"El-Bart Gin's story starts in a humble part of London, and ends up in the cocktail bar of the Waldorf Astoria New York. James Sceats was born in Homerton, Middlesex Uk 1851. By the 1861 census, James was a schoolboy living at the family home in Kings Road Finsbury, just North of the City of London. After leaving school, James started as a trainee cooper and by 1870 was working in London's (then) Brewing Quarter at 12 Great Crown Court, Pulteney Street Soho. His connections in the trade led to James becoming a wine & spirit merchant and moving up in the world. James met Basil Willis, whose business was based in nearby New Cross. James and Basil teamed up to become "Sceats & Willis Wine Merchants". In 1898, a distillery in the historic spa town of Camberwell came up for sale. The partnership planned to use their skills as wine and spirit merchants to expand into distilling. The first gin advert based on the Camberwell Distillery recipe appeared in New York in 1904 under the "El-Bart" brand (curiously, short for English Baronet!). Of course, James Sceats did not get to reap the rewards of his hard work, but James' wider family was to have the last word. Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds purchased the El-Bart trademark and at one time planned to use the name for his own gin brand. Instead, he chose to name his gin after El-Bart's signature cocktail instead... So now you know why Mr Reynolds brand is called Aviation Gin. When Mr Reynold's trademark lapsed, the Sceats Family bought back the recipe and rights to the brand returning El-Bart to the safe hands of Peter, Austin, Verity and Melody Sceats, and a Sceats Family Advisory Board made up of paternal Sceats cousins all over the world. The Sceats Family's delicious El-Bart Gin is again made to James’ original 1898 recipe. Enjoy it straight with tonic or with glace cherries, a slice of orange or a shot of violet liqueur.
