Why the Jurassic Coast is the Inspiration for our Drinks

Fossil Coast Drinks Co was founded in Devon in early Spring 2021 by father and son Wayne Munday and Jack Munday during the height of the COVID pandemic. Our goal was to learn something new and create an authentic British brand delivering purpose through communicating an interesting “story in a bottle”. What better story than the geological and fossil record of the Jurassic Coast a World Heritage Site.

Fossil Coast is a trade mark brand centred upon celebrating the adventure and exploration of the natural world rather than adding to the heavy burden already placed upon environment.

Exploring the great outdoors has been a big part of our lives including studying Earth Science, Palaeontology and collecting fossils along the Jurassic Coast.

For this reason our decision was to dedicate our expressions gin, gin liqueur and rum spirit (and future drinks) to the Jurassic Coast.

We are working towards creating a business that has a positive impact not only in how we sustainably operate but also promotes a place-identity that connects locals and tourists who live, work and visit the natural landscape of Devon and Dorset.

The original inspiration for the brand is an ammonite (see above image) collected whilst at University and is now a paper weight in the office. Here is our "story in bottle" that helps explain the origins for each of the expressions of drinks.

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Lime Stone

Expression: London Dry Gin

ABV: 40%

Bottle Size: 70cl + wax seal

Buy: Visit Shop

Botanicals: Lemon Peel, Lime Juice, Lime Zest, Lime Peel, Juniper berries, Coriander, Orris Root, Angelica, Liquorice Root and Chamomile.

Gin Cocktail Recipes: Visit Fossil Coast Lifestyle

Story in a Bottle: Lime Stone is our 40% ABV London Dry Gin named after Dorset’s Upper Jurassic's Portland Limestone exposed on the Isle of Purbeck and the Cretaceous Purbeck Group a series of layers of limestone and mudstone shale sediments deposited under predominantly arid and dry conditions.

Within the fossil record of the Upper Jurassic's Portland Limestone yielded marine fossils such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, Portlandian reptiles, Pavlovia ammonites. A unique feature of the Upper Jurassic in Portland is the fossil forest. By contrast the fossil record of the Cretaceous Purbeck Group of limestone shows land-based and freshwater species.

On the palate, Lime Stone has a depth of flavour that brings out the taste of warming lemon, lime and complex citrus tones without any sharpness.

Best Served: Recommend a premium classic Indian tonic water and garnished with lemon, lime, or cucumber in either a copa de balon or a Collins glass to bring out the refreshingly citrus notes.

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Kimmeridge Rum Spirit - Launch in March 2022

Expression: Dark fruit rum spirit

ABV: 35%

Bottle Size: 50cl + wax seal

Botanicals: Blackberry, Cider apple and Cinnamon

Rum Cocktails Recipes: Visit Fossil Coast Lifestyle

Story in a Bottle: If you know your history of rum you will notice that Kimmeridge Rum Spirit is a lower alcohol expression of rum requested by our customers. One of our goals was to appeal to non-traditional rum drinkers. The lower alcohol ABV means that the flavour profile of fruity and floral botanical aromas and flavours is not lost by the influence of a much higher alcohol percentage.

Kimmeridge Rum Spirit is named after the Upper Jurassic Period Kimmeridge Clays laid down 155 million years ago. The Kimmeridge Clays are a series of organic rich rhythms of four unbroken highly fossiliferous marine-shelf mudstones. The area around Kimmeridge Bay was once a deep tropical seabed rich in large marine reptiles such as crocodilians, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs. One of these rhythms is the source of an oil and gas shale rock and hence our choice in using blackberry for its colour and aroma as the lead botanical. The oil shale of Kimmeridge was mined in the 19th century as fuel for glass making and boiling water to manufacture salt and in 1848 it powered the street lights of Wareham. Today the Kimmeridge oil field is part of the Wytch Farm, one of Europe’s largest onshore oil fields on the southern shore of Poole Harbour in Dorset.

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Red Bed Berry Gin Liqueur

Expression: Red Berry Gin Liqueur

ABV: 30%

Bottle Size: 50cl + wax seal

Botanicals: Redcurrant, Raspberry, Strawberry, Juniper Berries, Coriander, Orris Root, Angelica, Liquorice Root, Chamomile, Vanilla, Lemon Peel, Lime Peel, Blackcurrant, Elderberry

Gin Cocktail Recipes: Visit Fossil Coast Lifestyle

Story in a Bottle: Red Bed is our red berry gin liqueur named after Devon and Dorset's Jurassic Coastal Triassic Red Sandstone. Distilled using the traditional London Dry Gin process. On the palate, Red Bed's depth of flavour is matched only by its regal red blush colour and is elevated by the fruity fragrances and aromas of redcurrant, raspberry and strawberries alongside other citrus and spice botanicals.

Red Bed Gin Liqueur is dedicated to the Triassic Period (252 - 201 million years ago) of the Jurassic Coast and is characterised by red sandstone rocks exposed in the cliffs of East Devon seen from the gateway town of Exmouth to Sidmouth.

The red Triassic sandstone seen in East Devon was formed in a sandy desert environment and is made up of quartz crystals held together in an iron oxide rich cement that gives the rock its characteristic red colour.

In the main the Triassic rocks of East Devon have a rarity of fossils because the Triassic began after Earth's worst-ever extinction event known as the "Great Dying" where up to 90% of all species died. It was not until the Middle Triassic (246 - 229 million years ago) that there was recovery of organisms and better environmental conditions prevailed and reptiles and the first dinosaurs evolved. Evidence of this is in the Triassic fossil recorded in the Otter Sandstone Formation found along East Devon. This was an environment that led to the deposition of sandstones, salts and mudstones in a combination of deserts, rivers and shallow lakes. These damper conditions allowed new habitats to develop and animals to colonise the river systems.

Best Served: Recommend a premium classic Indian tonic water, ice cubes and garnished with strawberries and/or mint in either a copa de balon or a martini glass whose wide brims provide ample air to bring out all the lovely fruity notes.

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Three Tiers Gin Liqueur - Launch in March 2022

Expression: Pink gin liqueur

ABV: 30% ABV

Bottle Size: 50cl + wax seal

Botanicals: Rhubarb, Elderflower, Juniper, Coriander seeds, Cassia bark, Lemon & Orange peel, Liquorice root, Angelica root and Orris root

Gin Cocktail Recipes: Visit Fossil Coast Lifestyle

Story in a Bottle: Three Tiers is the name given to three well-cemented lower Jurassic sandstone layers of fossiliferous rock found between Charmouth and Bridport. The Three Tiers is best exposed along the deep orange sandstone sea-cliffs beneath the Jurassic Coast's highest point known as Golden Cap. The Three Tiers are between 190.8 - 182.7 million years of age and are representative of the third of four divisions of the early Jurassic period called the Pliensbachian Stage.

The Three Tier Formation marks a boundary with the younger Eype Clays and the older Green Ammonite Beds whose clay nodules can present a shade of pink colour and often contain well-preserved ammonites.

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