Cotswolds Distillery
An English distillery producing single malt whisky, gin, liqueurs and other spirits in the Cotswolds.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Cotswolds Distillery is an English spirits producer based at Stourton, near Shipston-on-Stour, in the Cotswolds. Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Daniel Szor, it became one of the early and most visible participants in the modern revival of English whisky. The business was established with the ambition of making a premium English single malt using traditional copper-pot distillation, long fermentation and careful cask maturation, while adapting those methods to local ingredients and the conditions of the English climate. Whisky requires years of maturation before it can be sold as single malt, so the distillery developed gin and other spirits soon after opening. Gin provided an earlier commercial product and helped establish the Cotswolds name while whisky stocks matured. The first Cotswolds single malt was released in 2017. The distillery’s whisky program is centered on locally associated barley, extended fermentation, double distillation and maturation in a combination of ex-bourbon and STR casks. STR casks are shaved, toasted and re-charred wine casks that contribute fruit, spice and oak characteristics to the spirit. Its portfolio has expanded beyond the flagship single malt. Whisky offerings include the core Signature expression, broader cask-led releases and limited editions such as single-cask and seasonal bottlings. The gin range includes Cotswolds Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin and Hedgerow Gin, as well as the Wildflower series. The company has also produced gin-based drinks, low-alcohol gin essence, cream liqueur and amaro-style liqueurs. Cotswolds Distillery has financed growth partly through public crowdfunding. Between 2016 and 2020, several rounds supported production expansion, the development of a visitor center and the accumulation of maturing whisky inventory. A £3 million Crowdcube raise in June 2018 was followed by a £1 million raise in January 2020. In April 2023, Berry Bros. & Rudd acquired a minority stake, giving the distillery a strategic relationship with one of Britain’s established wine and spirits merchants. From January 2024, Illva Saronno became the exclusive distributor for the company’s products in the United Kingdom and Benelux. The Stourton site combines production with a shop, café and visitor center. Tours and tastings have become an important part of the brand’s public presence, and the visitor operation has attracted substantial footfall. The distillery has received recognition for both its spirits and its visitor experience, including a 2016 award for Best Distillery Tour and a Spirits Business consumer-experience award. It has also developed collaborative and commemorative releases, including a 2024 limited-edition single malt made with heritage Plumage Archer barley grown at the Highgrove Estate. Cotswolds Distillery is active in the domestic and international specialist-spirit trade and is presented as one of the leading producers associated with the growth of English whisky.
History
Cotswolds Distillery was founded in 2014 by Daniel Szor at Stourton, near Shipston-on-Stour. Its creation coincided with the renewed growth of English whisky, a sector that had long been overshadowed by Scotch whisky. Szor’s objective was to establish a full-scale English single-malt producer using traditional production methods while developing a distinctive regional identity. The distillery installed copper pot stills and built its whisky process around long fermentation, double distillation and extended maturation. Its casks have included ex-bourbon barrels and STR wine casks, the latter being shaved, toasted and re-charred before filling. This approach allowed the company to pursue rich, fruit-forward and oak-influenced profiles while maintaining a recognizable English provenance. Because whisky had to mature for several years before release, the business also began producing gin and other spirits shortly after opening. Gin created earlier revenue and gave the young distillery a route to market while its whisky stocks developed. The first Cotswolds single malt whisky was released in 2017. The company subsequently built a portfolio around a flagship Signature expression, cask variations and limited releases. Gin became a second major category, with products including Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin, Hedgerow Gin and the Wildflower series. Additional products have included Summer Cup, gin essence, cream liqueur and amaro-style liqueurs. Expansion was supported by several crowdfunding rounds between 2016 and 2020. The funding helped increase production capacity, finance the visitor center and support the working-capital requirements of holding whisky in maturation. In June 2018, the company raised £3 million through Crowdcube, followed by a £1 million round in January 2020. These campaigns were reported as unusually significant crowdfunding exercises for the British drinks sector at the time. The distillery developed its Stourton property into a broader visitor destination with production facilities, a shop, café and visitor center. Its tours and tastings became a notable part of the brand experience. In 2016, it received recognition for its visitor operation, including Best Distillery Tour in the Distillery Experience Awards and a consumer-experience award from The Spirits Business. A further stage of corporate development came in April 2023, when Berry Bros. & Rudd acquired a minority stake. The transaction connected Cotswolds Distillery with an established British merchant and was reported as a vote of confidence in the producer and in the wider English whisky category. From January 2024, Illva Saronno became the exclusive distributor in the United Kingdom and Benelux, broadening the company’s route to market in important regional territories. The distillery has also used collaborations and special releases to reinforce its English and local identity. In 2024, it worked with Highgrove on a limited-edition single malt using heritage Plumage Archer barley grown at the Highgrove Estate. Its whisky and gin have received medals and other recognition in international spirits competitions, including the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the International Wine & Spirit Competition. The company remains an active producer of English whisky, gin and other spirits, with its visitor center, specialist retail distribution and international sales supporting the brand beyond its Cotswolds base.
