Winemakers / Mike Tindall, James Haskell & Alex Payne
Mike Tindall, James Haskell & Alex Payne
The story behind
The Spirit
Blackeye was born from the friendship and shared love of spirits of three familiar faces from the world of rugby: Mike Tindall, James Haskell and Alex Payne. What began as an idea sparked by listeners of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby has grown into a premium spirits collection created around one simple idea — great drinks are better when shared with good people.
Blackeye London Dry Gin is the spirit that started it all: a bold, contemporary gin with a bright citrus character, classic juniper backbone and layers of floral, herbal and warming spice. It is distinctive enough to stand out, but beautifully versatile — equally at home in a G&T, Martini or Negroni.
Discover our
Sporting Connection
Blackeye brings together three very different personalities from the world of rugby.
Mike Tindall MBE is an England and British & Irish Lions rugby legend, World Cup winner and one of the most recognisable figures in English rugby. James Haskell enjoyed a long international career with England and the British & Irish Lions before becoming a broadcaster, podcaster and entrepreneur. Alex Payne is one of rugby's best-known broadcasters and the voice behind some of the sport's biggest conversations.
Together, the trio became the founders of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, one of the world's most popular rugby podcasts. Blackeye grew from the same camaraderie, humour and love of the game that made the podcast such a success.
The name Blackeye is a playful nod to the physical nature of rugby — but the brand is ultimately about much more than what happens on the pitch. It is about friendship, resilience, good company and celebrating the people who give everything to the game.
And importantly, every Blackeye bottle helps give something back to rugby.
Supporting the game - The Blackeye Rugby Fund
The Blackeye Rugby Fund was created to support the people who have given everything to rugby, with three core pillars: Research, Risk and Recovery.
The Fund supports current and former players, coaches and administrators affected by serious injury or ill health, while also funding research into making rugby safer and initiatives designed to reduce risk and improve long-term player welfare. Its ambition is to invest £1 million a year into player welfare.
The Fund has already supported players including Lewis Moody, Ed Slater and Matt Hampson, making every bottle of Blackeye part of a bigger sporting story.
Exploring the
Distillery
Blackeye Gin is distilled in small batches by Hawkridge Distillers in Compton, near Newbury, Berkshire, using traditional London Dry production methods. The gin combines classic juniper and pine with bright lemon zest and tangerine, alongside floral, herbal and warming spice notes. Some of its botanicals draw inspiration from flavours associated with rugby-playing nations around the world, giving the spirit an international character befitting its founders and the global game.
The result is a gin that balances freshness, depth and warmth — opening with vibrant citrus before revealing its juniper backbone and finishing long, smooth and gently spiced.
Blackeye went on to win Double Gold and 95/100 at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, in the highly competitive Best Gin category, less than a year after launching.
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