Leamington Spa care home celebrates launch of bespoke gin with master distiller visit and cocktails
A luxury all-inclusive care home in Leamington Spa marked the launch of Golden Hour, Berkley Care Group’s new bespoke gin, with a vibrant afternoon of tasting, storytelling and celebration that brought residents, staff and families together.
Jubilee House, part of the Berkley Care Group, hosted the event with its Events, Hospitality and Kitchen Teams working closely together to prepare a memorable experience for residents. The celebration was made even more special by the presence of Andrew Parsons, Master Distiller at award-winning distillers Sky Wave, who joined residents to share the craft, creativity and science behind the new gin.
Golden Hour is a London Dry gin created in partnership with Sky Wave and developed with direct input from residents across Berkley Care homes. It takes its name from the weekly “Golden Hour” gatherings that bring residents together for conversation, connection and a celebratory drink. Its floral, aromatic and characterful flavour profile was designed to reflect the warmth, creativity and togetherness that define life in Berkley homes.
Residents were captivated as Andrew talked them through the distilling process and the choices that shaped the final recipe. Many said it made the launch feel personal, meaningful and unique to Jubilee House.
The Hospitality Team created a selection of bespoke cocktails for the occasion, including a Raspberry, Lemonade and Mint Mocktail, a Raspberry Jubilee Fizz, and an Elderflower Gin and Tonic, each made with Golden Hour and presented with beautiful garnishes. Alongside the drinks, the Kitchen Team prepared a charcuterie board featuring home-cured gravadlax on Finnish caraway rye bread, root vegetable crisps, martini olives, and prosciutto served with spelt and seed sourdough.
Residents spent the afternoon chatting with Andrew, sampling the cocktails and enjoying the food, with many expressing pride and excitement about having a gin created especially for the Berkley community. The sense of creativity and ownership was clear throughout, with residents sharing ideas for future cocktail combinations they would like to try.
Golden Hour gin is now a permanent feature in the Jubilee House bistro and will be used for all future cocktails and gin and tonics. Plans are already underway for additional tasting sessions and for the residents to help design a signature Jubilee House Golden Hour cocktail.
Commenting on the occasion, Lydia Orsmond, Events Manager at Jubilee House, said: “It was such a joyful afternoon. Having Andrew with us made the event feel incredibly special, and our residents loved hearing how Golden Hour was created. The cocktails, the food and the conversations all came together beautifully. Our residents are so proud to have a gin of their own, and they can’t wait to create more cocktails with it in the future.”