There are 55 English whisky distilleries registered as of 24 April 2024,[1] 45 of these are active distilleries, 24 of these distilleries are members of the English Whisky Guild (EWG).[2]
Circumstance Distillery was founded by Liam Hirt in 2108. Based in the Whitehall district of Bristol, it is the sister distillery of Psychopomp Microdistillery. Circumstance Distillery prides itself on its 'Flavour first' approach, meaning every decision is made with flavour the only consideration. As a result of this approach they do not make a single malt whisky but use a variety of grains to produce single grain whiskies. They also use brewing yeasts instead of the traditional distilling yeasts and leave their fermentations running for 14 days. They released their first whisky in September 2022 which sold out in 9 minutes.[4]
Dartmoor Whisky Distillery
Situated in Bovey Tracey, Simon Crow placed a 1200-litre ex-cognac still in the Old Town House to start the Dartmoor Whisky Distillery in 2017.[5][6][7]
Guided by head distiller Frank McHardy, long time whisky industry veteran, the first whisky was casked on 3 February 2017.[8] Three and half years later the first single malt whisky was released.[5][9]
They started the distillery with a 400-litre Hoga pot still, Lily, to produce gin, vodka and liqueur. With the investment of the Finance Durham Fund the distillery was planning to move to the city centre in 2018, what they were able to do in 2020.[10][14][15][16] The production is the responsibility of the master distiller Jessica Tomlinson, a graduate from Heriot-Watt University who is involved from the start.[17] Owing to the delayed move, no whisky was distilled before November 2019.[13]
In September 2011 the partnership released a 7-year old single malt and opted to use the spelling "whiskey". Whisky commentator and author of The Whisky Bible,Jim Murray, described the whisky as "among the best debut bottlings of the last decade". [18][19][20]
Isle of Wight Distillery
The Isle of Wight Distillery is known for their gin and vodka brand Mermaid, but also started distilling whisky in December 2015. [21] The founders Xavier Baker and Conrad Gauntlett started the distilling at Conrad's Rosemary Vineyard in 2014. Four years later, they moved to the Pondwell's pub The Wishing Well. [22][23]
The stills have capacities of 100 and 300 litres. In spring 2019 they planned to install a custom designed 1,000 litre still. Big Bertha was operating in May 2020. [22][24]
The first whisky was released in December 2018. For this single malt, the wort was brewed in Ryde at the Goddards Brewery where Xavier is managing director.[21][23][25][26]
Princetown Distillery
The company Princetown Distilleries filed their plans to build a whisky distillery in December 2016. [27][28][29]
Andrew published his plans in 2004 for a distillery in the old Bobbin Mill in Staveley.[34] In 2006 work on the distillery was progressing, aiming for a Christmas opening. [34][35] However, in 2007 the project was abandoned. [36]
Active distilleries in the EWG by age
There are currently 23 distilleries that are members of the English Whisky Guild
The Park Royal, London based Bimber Distillery was founded in 2016.[38][39] The alembic stills are Doris, a 1000-litre wash and Astraeus a spirit still of 600 litres made by Hoga. On 26 May 2016 the first cask was filled and three years later The First was available September 2019.[40][39]
In 2017 a vodka was released followed by a rum the following year; gin is also part of the product line.[41][42][38]
The sales director announced in June 2019 that they are looking for a new location to expand their production and increase the number of visitors.[38]
Cooper King Distillery
Cooper King Distillery is an independent English distillery based in Sutton on the Forest, which was founded after the owners spent time living in Tasmania and became inspired by the Australian whisky industry.[43][44]
Established in 2016 by founders Christopher Jaume and Abbie Neilson, the distillery started producing gin in early 2018 and casked their first single malt spirit in August 2019.[43][45] They named the distillery after co-founder Chris Jaume's great-great-grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Cooper King, who traced the family's history back to Yorkshire in 1030 AD.[43][44][46][47]
The Copper House Distillery was built by the Southwold based brewer Adnams in 2010. Their first whisky was released in 2013. They also distill gin, vodka, bierbrand and brandy.
