The 1940s-inspired product was created by Tim Moore and was stocked exclusively in bars across the capital operated by Jillian Maclean's company but was launched to the wider market on 27 March and is now available in a 70cl bottle for the on-trade.
Analogue Spirits, founded by Moore, is based in Peckham Rye and distills the gin in small batches to create a 41.6 ABV gin that Moore says is uniquely modern.
'Modern gin-eration'
Speaking to BigHospitality at the launch of the product, Moore said he saw the spirit being popular with operators of mid to small-scale bars looking to take advantage of the resurgence in gin amongst younger drinkers.
"We really wanted to produce a London dry that was lovingly distilled in small batches, in London, from 100 per cent grain spirit using unique botanicals including grapefruit, ginger and citrus peels which comes out smooth and balanced at a good strength; 41.6 per cent," he said.
"Sparrow is powerful, yet delicate enough for cocktails and quality tonics, makes a beautiful extra dry martini and holds its own in a Negroni. Elegant, refined and unique it's produced for the modern gin‐eration," Moore added.
Long Island
The gin is currently available in a 70cl Long Island bottle with a rubber stopper to prevent cork taint.
The bottle, with a nod to the 1940s inspiration of the gin itself, is decorated with an image created by artist Jules Langran of a woman wearing a tattoo of a sparrow which is designed to represent the images which decorated WW2 planes for luck.
The London dry gin, which the creator advises serving with a twist of grapefruit peel as opposed to lime or lemon, features citrus and juniper aromas and flavours of grapefruit, sweet orange peel, ginger and juniper.