17 Jan 2016
New Gin Goes Horribly, Horribly Wrong
Chemistry, Darwin Awards, Gin, Mustard Gas
A group of hipster gin makers came close to creating chaos after they accidentally made mustard gas while trying to concoct a new flavour.
Workers from Sipsmith distillery, in Chiswick, west London, were attempting to create a mustard-flavoured drink but instead made the dangerous chemical agent, famous for its devastating use in World War One.
The firm, founded by Fairfax Hall, Sam Galsworthy and Jared Brown in 2009, evacuated its plant as soon as the blunder had been detected.
Kit Clancy, assistant distiller at Sipsmith, said: ‘There was a near disaster. What the guys actually produced was in effect mustard gas. The distillery was evacuated. That one wasn’t made again.’