Right. You’d think after years of setting him on fire, pushing him down hills, and watching him monumentally stack a jet car, we’d be out of ways to torment Richard Hammond. But you’d be wrong. Because the man himself has found a new, and frankly ambitious, way to get into trouble, this time involving… booze. Yes, the Hamster, a man whose greatest engineering feat was once building a submersible Triumph Herald, has decided the world needs his personal take on gin and whisky. In what sounds like a classic “How hard can it be?” moment, the Top Gear and Grand Tour icon is launching a line of spirits that he says captures his “adventurous spirit”. We can only hope this adventure involves fewer emergency services than his usual ones.
This isn’t just any mid-life crisis, mind you. This is a Hammond mid-life crisis. He’s teamed up with his digital car park, DriveTribe, to launch the collection, so at least the marketing will be slick. He claims it’s about taking the “craftsmanship and storytelling” from the car world and pouring it into something you can drink. In his own, worryingly accurate words, “It’s me, just slightly more distilled.” Let’s just pray it’s the charming, enthusiastic Hammond and not the one who’s upside down in a Swiss field.
So, what has he cooked up?
First, there’s the Ratio London Dry Gin. In a move that will surprise absolutely no one, the bottle is shaped like a gear cog. This is where it gets properly unhinged. Inspired by the Lake District, he’s apparently foraged the landscape for ingredients. We’re talking bilberries, wild gorse flowers… and stinging nettles. Stinging nettles. Has he gone completely mad? Is this a gin or a rustic peasant poultice?
Then there’s the Iron Ridge English Single Malt Whisky. Named after a hillside near Hammond’s retreat, it’s matured in American bourbon casks and promises notes of vanilla, caramel, spice, and a “subtle smokiness.”This sounds… worryingly competent. It’s a whisky “built for those who appreciate craftsmanship and discovery,” which is Hammond-speak for “please don’t mix it with cola”.
Thankfully, he hasn’t been left unsupervised in his barn. He’s partnered with the award-winning Hawkridge Distillers, a company that actually knows what it’s doing and recently created the World’s Best London Dry Gin.They presumably stepped in to ensure the final product wouldn’t be flammable in the wrong way.
The Grand Tour (of Pubs)
Naturally, the grand unveiling couldn’t be a quiet affair. The whole circus kicks off with an official debut at DriveTribe Live 2025 on August 30th, where you can meet the man, taste his creations, and buy a bottle before it’s released globally in September. One can only imagine Clarkson’s review, likely involving the words “crisp, with hints of idiot.”The full marketing might of DriveTribe will be behind it, with YouTube videos and social media campaigns no doubt featuring Hammond earnestly explaining the “terroir” of a nettle patch while Captain Slow nods off in the background.So there you have it. Richard Hammond, a man best known for whitening his teeth and driving Porsches, is now a spirits baron.Is it a brilliant move or has he finally lost the plot? Knowing that proper, award-winning distillers are involved, it might just be annoyingly good.And on that slightly intoxicating bombshell, it’s time to end. Go on, try it. The profits will probably go towards buying another Opel Kadett.
