Cotswolds Distillery
Philip's Field, Whichford Road, Shipston on Stour, Warwickshire, CV36 5HG
Produce: Cotswold Dry Gin, Cotswold Cream Liqueur.
Nestled in the Warwickshire countryside, the Cotswolds Distillery is the first craft distillery in this beautiful part of Britain. Using the best local ingredients, they lovingly create award winning, world-class spirits and liqueurs including Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky and Cotswolds Dry Gin.
The founder, Dan Szor, is a real entrepreneur. A native New Yorker, Dan fell in love with the Cotswolds during family weekends spent escaping London. Wishing for a more relaxed rural lifestyle with his wife and young daughter, Dan replaced hedge funds with the more scenic hedgerows of the Cotswolds. Seeing the golden barley waving in the breeze one day Dan had a brainwave “there’s barley all over the Cotswolds and nobody’s distilling it, let’s be the first!”
Life at the distillery is firmly rooted in the beautiful Cotswolds surroundings; 100% of the barley used to make the whisky has been grown at neighbouring farms, and once mashed, these spent grains go back to a local farm to feed their cows. All the waste products from distilling are recycled, and the distillery is partly powered by the solar panels on the roof of the barrel warehouse. Lavender is a key botanical in the Cotswolds Dry Gin, and it’s grown at the Snowshill Lavender Farm near the distillery.
And the distillery itself is rather beautiful; traditional Cotswolds honey stone, a cosy and welcoming tasting room and a café which serves delicious food made with local ingredients from scrumptious sharing platters to coffees and cakes. It is open to visitors seven days a week, offering Tour & Tastings and both Gin and Whisky Blending Masterclasses.
Awards:
The Gin Masters 2019 – Taste Master (Best World Gin)
San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2019 - Gold
Great Taste 2019 – 2 stars
Icons of Gin Awards 2018 – Craft Producer of the Year
World Gin Awards 2016 – Best London Dry Gin
