BRITISH POLO GIN

Our founder, Rich Hine, discovered his passion for gin in 2015 whilst working in an Australian gin business in Perth, Western Australia, on a Winter break from playing polo professionally in the UK. During his career, Rich was fortunate to play polo internationally across the globe in Argentina, Germany, France, India, China and Australia. 

Whilst in Perth, Rich identified a large gap in the market for an 100% organic gin that was easy to drink. The gin had to be smooth enough to be drunk on the rocks, but still retaining the classic gin flavour which is crucial to allow it to cut through tonic and cocktail ingredients. 

Additionally, having come from a farming background, Rich was keen to make sure that all of his gins were organic and produced as sustainably as possible. 

Fate then played a hand late one evening when Rich severed the tendon of his little finger on his right hand side. This finger is integral to controlling the polo stick. Upon returning home to England for surgery, surgeons advised him that his sporting career was over. Rich subsequently spent two months back in Australia and rehabilitating his injury. 

Having read History at Newcastle, and now with time on his hands, Rich decided to research the history of gin. Fate again played a hand, when Rich established that the first British Polo Players in 1859, members of the British Army’s Cavalry, were also closely linked to the first group of British soldiers to mix gin with their tonic water whilst on deployment in India in 1857. 

As such, British Polo Gin strongly suggest that Britain, Polo and Gin are all inextricably linked. Hence Rich now had a brand for his 100% organic gin, British Polo Gin, The Polo Players’ Choice. 

Consequently, Rich returned home to England from Australia in July 2016 and sold his best polo horses, Snowball and Spice to start British Polo Gin. By November, our 100% organic Botanical gin was appointed as Gin of the Month at the iconic Fortnum & Mason, a major accolade for any gin business, let alone one less than six months old. 

Since our launch in 2016, British Polo Gin has continued to go from strength to strength, with its botanical gin receiving the top accolade of x3 Gold stars at Great Taste 2018. This gin was the only gin to win 3 Gold stars at Great Taste and as such made British Polo Gin, in the opinion of Great Taste, the best gin in the UK in 2018. 

We are now proud to be established as one of the leading, if not, the leading organic gin producers in the UK. There are currently x4 gins in the stable: Botanical, Classic, Sloe and Strawberry & Rose, all of which use 100% organic botanicals in the production of our gin. All of our organic gins are available throughout the UK in leading farm shops, delicatessens, food halls and vintners. 

Naturally, as the business continues to grow, Rich is as keen as ever to align British Polo Gin to the sport of polo. As such, British Polo Gin supports all elements of the sport, both at a club and grass roots level with the company directly supporting the RAF Polo Team since 2017. Excitingly, Excitingly, in 2019, British Polo Gin took over the iconic clubhouse bar at Cirencester Park Polo Club, which has welcomed members of the royal family for decades, in its 125th anniversary. 

Our latest release, British Polo Strawberry & Rose Gin, has been released to coincide with Polo150, a charity set up to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first polo match played in Britain, at The Hurlingham Club in 1869.

We are also delighted to additionally have a rapidly growing events management arm of the business. The events side to the business specialises in running bespoke bars and catering concessions at leading private, lifestyle and sporting events across the Country. Highlights for 2020 include running bars at Glastonbury, Burghley & Osberton Horse Trials, The Cotswold International Polo Day and The Rundle Cup to name but a few. For more information on how we can help with your event please click here.