History and Terroir

The idyllic English countryside is famed for an abundance of fruits, from plums and apple orchards, through to hedgerow hawthorns, succulent strawberries and ripe raspberries. Founder Barney Wilczak started the Capreolus distillery in the Cotswolds, a part of England designated as an ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’ due to its significantly rich landscape and verdant flora. Drawing on the plentiful surroundings of this lush part of the United Kingdom, Wilczak specialises in creating super-premium Eaux de Vie, using locally sourced fruits, fermented using wild yeasts and double distilled in a small copper pot still. Harvest is a four-month process, with wild fermentation taking up to 19 weeks, and care and precision is the key. Every single berry, quince or apple used is hand-graded with up to 45kg of fruit per litre of Eaux de Vie produced. Each Eau de Vie is a small batch, with a rare and intense, complex profile, showcasing brilliantly these fruit-forward spirits, distilling this area of outstanding natural beauty into each and every bottle.