The Moonraker Legend
Did you know that the people of Wiltshire are proud to be known as Moonrakers?
The origin of the Moonraker name can be traced back to an 18th century folk story full of West Country character and soaked in liquor.
The curious tale tells of locals smuggling barrels of French brandy under the light of a full moon. Accidently dropping the barrels into a village pond, they hastily grabbed hay rakes to fish them out.
A customs officer happened to be passing and questioned what they were doing. The quick-thinking bootleggers, keen to avoid suspicion, decided to play the fool. Pointing to the moon’s reflection on the surface of the pond, they politely informed the officer that they were trying to rake out the big round cheese.
The real fool of the story turned out to be the excise man. Naively he assumed they were village idiots and continued on his way. The canny smugglers smiled with glee as they got away without paying any alcohol duty. And the legend of the Wiltshire Moonrakers was born.
Moonraker Cocktails
With this story in mind, we have created our Moonraker Cocktail Collection inspired by the many myths, legends and unusual features of the Wiltshire countryside that we have grown to love over the years.
Here you will find 15 enticing and intriguing cocktails containing Sloe Gin, Damson Liqueur, Peach Liqueur, Blood Orange Liqueur and Christmas Cream Liqueur. You will also learn a thing or two about Wiltshire, from medieval defences carved in the landscape to chalk horses chiselled into hillsides.
In true Moonraker fashion, break the rules, change the quantities, use different glasses, mix your way but above all, enjoy.
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