By Philip Buckingham

A DARLINGTON pub is set to open its own on-site gin and vodka distillery – the first of its kind in the town.

Number Twenty 2, in Coniscliffe Road, announced in November that it would be scaling back its kitchen services to make way for an on-site microbrewery, and now the distillation and sale of gin and vodka will begin within a month.

Asked about the reasons for the decision, Number Twenty 2’s manager Vicki Ramsay, who will be distilling the drinks herself, said: “We had a huge space available to us in the kitchen area – Ralph [Wilkinson, the owner] decided to begin his microbrewery, and as I’d studied pharmaceutical chemistry at university I had experience with distillation in the past.

“It’s a pretty straightforward process, the hardest part will just be making sure we get the botanical quantities right.”

Although the “super, super micro” distillery will only produce ten bottles at a time, Ms Ramsay says the small scale production will allow for a unique experience for Number Twenty2’s patrons.

She explained: “It allows us to play around with what we do. Everyone is selling the standard dry gin and vodka which is fashionable at the moment – and even the micro distillery in Durham is using the same recipe each time.

“We can be more experimental; each production of ten bottles will be different from the last, and will only be available in house.”

After a year-long application process, the launch of the distillery will coincide with the 20th anniversary of Number Twenty 2’s opening.

The pub has been serving specialist gins for ten years and this development a progression of that.

While there are no plans for a public event to mark the occasion, Ms Ramsay added: “We’ve got fantastic customers who are really supportive of what we do, and we’d really like to thank them.”