Copper Rivet Distillery
The Copper Rivet Distillery, based in a Grade II listed building in Chatham, Kent, was founded by Bob Russell and his sons Matthew and Stephen, in August 2016.[48][49]
The distillery has three stills; Sandy (pot), Joyce (column), and Janet (gin). Janet was designed by head distiller Abhi Banik and was granted a patent in 2019.[50][51][52][53] For the production of Single Malt Whisky Sandy is used; it can load 2000 litres of wash. Joyce is for the Vela Vodka and the base alcohol of Dockyard Gin. Janet adds the flavours to the gin through maceration and vapour distillation.
The first whisky release, branded Malthouse, was launched in November 2020.[54][55]
On July 27, 2023, The Cotswolds distillery was named the best distillery in the U.K and Ireland [56]
East London Liquor Company
East London Liquor Company is based in a building that was once a glue factory in Bow Wharf, East London.[57] The company was founded by former actor Alex Wolpert in 2014. Head distiller Tom Hills makes single malt, rye, wheat whisky, gin, and wheat vodka with two 450–650 litres Holstein stills, [58][59][60]
The London Rye (42% rye, 58% barley) was first released in December 2018. [61][62][63] In 2019 a single malt was released, followed in 2020 by the London Wheat (35% unmalted wheat, 30% heirloom malted barley, 30% malted wheat, 5% corn).[64][65]
In May 2018, £1.5 million was raised to enlarge the whisky production.[66]
The distillery opened on 15 December 2014, a few days after they put the 5,500 litre McMillan stills into production.[73][74][75] On 22 July 2015, Princess Anne formally opened the distillery.[79][80] In 2019 the distillery announced an expansion plan that would nearly double their production capacity.[81]
Initially the company released a blended whisky The One before they released their first self-produced The Lakes Genesis on 29 June 2018.[74][75][82][83] In May 2018 an annual release, Quatrefoil, was introduced (Faith, Hope, Luck, Love). [83] A brand was restyled in September 2019 with the release of The Whiskymaker's Reserve No.1.[84]
Besides whisky the distillery also makes gin and vodka with a 1,000 litre still.[78][81][85]
Ludlow Distillery
Founded by Mike Hardingham in 2009 to distill brandy from his vineyard using a 200-litre Kothe still in Clee St. Margaret's. In 2014 they started to distill whisky. The first peated version was released in 2018 named Young Prince, commemorating Edward V of England who was based in Ludlow Castle. In 2020, the distillery was joined with Ludlow Gin, and relocated in 2023 to Ludlow Farm Shop. [86]
The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD) is located next to the Headington's South Park in the old city council depot at Cheney Farm. In 2017, Tom Nicolson and Tagore Ramoutar founded the distillery where master distiller Cory Mason started distilling rye whisky, gin, and vodka.[88][89][90][91][92][93]
Four organic farms, all near Oxford, supplies the distillery with rye, wheat, and barley.[88][90]
Now based underneath renovated former railway arches on Watson Street in Manchester, the distillery was founded in 2016 by owners Jen and Seb, initially beginning with the production of gin from their dining room in Chorlton.
Production of whisky began in 2022 and currently takes place on their carbon neutral, 750L pot still 'Leo', named after Leonardo Fibonacci and his golden ratio, tying into the brand name of 'One Point Six Whisky'.
Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery
Based in Hunmanby, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Partnered with the Woldtop Brewery Co., this distillery has been producing single malt since 2016.
From the barley grown on their farm and the water from their estate they make a single malt, using oil-fired Forsyth Stills.[98] The spirit still is 3,500 L while the wash still is 5,000 L, with which they aim to produce 80,000 litres per annum.[99]
Their single malt whisky has been bottled since 2019 under the Filey Bay label.[100][101] Like many of the other distilleries that used the consultancy of the late Jim Swan (1941-2017), the company offers STR[clarification needed] expression.
