Our collection of Dragon Slayer Gins are inspired by historic legends who, according to folklore, slayed ferocious dragons.
Our distillery is located near Sockburn Lane; legend has it that the land was once roamed by the vicious Sockburn Worm. Learning of this folklore, combined with the strong desire to create the perfect gin, sparked the perfect storm for our delicious range of products.
So, let’s meet the heroes who were brave enough to take on the beasts who terrorised the north many centuries ago.
Sir John Conyers
Don’t be deceived by the term ‘Sockburn Worm’, while its name sounds merciful, the creature was in fact notorious for terrorising the locals of Sockburn.
The term ‘worm’, in fact, is short for wyvern, which means a winged dragon, recognisd by its long tail and two legs – the small village was certainly under attack.
In 1063, however, the legend that is Sir John Conyers slayed the Sockburn Worm with his weapon of choice, a single edged sword known as a falchion.
As a reward for protecting the village, he was given the vast land that surrounds Sockburn.
Sir John buried the remains of the best under the great ‘Grey Stone’, which is still visible today a couple of fields away from the ruins of Sockburn Hall.
This heroic tale is said to be Lewis Carroll’s inspiration behind the poem, Jabberwocky. And Sir John’s bravery is the inspiration behind the first gin we ever distilled.
Sir John Lambton
Meet Sir John Lambton, the first Lord of Durham; he too slaughtered a creature like the Sockburn Worm.
Legend has it, Sir John was born into wealth, with his family owning several estates across County Durham. However, this didn’t stop him from being a rebellious child.
One Sunday, five-year-old John skipped church to go fishing in a nearby river, where he came eye-to-eye with a snake-like creature, which he disposed of down a well.
As time goes by, the snake grows in size and ferociousness. Legend has it, the worm was large enough to wrap itself around a local hill several times, and was responsible for eating farmer’s livestock, terrorising villages and even snatching children.
Several locals tried and failed to kill the beast, but thankfully Sir John Conyers returned after years of being in the crusades, where he found his family’s land in wreck and ruin.
A witch advised Sir John to wrap his armor in spearheads and face the dragon on the River Wear, where the worm later wrapped itself around John, and was killed to death by his sharp armor.
Sigurd
Sigurd is the last of the Dragon Slayers in our growing army. While sources say he’s originally Danish-born, he eventually found himself as The Earl of Northumbria.
Upon his journey to England, he was faced with TWO dragons, one in Orkney, and another closer to Northumbria, both he allegedly slayed.
After he fiercely slayed both beasts, he bumped into an old man on a hill, who handed him a raven banner, a flag which was imbued with the powers of Odin, one of the highest gods in Norse mythology.
He then made his way to London to receive patronage from the King of England at the time.
