Tarquin's

Recorded answer text · Google AI Overviews · 25 October 2026

Britain is home to some of the world's most renowned spirit brands, spanning Scotch whisky, London Dry gin, innovative vodkas, and craft distilleries.

### Scotch Whisky

- Johnnie Walker: Founded in Ayrshire in the 1820s, this is the world's most famous blended Scotch brand, known for its square bottles and color-coded labels (such as Black Label and Red Label). - Glenfiddich: Based in Dufftown in Speyside, this family-owned distillery produces some of the globe's most awarded single malt whiskies, including the popular Glenfiddich 12 and 15-Year-Old. - The Glenlivet: Established in 1824 in the Speyside region as the first licensed distillery in Scotland, celebrated for its smooth, fruity single malts. - Talisker: Located on the Isle of Skye, famous for its maritime, smoky, and peppery single malt whiskies.

### British Gin

- Sipsmith: Pioneered the craft gin revival in London with its traditional copper-pot distilled London Dry Gin. - Gordon's: A massive historical staple producing classic, juniper-forward London Dry Gin since 1769. - The Botanist: Distilled on the Scottish island of Islay by Bruichladdich, crafted with 22 hand-forged local botanicals. - Tarquin's: A well-known Cornish dry gin distilled in small batches using local flame-fired methods and Cornish wildflowers.

### Vodka & Alternative Spirits

- Au Vodka: Founded in 2015 and famous for its distinct gold-plated bottles, surging in popularity across UK retailers and nightlife. - Black Cow Milk Vodka: Produced in Dorset from the milk of grass-fed cows, offering a creamy, smooth texture with vanilla and apricot notes. - Adnams East Coast Vodka: Crafted in Suffolk from local malted barley, featuring rich chocolate and nut undertones.

Are you looking for a recommendation in a specific category (like whisky or gin), or are you shopping for a particular budget or occasion?

Recorded answer text · ChatGPT · 25 October 2026

# Best new British spirits brands to watch

If you're looking for exciting British spirits brands, I'd focus on independent distillers that combine a distinctive liquid with strong branding, a compelling origin story and potential to stand out in bars, specialist retailers and premium drinks shops.

I'd look beyond gin, too: English whisky, contemporary rum, agave-inspired spirits and modern aperitifs are all worth exploring. The key distinction is between genuinely new brands, emerging challengers and established craft distilleries launching something fresh\.

## 7 British spirits brands worth watching in 2026

!Tin Mining-Honoring Whiskeys: Tinner Bros. flavored whiskeys

## 1\. Tinner Bros

(Commercial momentum)

Origin\: Cornwall, England

A particularly interesting new entrant in flavoured whisky, launched in March 2025 by the team behind Tarquin's Gin. Its first-year sales exceeded £1 million, suggesting it has traction beyond the craft-drinks niche. www.thespiritsbusiness.com

Why watch it\: A regional identity and an accessible whisky proposition with potential to reach consumers who don't typically buy traditional Scotch.

Best for: retail growth and modern whisky positioning.

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!Review: Ad Gefrin Tácnbora Blended Whisky Batch 2 | The Whiskey Wash

## 2\. Ad Gefrin

Origin\: Wooler, Northumberland

A destination distillery building a whisky brand around Northumbrian heritage, locally grown barley and Cheviot water. In 2026 it introduced its Crǣft Series, a limited collection of three single-cask English single malts. adgefrin.co.ukwww.cityam.com

Why watch it\: Strong provenance, a distinctive sense of place and a story that lends itself to premium gifting and tourism.

Best for: premium English whisky and place-led branding.

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![𝗦𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗸! 🧨proudly introducing our new brand 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘆 𝗖𝗼. coming soon…

Launching in March. Slide into my DMs for pre-orders, or drop us a line at distillery… | Tarquin Leadbetter | 166 comments](

## 3\. HIP

Origin\: Stirling, Scotland

Founded in 2026, HIP is an independent bottler with an intriguing format-led proposition: premium whisky and rum in 200ml flask-style bottles. Its launch range included four bottlings priced at £19.50 each. www.thespiritsbusiness.comthewhiskeywash.com

Why watch it\: Smaller bottles make premium spirits easier to sample, collect and give as gifts.

Best for: accessible premiumisation and packaging innovation.

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!Wildjac Natural Dry Gin 70cl online kopen? | GinFling.nl

## 4\. Wildfire Spirit

Origin\: Scottish Borders

Founded in 2024, Wildfire has expanded beyond gin into vodka, spiced rum, liqueurs, blended whisky and canned serves. Its storytelling centres on wild landscapes, foraged botanicals and expedition-led releases. wildfirespirit.com

Why watch it\: A flexible craft-spirit platform with a story that can extend across categories rather than relying on a single gin SKU.

Best for: brand storytelling and category expansion.

