Durham Distillers – producers of the award-winning Durham Gin – are set to open their new distill-ery to visitors, with bookings now available.
Set on the banks of the River Wear in the shadow of Durham Cathedral, the multi-million-pound distillery will offer immersive visitor experiences, including a gin-making class with the chance to pick and mix your own botanicals and take home your own bespoke gin.
The 90-minute distillery tour will give an insight into the storied history of gin, as well as offering a chance to see how the spirit is crafted. Meanwhile, the Cocktail Making Masterclass offers a chance to sharpen your mixology skills – with all the experiences including the chance to taste Durham Gins’ collection of premium spirits.
Founded by brothers Jon and Iain Chadwick, the inspiration for the brand was born after Jon left his role as the NHS’ youngest chief executive in Teesside. Having explored the micro-distillery culture of America’s east coast, he returned to his hometown of Durham, teamed up with his younger brother Iain, and Durham Gin was born.
Today the multi-award-winning brand is stocked by Majestic wines, Fenwick and several super-markets across the North East. Since launching Durham Gin, variants including a mango gin, sloe gin, cask-aged gin and a Durham Vodka have all taken the spirits industry by storm while a Durham Rye Whiskey is also in the pipeline.
“With almost a decade of industry experience under our belts, the time has come to step the brand on and open our beautiful new distillery to the public,” said Jon. “As well as taking our guests on a tasting journey designed to educate and show them exactly what we can do, our location and unique experience in the very heart of the city makes it essential. It also gives our guests the chance to create something themselves by crafting their own version of Durham Gin in our gin-making school.
“I genuinely believe a positive change is in the air as far as Durham’s leisure and nightlife scene is concerned and we’re very much part of that. We can’t wait to welcome our first visitors this spring.”