- 2024
Highgrove collaboration is released
[1]A limited-edition English single malt is made with heritage Plumage Archer barley grown at Highgrove.
- 2023
Berry Bros. & Rudd acquires a minority stake
[1]The British wine and spirits merchant takes a minority interest in Cotswolds Distillery.
- 2020
Further £1 million crowdfunding round
[1]The business raises additional public funding for growth and maturing inventory.
- 2018
£3 million Crowdcube funding round
[1]A crowdfunding round supports expansion and the development of a visitor center.
- 2017
First Cotswolds single malt is released
[1]The company releases its first single malt whisky after building sufficient maturation stocks.
- 2016
Visitor experience receives industry recognition
[1]The distillery’s visitor operation is recognized through awards for distillery touring and consumer experience.
- 2014
Cotswolds Distillery is founded
[1]Daniel Szor establishes the distillery at Stourton in the Cotswolds with a focus on premium English single malt whisky.
Products and positioning
Premium English craft spirits rooted in Cotswolds provenance, traditional distilling and cask experimentation.
Whisky · 2017
Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky
The distillery’s flagship single malt expression and central whisky reference point. It represents the house style developed through long fermentation, double distillation and maturation in a combination of ex-bourbon and STR wine casks.
Whisky
Cotswolds Core Whisky Range
A group of regular and cask-led whisky expressions that extends the core single malt proposition through differences in maturation, cask selection and flavor profile.
Whisky
Cotswolds Limited Releases
Small-batch and seasonal whisky releases, including single-cask bottlings and editions associated with themes such as Hearts & Crafts and Harvest.
Gin
Cotswolds Dry Gin
A core gin made in copper stills using a steep-and-boil process. Its botanical profile is built around juniper and coriander, with additional botanicals intended to express a Cotswolds-inspired character.
Gin
Cotswolds Old Tom Gin
A sweeter style within the distillery’s gin portfolio, positioned as an alternative to its dry gin and suited to both classic and contemporary serves.
Gin
Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin
A sloe-led hedgerow expression that broadens the gin range with a fruit-oriented profile associated with the countryside setting of the distillery.
Gin
Cotswolds Wildflower Series
A series of botanical gin releases exploring wildflower and seasonal flavor themes through multiple numbered editions.
Gin-based liqueur
Cotswolds Summer Cup
A mixed-style product combining gin and sherry-liqueur characteristics, designed for longer drinks and summer serves.
Low-alcohol spirit product
Cotswolds Gin Essence
A lower-alcohol botanical product offering a lighter way to use the distillery’s gin flavor profile.
Liqueur
Cotswolds Cream Liqueur
A cream liqueur made with cream and wheat spirit, extending the brand into a richer, dessert-oriented category.
Liqueur
Cotswolds Amaro Liqueurs
Amaro-style liqueur releases that add bitter-herbal and aperitif-oriented profiles to the company’s spirits portfolio.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Highgrove heritage-barley collaboration
United Kingdom · International markets
Cotswolds Distillery and Highgrove created a limited-edition English single malt using heritage Plumage Archer barley grown at the Highgrove Estate.
Outcome. The collaboration produced a limited-edition whisky release.
- 2020Follow-on Crowdcube funding campaign
United Kingdom
A second major public fundraising effort was used to support the business as production expanded and whisky continued to mature.
Outcome. The company raised £1 million.
- 2018Crowdcube visitor-center campaign
United Kingdom
The distillery invited public investors to support expansion and a visitor-center project through Crowdcube.
Outcome. The campaign raised £3 million.
Brand decisions
2024
Exclusive distribution arrangement with Illva SaronnoStrategyBackground
The distillery sought a defined distribution structure for its products in the United Kingdom and nearby European markets.
Action taken
Illva Saronno became the exclusive distributor for the United Kingdom and Benelux from January 2024.
Aftermath
The arrangement provided a dedicated route to market across the specified territories.
2023
Minority investment by Berry Bros. & RuddM&ABackground
Cotswolds Distillery sought to continue growing its production and distribution while English whisky attracted increased specialist interest.
Action taken
Berry Bros. & Rudd acquired a minority stake in the business.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened the distillery’s connection with an established British wine and spirits merchant.
2017
Launch of the first Cotswolds single maltProduct launchBackground
The distillery needed to mature its early whisky stocks before entering the single-malt market.
Action taken
It released its first Cotswolds single malt whisky and began developing a flagship whisky range.
Aftermath
Whisky became the company’s principal long-term category alongside its earlier gin business.
2014
Build a premium English single-malt producerStrategyBackground
The company was created during the renewed development of English whisky and sought to establish a regional alternative to established Scotch producers.
Action taken
It adopted traditional copper-pot whisky methods while emphasizing English ingredients, Cotswolds provenance and long maturation.
Aftermath
The strategy led to the first Cotswolds single malt release in 2017 and a broader international profile.
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