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!Producer of the Year 2026: The Heart Cut: The Whisky Exchange

## 5\. The Heart Cut

Origin\: UK independent whisky scene

An independent bottling brand focused on selected whiskies and individual cask stories. Its smaller-format pocket pours and subscription offering point towards a more exploratory way of discovering whisky. www.thespiritsbusiness.comthewhiskeywash.com

Why watch it\: It treats discovery, curation and design as part of the product, not just the liquid.

Best for: adventurous whisky drinkers and discovery-led retail.

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!Penrhos Wonky Strawberry Gin | Clear - Tesco Groceries

## 6\. Penrhos Spirits

Origin\: Herefordshire, England

Its Wonky Strawberry Gin, featured among new 2025 releases, uses surplus strawberries from the producer's own farm. actuallymadein.com

Why watch it\: The combination of farm provenance, waste reduction and a recognisable fruit flavour creates a straightforward story for consumers.

Best for: contemporary gin, seasonal serves and sustainability-led positioning.

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!Jester Spiced Rum - The Rum Company - British Rum | Subscription | Gifts

## 7\. Shakespeare Distillery

Origin\: Stratford-upon-Avon, England

Its Jester Aged Rum Sherry Expression was among the small-batch UK releases highlighted in 2025, with a limited run of 120 bottles. actuallymadein.com

Why watch it\: An example of an English craft producer extending beyond gin into a category where cask ageing and limited releases can create interest.

Best for: niche rum, specialist retailers and limited editions.

## My shortlist by opportunity

| If you're looking for… | My pick | The appeal | |--------|--------|--------| | Strongest recent commercial signal | Tinner Bros | Demonstrated first-year sales | | Premium English provenance | Ad Gefrin | Regional identity and single malt | | Innovative packaging | HIP | Compact, affordable discovery | | A scalable multi-category concept | Wildfire Spirit | Multiple spirits and formats | | Sustainability-led gin | Penrhos | Farm-grown fruit and surplus produce |

These are editorial picks based on recent launches and positioning, rather than a definitive ranking of sales, investment potential or liquid quality.

## A few more established names worth tracking

![All products - Ellers Farm Distillery](

Dutch Barn Vodka

An apple-based vodka associated with Ellers Farm Distillery in Yorkshire, with a sustainability-led production story. More established than the newest entrants above, but relevant to the modern British spirits landscape. www.visitbritain.org

!Isle of Raasay Arbikie Barley 2025 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Spirited Bristol

Isle of Raasay Distillery

A Scottish whisky producer worth following for provenance-focused releases, including its 2025 single malt made with Arbikie-grown barley. actuallymadein.com

## To make the list more useful

Are you looking at these brands from a drinks-industry perspective or as a consumer?

1\. What's your main interest?

New brands with commercial or investment potential

Interesting bottles to buy and taste

Best branding, packaging and positioning

Brands to stock, distribute or represent

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2\. Which spirits?

All spirits

Gin

Whisky

Rum and agave spirits

Vodka, aperitifs and liqueurs

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3\. What market?

UK only

UK brands with export potential

International newcomers entering Britain

[Refine the shortlist]

Recorded answer text · Perplexity · 25 October 2026

The best British craft distilleries depend on your preferred spirit, but these are excellent starting points:

- Cotswolds Distillery, Warwickshire - One of England's leading whisky producers, also known for its grapefruit-forward gin and attractive visitor centre. - Bimber Distillery, London - Small-batch English single malt made with barley from Hampshire; releases are highly sought after. - The Lakes Distillery, Cumbria - A strong choice for contemporary English whisky, alongside gin and vodka. - Oxford Artisan Distillery, Oxfordshire - Distils whisky, gin and vodka using distinctive ancient heritage grain varieties. - East London Liquor Co., London - A modern grain-to-glass producer making London rye whisky, gin, rum and vodka. - The Botanist at Bruichladdich, Islay - An excellent Scottish gin built around locally foraged botanicals. - Dunnet Bay Distillers, Caithness - Best known for Rock Rose Gin, using seasonal Highland botanicals. - Salcombe Distilling Co., Devon - Coastal-inspired gin and one of the better distillery-tour experiences in England. - Tarquin's / Southwestern Distillery, Cornwall - A respected independent gin producer with a distinctly Cornish identity. - Boatyard Distillery, County Fermanagh - A Northern Irish craft distillery producing award-winning gin from a converted boat shed. - Lochlea Distillery, Ayrshire - One of Scotland's notable newer whisky distilleries, set on a working farm. - Two Drifters Distillery, Devon - A specialist rum producer near Exeter, notable for its focus on lower-impact production.

Best short list: - Whisky: Cotswolds, Bimber, Lochlea - Gin: The Botanist, Tarquin's, Salcombe - Rum: Two Drifters - Distillery visit: Cotswolds, Salcombe, Oxford Artisan Distillery