THE DRINK
THE ENGLISH WHISKY SCENE HAS STEADILY EVOLVED INTO ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXCITING.
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 significant 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, yearon-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 effort 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
