Back in March 2020, Lisa Pilgrim and Kirby Bryant, directors of Cambridge Wine Royston, put their heads together. With an aim to entertain customers and lift spirits during the first national lockdown, they set to work creating a virtual tasting event.

On 9th April 2020, their very first online event began: The Big Royston Gin Tasting, with the lovely folk at Copper in the Clouds.

Today is the one year anniversary of this formative tasting event – and by incredible coincidence, it’s also National Gin and Tonic Day!

The tasting event, hosted by James Grant (Copper in the Clouds Founder & Distiller), was a great success, selling out within a few short hours. The wild popularity of this gin tasting inspired Kirby and Lisa to creating In House Tasting – a brand new business, innovating a new form of on-demand, virtual drinks tastings, to be enjoyed from the comfort of one’s own home.

And a few short months later, our official Copper in the Clouds gin tasting went live!

We’ve learnt a few tricks along the way, giving our new and improved gin packs a polished new look, in postal-friendly packaging. Soon, we were able to deliver our tasting kits to gin-lovers across the country.

Click

class=”rank-math-link”>here to view the trailer for our Copper in the Clouds tasting:

We are so proud of how far we have come, and have loved discovering more about our favourite tipples as we have begun creating each new tasting experience, going from strength to strength – from rum, to sherry, to craft beer, and so on!

We’ve had a year full of ups and downs, new discoveries, hard work, and more lockdowns than we could keep track of… But the growth of our business and the support of our loyal customers from the very start has made it all worth it.

It’s time to celebrate our successes: with a Copper in the Clouds Gin & Tonic, naturally!

Below are a few press clippings and videos from BBC Business and Channel 5 News.

Dougal Shaw @DougalShawBBC interviewed us for the BBC Business series, CEO Secrets. With the article published alongside a video. Watch the video below or click here to see the full article.

And at the start of January, we had Nick Wallis @nickwallis join us in Royston for a tour of the shop and office as part of a Channel 5 News feature on how businesses have adapted during the pandemic. You can watch the video below.

As an early stage startup (and local business), we were very fortunate to get some great coverage from national and local press and blogs.

We’d like to say a massive thank you for all the support. It’s been refreshing speaking to such lovely and passionate people during the interviews and recordings. Best to all for 2021, when hopefully we’ll be enjoying our tastings together in-person!

Our Copper in the Clouds artisanal gin tasting is back by popular demand, in a BIG new way: this time, we’re offering 350ml bottles of each of the five fantastic gins, a case of premium tonic water, and elegant rose gold barware…

That’s equivalent to seven of our original gin tasting packs (and then some!), worth £245.00, for a bargain £165.00 —enough for six-fourteen people, depending on if the party just ’taste’ or indulge in perfect serves, cocktails etc. Or, enough to keep one gin-lover thoroughly entertained for a few months.

This bumper pack of our selection of Copper in the Clouds gins is perfect for a party with your Christmas bubble, or to amp up your New Year’s Eve celebrations at home, subject to lockdown restrictions. Got some friends that are ‘bubbled-out’? No problem, they can join your party virtually — simply have them purchase one of our standard gin tasting experiences, or better still, gift them one, and invite them to join your party over Zoom!

The tasting experience comes with access to our tasting video hosted by James Grant, Distiller and Founder of Copper in the Clouds – take a look at the video trailer here or below.

Watch James take you through the five gins, show you around his distillery along with his beautiful dog Cooper, and showcase the ‘perfect serve’ for each distillate, as well as three fabulous cocktails. The video is available on-demand to access from our website, so you can re-watch the video as often as you like – it may come in handy when you’re making cocktails at a later date!

You can enjoy this beautiful Copper in the Clouds gin collection as a festive tasting to share with six-fourteen people (or more), or gift as an extra-special Christmas present for your favourite gin-lover.

It’s party time!

View the Gin Tasting Party Pack

Focusing on true classics and unique handcrafted beers, Wylde Sky brews evoke the freedom and excitement that comes from embracing the journey, unconstrained by the ‘same old’. Their seasonal releases explore styles of beer from all corners of the world. Whilst confidently experimental, they also prioritise the creation of delicious, balanced and highly drinkable beers, with offerings for both casual drinkers and seasoned aficionados.

