Claiming to be the UK's newest artisanal spirits producer, The London Distillery Company is rolling out four gins made from unusual botanicals.

The gins will be launched under an experimental drinks line called Testbed. The name is taken from the site of the distillery - Testbed1 - a former dairy warehouse turned creative arts space, established by Kevin Cassandro and architect Will Alsop in Battersea, London in 2010.

The initial small-batch release will highlight the influence of the organic botanicals not typically found in gin, which include lovage root, bilberry and lavender, and allow side-by-side comparison of the recipes. In addition, consumer feedback will also help guide future product development for the label.

Darren Rook, founder of The London Distillery Company, said: "The word ‘testbed' means a platform for experimentation, which aligns with elements of our own philosophy regarding product innovation and challenging our own preconceptions about what works and what doesn't.

"We also feel it's important to make the recipe development process as transparent as possible by disclosing information other distillers tend not to. This first Testbed1 release gives us an opportunity to do just that."

Rook described Testbed1 as "a London Dry style gin inspired by New Western Dry principles". It will be available at the end of the month as a set of four 10cl bottles at an rrp of £28.

Consumer feedback on the evolution of the product during development and the effects of the various botanicals on the spirit can be sent directly to Rook at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The London Distillery Company is due to commence production of its whisky in November. It is the first whisky distillery to be built in London for over 100 years, and claims to be the only distillery in the area to offer small-batch premium whisky made entirely on-premises from grain to bottle.