Off-Duty Pours: What Five UK Distillers Drink When Nobody's Watching

Distillers spend their working lives tasting. They nose, spit, compare, dilute, and make notes. So what happens when the apron comes off and nobody is paying them to have an opinion? I asked five UK craft distillers what they actually drink off-duty. The answers were not a parade of rare single casks. They were cold cans, cheap amari, cider, tea, and a lot of lime. Which is exactly what makes them useful.

Iona McAllister, Thistle & Sea Distillery, Argyll: a cold supermarket stout

'I know it sounds boring,' says McAllister, 'but after a day of tasting gin I want a cold supermarket stout. Not a fancy one. The sort that costs about two quid and comes in a four-pack. It tastes of roast and bitterness, and it does not ask me to think.'

What it reveals: McAllister is a palate resetter. She spends all day separating botanicals; off-duty she wants one clear flavour. 'After forty samples, I want something that tastes like one thing done well,' she says. That shows in her gin, which is direct and juniper-led rather than a botanical scrapbook.

Ravi Chauhan, Copper Lane Distillery, Birmingham: obscure amari

Chauhan is the friend who brings a bottle of something bitter to dinner and then watches you try it. 'I collect amari,' he says. 'The bitter end of the drinks cabinet. I like them with soda, or just a small glass after food. The cheaper Spanish vermouths are brilliant too. I am not precious about it.'

What it reveals: a savoury, herbal palate. Chauhan's gin leans on angelica, orris, and a touch of dried citrus peel. He is not chasing sweetness. 'If a drink is all sugar and no grip, I get bored,' he says. 'I want the bitter edge. It makes you go back for another sip.'

Bethan Pryce, Hafod Dry Gin, Powys: dry cider and a packet of crisps

Pryce grew up around orchards, and it shows. 'My off-duty drink is dry cider,' she says. 'Proper dry, not the sweet stuff. And a packet of salt and vinegar crisps. That is a perfect Friday.' She pauses. 'I realise that sounds like a stereotype of a Welsh distiller. I am comfortable with it.'

What it reveals: acidity and orchard fruit. Pryce's gin includes apple and hawthorn, and she talks about 'the snap' of a good cider the way other distillers talk about citrus. 'I like drinks that make your mouth water,' she says. 'That is what I want in a gin too.'

Ollie Frampton, South Downs Spirit Co., Sussex: mezcal and a lot of tea

Frampton is the outlier. 'If I am out, I will order a mezcal margarita,' he says. 'At home, it is tea. Genuinely. I probably drink more tea than anything else. But the mezcal thing is about smoke. I like that savoury, slightly dirty edge.'

What it reveals: a taste for smoke and texture. Frampton has been experimenting with charred oak in small batches, and his favourite spirits are the ones that taste like they have been near a fire. 'I do not want everything to be clean and polite,' he says. 'A bit of grit is good.'

Nadia Okoro, Brixton Botanicals, London: dark rum and ginger beer

Okoro's off-duty pour is a dark rum and ginger beer, heavy on lime. 'It is not sophisticated,' she says. 'It is cold, spicy, and it works after a long day. I will drink a can of something cold as well. I am not going to pretend I only drink vintage cognac.'

What it reveals: she is a texture and contrast drinker. Sweetness cut with heat, weight cut with lime. Her spirits tend to have a firm, dry finish. 'I like a drink that starts sweet and ends sharp,' she says. 'That is the trick.'

What their off-duty drinking says about palate

The pattern is not expensive taste. It is clarity. Distillers spend their working hours picking things apart. Off-duty, they want one strong idea: roast, bitter, acid, smoke, heat. They also want a drink they do not have to analyse. That is not a contradiction. It is a reminder that craft spirits are made by people who love flavour, not by people who love fuss.

If they like X, try Y: UK bottles to match

• If you like a cold supermarket stout: try Black Tot Finest Caribbean Rum for dark molasses and roasted notes, or a coffee-forward UK spiced rum if you want the stout edge in spirit form.
• If you like bitter amari: look for a UK-made bitter aperitivo or a navy-strength gin with strong angelica and citrus peel — Sipsmith London Dry is a reliable gateway if you want the herbal side without the sugar.
• If you like dry cider: try Somerset Cider Brandy for orchard fruit and a clean, tart finish.
• If you like smoky mezcal: try Cotswolds Peated Cask Single Malt for smoke without the Islay heaviness, or Bruichladdich Port Charlotte if you want the full campfire.
• If you like dark rum and ginger beer: try Old J Spiced Rum for the ginger-and-vanilla hit, or Lind & Lime Gin if you want the lime-bright contrast in a clearer spirit.

The lesson is simple. You do not need to spend £60 to drink well. You need to know what you like, and then find the bottle that does it properly. The distillers above do exactly that — even if their off-duty choice comes in a four-pack.