A DELICIOUS and indulgent liqueur made in partnership with the world-famous toffee empire, Sharp’s of Maidstone, has been released today. Sharp’s Toffee Liqueur was inspired by the once great industry that was Edward Sharp’s toffee factory.

Edward had built such a strong reputation for his sweets, that in 1912 he installed his “Kreemy Works” factory in the heart of Maidstone. A real life “Willy Wonka” his hugely popular “Kreemy Toffee” led Maidstone to be the largest manufacturer in the world. Sought after internationally, the toffee was renowned for its smooth and creamy taste. The plant was a major employer in Maidstone up until its closure in 2000.

The Liqueur is created on site and traditionally distilled in a copper pot still with select botanicals to create a base of delicate spice, with hints of orange, vanilla and butter. The base is blended with a top-secret toffee recipe, resulting in a smooth and creamy toffee liqueur that will delight fans of the sweet variety. It’s also vegan friendly.

The Maidstone Distillery is thrilled to be working with the owners of the Sharp’s trademark, Barratt’s, who are well known today for their confectionary such as Dib Dabs, Fruit Salads and Black Jack sweets.

Darren Graves, co-Founder of Maidstone Distillery, said ‘Every spirit we is make is not only crafted to the finest quality but also tells a story and we are immensely proud of this delicious liqueur and the industrious past of Maidstone that it nods to. We have two gins launched already but the product development for this liqueur has been exciting for the whole team. We’ve tried to keep the release secret but visitors to our Distillery under the Hazlitt Theatre might have noticed the toffee smell that’s been lingering in the air for some months now!’.

The liqueur, which is 22% ABV, has been carefully designed to be enjoyed as a digestif, neat over ice, or as an indulgent treat in cocktails and even cooking. The label even features a mock up of the ‘Kreemy Works’ factory across several floors, with workers manufacturing a large bottle of the delicious liqueur.

After opening a grocery shop in 1876, Edward Sharp began experimenting with confectionary. His toffee factory also made other confectionary including boiled sweets and nougat. The Sharps brand has merged with several other confectionary giants over the years including Trebor and Cadbury.

Recently launched during lockdown, Maidstone Distillery celebrates nearly 250 years of distilling played out on a national stage. Maidstone was famous for producing one of the finest gins in all of Europe in the 18th Century, and Cherry Brandy, which was beloved by Queen Victoria and accompanied Captain Scott on his Antarctic Expeditions. The Distillery now boasts its first international award for its signature George Bishop London Dry Gin, and also retails its technically brilliant Ranscombe Wild Gin, distilled with foraged wild botanicals in partnership with charity Plantlife.

Their fun and fascinating tours have already earned them excellent reviews on Trip Advisor and customers can make their own gin to take home on miniature copper stills during a two hour Gin Making session too.

The Sharp’s Toffee Liqueur can be purchased via their website www.themaidstonedistillery.com and is available in three sizes; 70cl, 20cl and mini 5cl bottles.