum’s Premium Reserve Rum, ‘Egremont’. Sourced from the world’s finest distillers and blended with pure soft water, fresh from the hills of Dartmoor. We love the stylish stripy packaging, and should you wish to enjoy your quaff where it’s crafted, book in for a tour with founder Philip Everett-Lyons on the scenic Flete Estate at Mothecombe. He’s sure to treat your taste buds to a rum-bunctious tickling!
Price: £42, 70cl
Where to buy: hattiers.com
Devon Cove Vodka
Potatoes grown and harvested on a family farm in Hope Cove
Pop a bottle of Cove Vodka in your basket this summer; it’s made from King Edward potatoes grown, harvested and fermented in fields overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the family farm at Hope Cove. We’re talking lime and cream on the nose and sweet apple finish. It’s also as low-calorie as alcohol can be, as the carbs in the potatoes don’t translate, and, unlike much vodka on the market, it’s grain-free, so gluten-free, to boot.
Price: £39.50, 70cl
Where to buy: devoncove.co.uk
Sandford Orchards – ‘Devon Red’ Cider
Apples grown and pressed in the heart of Devon
Named for the colour of the county’s distinctive red soils, and crafted with cider apples from local orchards, you can’t get more Devon than this medium cider from Sandford. No surprise it’s their number one best-seller, thanks to its light, pure taste, which hits the sweet spot of creamy, ripe apples with just a hint of refreshing sparkle. No artificial flavours are used in its making, just the best natural ingredients: pressed, fermented and aged slowly in the UK’s oldest working cider mill.
Price: Case of 12 bottles, £27.50 / Case of 24 330ml cans, £35
Where to buy: sandfordorchards.co.uk
Salcombe Brewery Co. ‘Shingle Bay’
Brewed just outside of Salcombe
When Salcombe Brewery was bought in 2016 by current owners John and Gerry Tiner, it was John’s favourite Devon drink, ‘Shingle Bay’, a fruity golden ale, that clinched the deal. One of five in their core range of tasty heritage beers, Shingle Bay has since been joined by their Discovery range of lager, pale ale, porter, cider and Salcombe Pilsner which has just snaffled a Gold in the Taste of the West Awards 2022. Locals love it, and so will you.
Price: Pack of 12, £24.00
Where to buy: salcombebrewery.com
Boo Chi Kombucha ‘Fresh Mint to Revive’
Brewed in the heart of the Devon countryside
Boo Chi Kombucha is brewed in small batches creating a truly authentic kombucha meaning it’s packed full of acetic acids, organic acids, enzymes, vitamins b6, b12 and c. Boo Chi use only the freshest organic and locally sourced ingredients to flavour their original kombucha.
Boo Chi Kombucha range offers six kombuchas including ‘Fresh Mint to Revive’. Boo Chi’s mint flavoured kombucha is infused with the calming and soothing super herb fresh mint. It cuts through the acidity of the kombucha to give it a slightly sweet, bright, extremely refreshing taste leaving you wanting more. This incredible leaf is high in antioxidants and great for digestion.
Price: £38, pack of 12, 250ml bottles
Where to buy: boochi.co.uk
Wickhams – Huxbear Classic Sparkling 2018
Grapes grown and crushed in the Teign Valley
If it’s grapes grown on the south-facing slopes of sunny Devon you’re after, let Dan Farrell-Wright of online wine merchant, Wickhams, be your sommelier. More than 25 per cent of the wines he curates are English, including many from Devon and the South West and he’s worth listening to as he was recently named Specialist Merchant of the Year England 2022 at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Merchant Awards.
According to Dan, this Classic Sparkling 2018 from Huxbear Vineyard in the leafy Teign Valley is “as good as anything you’ll get from the Champagne region – and at a great price”. It’s also something of a Devonshire secret, so get in fast before everyone else discovers it!
Price: £25.54 for one bottle or £22.99 for any mix of six bottles
Where to buy: wickhamwine.co.uk
Owens Coffee ‘Bantham’
Organic and Fairtrade coffee, sustainably sourced and roasted in south Devon
Dreaming of the coast? Now you can bring the Devon seaside to your morning routine. Owens’ award-winning ‘Bantham’ is one of their delicious five house blends and is named after Bantham beach, renowned as one of the best surfing beaches in the region. This smooth and chocolatey blend is a medium roasted blend of Arabica coffee beans from South America and Indonesia. It’s ideal for espresso and filter as whole beans, perfect for cafetière and filter as medium ground and it’s also available as fine ground for espresso. Owens Coffee will deliver its pouches of organic and Fairtrade coffee, anywhere in the UK.
Top tip: If you’re brewing Owens Coffee in a cafetiére, add 15g medium ground coffee per 250ml cup of boiled water and leave it to brew for four minutes.
Price: £6.50 for 200g / £23 for 1kg (or subscribe and save 10 per cent)
Where to buy: owenscoffee.com
Devonia Spring Water
Bottled at source from an ancient spring near Beesands in the South Hams
Devonia supplies delicious still and sparkling natural Devon spring water to hotels, cafés, restaurants, weddings and private events across the region. What makes Devonia unique is that they reuse their glass bottles time and time again, collecting the bottles from their environmentally-conscious customers at the same time as delivering newly filled ones. They then carefully wash and reuse them to ensure their impact on the environment is as low as possible.
Visiting Devon? Here are a few of the places where you can enjoy Devonia: Burgh Island Hotel (Bigbury), Hotel Endsleigh (Tavistock), Salcombe Harbour Hotel, South Sands Hotel and Restaurant (Salcombe), The Three Crowns Hotel (Chagford), The Bedford Hotel (Tavistock) and The Angel (Dartmouth). In addition, Devonia supplies a handful of spirit producers with its soft natural spring water including Hattiers Rum and Devon Cove.
Where to buy: devoniawater.co.uk
