Spirits · Downton, Wiltshire
James Gin
James May's craft gin, made with a Wiltshire distillery and some unlikely botanicals.
- Founded
- 2021
- Founded by
- James May, with Hugh Anderson of Downton Distillery
- Based in
- Downton, Wiltshire
Making it since
2021
Their story
James Gin is the gin project of TV presenter James May, best known from Top Gear. When he set out to make gin, he was warned that distilling at home would cause trouble, so he teamed up with Hugh Anderson, founder of Downton Distillery in rural Wiltshire.
The brand launched in 2021 with Asian Parsnip, a gin that pairs English root vegetables with Far Eastern spices. It has since collected more than a dozen awards, including three World Gin Awards, and in 2026 landed its first national pub listing with the brewer Hall & Woodhouse.
How it's made
James Gin was developed with Downton Distillery in Wiltshire, England. The flagship Asian Parsnip blends the earthy sweetness of parsnip with warming spices for a gin with light, sweet notes.
Why we carry them
We like a gin with a sense of humor that still tastes serious. The parsnip and spice make for an interesting gin and tonic.
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