IMAGES: ALAMY; MATT DUGDALE
STARTERS
Whiskyside’s vast
collection of English whisky Left: Sales of English whisky went up nearly a third in 2022
THE DR INK Full English
THE ENGLISH WHISKY SCENE HAS STEADILY EVOLVED INTO ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXCITING. WORDS: THE THINKING DRINKERS
What’s happening in the world of whisky? In news that might surprise some north of the border, the English whisky scene has quietly become an unlikely yet innovative cradle of quality whisky-making.
Err… that doesn’t sound right. Actually, whisky distilling in England dates back to the early 1800s. By 1887, there were four signifi cant distilleries, although the last one closed in the early 1900s. Today, however, there are at least 49 in operation or being built, while its forecast that 50,000 whisky casks will be maturing in English warehouses by the end of 2024. What’s more, year- on-year sales were up by nearly a third in 2022.
What distinguishes English whisky? Diversity. The embryonic English whisky scene is immensely eclectic. Neither hamstrung by history nor tethered to tradition, English distillers are able to innovate. Most are making single malts, but
around a quarter are also using other grains, such as rye and oats. Drawing on other global whisky scenes, they’re embracing pioneering ageing techniques and modern distilling processes, and celebrating provenance — working with neighbouring producers and brewers and using local ingredients.
But is it any good? It is. Distilleries from England have scooped quite a few distinguished industry gongs — for example, the Lakes Distillery won Best Distillery of the Year at the 2023 Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition. Back in 2018, in an eff ort to raise standards and encourage collaboration, a number of distillers came together to create the English Whisky Guild. Now with two dozen members, it serves as a unifying force for English whisky producers. In 2022, it submitted a geographical indication (GI) application for English single malt whisky to the UK government. The application, in true English tradition, is currently in a queue.
THR EE TO TRY
Cotswolds Peated Cask Single Malt Made using local floor- malted barley and matured in ex-peated quarter casks.
cotswoldsdistillery.com
White Peak Wire Works Virgin Oak This lightly peated single malt exemplifies the brand’s artisan approach.
whitepeakdistillery.co.uk
Circumstance Single Grain Estate Made from four different grains, a trio of different brewing yeasts and aged in three different casks.
circumstancedistillery.com
WHERE TO DRINK ENGLISH WHISKY
Cotswolds Distillery Cotswolds does a cracking tour and tasting experience. The cafe, with its summer terrace, is a picturesque place to relax and sip its wonderful whiskies, too. It also has three shops across the region.
cotswoldsdistillery.com
Whiskyside, Yorkshire Located on the site of a disused swimming pool within a holiday park, this is thought to be the only bar dedicated entirely to English whisky — it features one of the largest collections in the country.
whiskyside.co.uk
Milroy’s of Soho This imbibing institution is a one-stop shop for whiskies from all over the world and its collection of English whiskies is comprehensive — all overseen by very knowledgeable staff.
milroysofsoho.com
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