The company founder James Nelstrop described it as a 45-year-old dream to make whisky in Norfolk and said that barley has historically been sent from Norfolk to Scotland to make whisky.[102]
White Peak Distillery
Near the village of Ambergate, on the bank of the River Derwent, Derbyshire, there is an old wire factory. Claire and Max Vaughan started the White Peak Distillery in 2017, in one of the buildings of this complex. [103][104][105][106]
The first spirit for the whisky is casked in the spring of 2018. [107] In the meantime the progress can be followed by the single malt spirit that is released. Gin and rum are also part of the companies product range.
Whittaker's Distillery
The Whittakers intended to brew beer but a study at Heriot Watt changed his mind. [108] The distillery started in 2015, making gin with two 100 litre Hillbilly stills on their farm in Dacre Banks.[109][110][111] The first step into whisky production was taken in 2018, when an expansion plan was announced.[109] That distillery was formally opened by the Earl of Harewood in August 2019. [112]
The new still is made by ABE and has a 1,000 litre capacity.
Wharf Distillery
Wharf Distillery is an independent small batch distillery founded in 2012 by Laurence Conisbee initially to produce apple brandy, Æppel Drenc, from its own cider (Virtual Orchard Cider[113]).
The distillery uses a 300-litre hand-beaten copper pot alembic still from Portugal and a German Kothe still. Their range now includes gin Safine Drenc,[114] vodka Gadan Drenc, Fyr Drenc (a grain spirit made from malted barley), and apple brandy Æppel Drenc
Their first whisky, named Cattle Creep after the narrow tunnel passing under the nearby Grand Union Canal, was released in January 2019. Matured in a 55L Madeira cask, this very limited release was bottled at 42.9% with a cask strength Distiller's Cut at 58.8% being made available in June 2019. The release of their whisky made them England's smallest whisky distillery.[115][116]
The distillery takes its name from its original location on Galleon Wharf alongside the Grand Union Canal, although it is now located in the market town of Towcester, Northamptonshire.
The London Distillery Company was the first whisky Distillery in London for over 100 years. Originally, based in a former dairy cold room in Battersea, London until December 2015 before moving to a railway arch in Bermondsey.[118]
Rook resigned as CEO in late 2017. His replacement failed multiple times to secure funding from new & existing investors. In January 2020, the company went into administration. The British Honey Company purchased the Dodd's Gin and Rye brands.[122]
Canadian whisky is a type of whisky produced in Canada. Most Canadian whiskies are blended multi-grain liquors containing a large percentage of corn spirits, and are typically lighter and smoother than other whisky styles. When Canadian distillers began adding small amounts of highly-flavourful rye grain to their mashes, people began demanding this new rye-flavoured whisky, referring to it simply as "rye". Today, as for the past two centuries, the terms "rye whisky" and "Canadian whisky" are used interchangeably in Canada and refer to exactly the same product, which generally is made with only a small amount of rye grain.
Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from fermented grain mash. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of charred white oak. Uncharred white oak casks previously used for the aging of port, rum or sherry are also sometimes used.
Irish whiskey is whiskey made on the island of Ireland. The word 'whiskey' comes from the Irish uisce beatha, meaning water of life. Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world, though a long period of decline from the late 19th century onwards greatly damaged the industry, so much so that although Ireland boasted at least 28 distilleries in the 1890s, by 1966 this number had fallen to just two, and by 1972 the remaining distilleries, Bushmills Distillery and Old Midleton Distillery, were owned by just one company, Irish Distillers.
The Glenlivet distillery is a distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland, that produces single malt Scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. It was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since.
Jenever, also known as Hollands, genever, genièvre, peket, or sometimes as Dutch gin, is the juniper-flavoured traditional liquor in the Netherlands, Belgium and adjoining areas in northern France and northwestern Germany. As an EU and UK Protected Designation of Origin the use of the term jenever and its soundalikes can only be used if the product is made according to the specifications in Belgium, the Netherlands, two northern French departments and two German federal states. Gin was developed in Britain after introduction of jenever to the island.
