It was the year 1857 when some gentlemen from London with a craving for adventure founded the first mountaineering club, the ‘Alpine Club’, which has continued to exist to this day. One of the club’s founders and presidents was Sir Leslie Stephen. Midway through the 19th century he was not only the first person to scale some of the most challenging peaks in the Swiss Alps but he also wrote the successful book ‘The playground of Europe’ in which he shared his experiences in the Alps with the public at large.It was an age marked by determination and courageous decisions. It was the age of the alpinists. Stories like these inspired us to embark on our own adventure. In this way, the pioneering spirit of those far off days lives on, more than 160 years later, in our Alpinist Premium Spirits.