We warmly invite you to enjoy our exclusive Wylde Sky tasting. The tasting kit contains six cans of Wylde Sky beer, including two limited release seasonal brews, as well as accompanying snacks (vegetarian option available). In addition, each pack includes our specially crafted tasting handbook, and access to the tasting video.

Our 4K tasting video is a professional film by talented videographer Charlie Wood. This video tasting is hosted by Paul Elilio and Chris Heath of Wylde Sky Brewing, and is filmed in their very own Taproom, at the brewery in Linton.

The video will premiere on our website on Friday 4th December 2020, but will be available for you to watch on-demand, anytime, anywhere. Instructions for accessing the tasting video will be included in your tasting handbook.

We are delighted to be sharing this exciting selection of Wylde Sky brews with you, and hope you enjoy the tasting experience as much as we have enjoyed preparing it!

View the Wylde Sky Beer Tasting

We cordially invite you to enjoy our exclusive brandy tasting. The tasting kit contains a selection of five rare vintage Cognacs and Armagnacs, from some of the finest producers in the world, paired with delicious chocolates courtesy of artisan chocolatiers, The Cambridge Confectionery Company. In addition, each pack includes our specially crafted tasting handbook, and access to the tasting video.

Our 4K tasting video is a professional film by talented videographer Charlie Wood. This video tasting is hosted by aficionado Bruce Perry, Managing Director of Marussia Beverages UK, importers of the fine selection of French brandies featured in this tasting.

The video will premiere on our website on Friday 27th November 2020, but will be available for you to watch on-demand, anytime, anywhere. Instructions for accessing the tasting video will be included in your tasting handbook, which also features profiles on each of the Cognac and Armagnac houses featured, and tasting notes.

We are delighted to be sharing this very special selection of fine French brandy with you, and hope you enjoy the tasting experience as much as we have enjoyed preparing it!

View the Cognac & Armagnac Tasting

A rose gold ginza jigger with gin (as seen in the gin tasting video) and stainless steel ginza jigger with rum (as seen in the rum tasting video).

Simply add the product to your cart, apply the coupon BLACK20 at the checkout and you will receive your free Black Friday gift with every relevant item purchased (ie if you purchase 2 x gin tasting, you will receive 2 x jiggers!). Full terms and conditions below.

Click the image to view the product. The gin tasting Black Friday offer is also available on our ultimate gin Christmas gift.

Black Friday 2020 coupon terms:

• Order a gin tasting experience (or the ultimate gin Christmas gift) and receive a professional 25/50ml rose gold ginza jigger.
• Order a rum tasting experience and receive a professional 25/50ml stainless steel ginza jigger.
• Order must be placed by 11:59pm on Friday 27th November, 2020.
• Coupon code BLACK20 must be input at the checkout and applied to the order.
• Coupon codes can be used multiple/unlimited times.
• A gift will be provided for each qualifying item. ie. if you purchase 2 tasting experiences, you will receive 2 jiggers.
• Cannot be used with other coupons.

Due to the unknown demand for this offer, gifts are provided on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and subject to availability. If there is a delay in replenishing jigger stock, we will contact you to see if you prefer to wait a few days or receive a substitute gift. If jigger stock becomes unavailable, a substitute will be provided.

According to the ICAEW, virtual parties will be treated for tax purposes in the same way that it would be for traditionally held parties.

The ICEAW HMRC confirmation (20th November, 2020) stated;

“Having considered the scope of section 264 ITEPA03 (annual parties exemption), we are pleased to confirm that the exemption will apply to the costs associated with virtual parties in the same way that it would for traditionally held, parties.

Therefore, the cost of providing food, entertainment, equipment and other expenses which may be incurred in hosting a virtual event, will be exempt, subject to the normal conditions of the exemption being met.

It is important to note that the intention of the exemption is to allow for costs of provision which are generally incurred for the purposes of the event itself, and that the event, along with any associated provision, is available to employees generally.”

If you are uncertain about what the 264 ITEPA03 (annual parties exemption) and how it might apply, the ICEAW have a great overview and explanation here.