William Grant & Sons Ltd is an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is run by Grant's descendants as of 2018. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky distillers remaining in family ownership.
A microdistillery is a small, often boutique-style distillery established to produce beverage grade spirit alcohol in relatively small quantities, usually done in single batches. While the term is most commonly used in the United States, micro-distilleries have been established in Europe for many years, either as small cognac distilleries supplying the larger cognac houses, or as distilleries of single malt whisky originally produced for the blended Scotch whisky market, but whose products are now sold as niche single malt brands. The more recent development of micro-distilleries can now also be seen in locations as diverse as London, Switzerland, and South Africa.
English whisky is a liquor made from cereal grains, malt and water.g There are currently two types of English whiskies produced malt whisky and grain whisky.
St. George Spirits is an artisanal distillery located in Alameda, California that produces a range of alcoholic beverages under the direction of Master Distiller Lance Winters. They are known for producing vodka, absinthe, whiskey, gin, brandy, liqueurs, and a range of exotic spirits.
The London Distillery Company, also known as TLDC, was a distillery based in Bermondsey, London. Originally located in Battersea TLDC produced English whisky, Rye whisky, London gin and British spirits, compounds and cordials. TLDC also created experimental spirits under the TESTBED brand; named after the art space of similar ethos by architect Will Alsop.
The Timboon Railway Shed Distillery is a producer of single malt Australian whisky and liqueurs in Timboon, Victoria, Australia. The distillery takes its name from its location in the goods shed at the terminus of the former Timboon railway line.
Dingle Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery established in 2012 and billing itself as an 'artisan' distillery. The distillery is located in a converted sawmill in Milltown on the outskirts of Dingle, in a Gaeltacht in the southwest of Ireland. The first whiskeys distilled and matured at the distillery were released in late 2016. In addition to whiskey, the distillery also produces and markets Dingle vodka and Dingle Gin.
Australian Whisky is whisky produced in Australia. As of December 2021, there were 333 registered distilleries in operation within Australia, of which approximately 50 have a whisky on the market. The industry has shown steady growth since the early 90s especially in the boutique craft distilling scene.
Kyrö Distillery Company is a Finnish rye distillery founded in a sauna in 2012. Kyrö uses 100 per cent Finnish rye to produce rye gin and rye whisky. In 2015, Kyrö Napue Gin, formerly known as Napue, won the Best Gin for Gin & Tonic category in the International Wine and Spirit competition. In August 2020 Kyrö launched its rye whisky, Kyrö Malt. To support health care workers during COVID-19, Kyrö started producing hand sanitizer. Through the sales of hand sanitizer, the company managed to avoid layoffs, and they have continued in production.
Founded in 2014 and located in Sydney, Australia – just a few kilometres south of the city – Archie Rose Distilling Co. is Australia’s most highly awarded distillery. As one of the first independent distilleries in Sydney since 1853, it strives to re-define Australia’s rich tradition in distilling by producing a diverse range of whiskies, gins, vodkas and rums, as well as one-off collaborations, limited releases and spirits experiences.
The Borders distillery, is a malt whisky, gin and vodka production facility in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick. The distillery produces malt whisky, William Kerrs Gin. and vodka and has a visitor centre on Commercial Road.
The Reefton Distilling Co. is a distillery founded in 2017 in Reefton, in the West Coast region of New Zealand. It specialises in gin, including one named "Little Biddy" after famed West Coast gold miner Bridget Goodwin.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to whisky:
The Oxford Artisan Distillery is the first ever legal distillery in Oxford, England. It is the first certified organic "grain-to-glass" distillery in the United Kingdom, covering all parts of the distillery process.
Arbikie Distilling Limited, trading as Arbikie Distillery, is a scotch whisky, vodka and gin distillery in Inverkeilor, Angus, Scotland.
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