When it comes to sourcing local products, our team will stop at nothing to find the very best that the Cotswolds has to offer. Which is why a couple of weeks ago our events coordinator, Becca, found herself spending an afternoon at The Cotswolds Distillery!
The Cotswolds Distillery opened for production in September 2014, and is the brain child of American born CEO Daniel Szor, who wanted to create a world-class spirit using locally sourced ingredients. The distillery is currently ageing some whisky, the first batch of which will be matured and ready for release in October 2017. But don’t worry; the team are all busy in the meantime making lots of other wonderful products which you can get your hands on now.
Their signature, award winning Cotswolds Dry Gin includes a blend of 9 carefully considered botanicals to form a classic, well-balanced, juniper-led gin with crisp citrus and spice. Their Cream Liqueur (a firm favourite of mine!) is a mix of the single malt spirit and fresh cream. Cotswolds Spirited Sherry, meanwhile, is made using sherry from the barrels that have found a new lease of life maturing Cotswolds Whisky. And don’t forget the Distillery’s wonderful bottled cocktail – Espresso Martini. Made using Monsoon coffee beans and carefully distilled with orange peel, coriander seed and a top secret spice blend, this limited edition drink tastes like a rather yummy chocolate orange whilst being completely clear. Loved it!
Visiting the distillery, you are greeted with a beautifully presented and well stocked shop, along with a smiling face behind the till. You’ll also probably find a four legged friend comes to say hello at some point during your visit; the distillery staff often have their lovely dogs with them who love a bit of attention. Heading through the shop you’ll find a cosy bar/lounge area with a warming log fire – perfect for a miserable February afternoon.
Your tour starts with a short video explaining how the company came about, and then the real fun begins as you are taken over to the distillery building. Having heard great things about the Distillery from everyone in the office and anyone else that’s been there, I was excited to get started! Nick was our tour guide on this particular day, and his knowledge of the distilling process was phenomenal! No matter what question was thrown at him, he was able to answer it in a way that was interesting and easy to understand for the whole group.
It’s obvious that the whole team love the products they’re making; using the very best ingredients, and ensuring only the finest parts of the distilled spirit go into the end product. From the initial grains of barley, right through to the barrelling and storage of the single malt spirit, your tour encompasses all the steps the distillers go through to make Cotswolds Whisky, Gin and Spirited Sherry. And to top it off every tour finishes with a taste of all the fantastic products, so you can try all their fab (and often award winning!) produce for yourselves. Lovely.
The distillery run two tours every day of the week at 11am and 2pm, and if you have a bit of spare time I would highly recommend you hotfoot it down there and check it out for yourselves! Click here to head over to their website and book yourself in for a fascinating tour of this little Cotswold Gem.
We’re hoping to work much more closely with the Cotswolds Distillery over the coming months, so keep your eyes open to catch a glimpse of some exciting projects we’ve got in the pipeline. Thank you to the team at the distillery for making us so welcome, we’ll be back very soon!
