Yorkshire in northern England has become a vibrant hub for craft distilleries. While most are specializing in gin, you’ll also find rum, vodka, and even whisky soon to grace your glass. The region is rich in natural ingredients—think sea kelp, wildflower honey, local lavender, and sloe berries—and the spirits produced here offer a true taste of the land. In celebration of World Gin Day (8 June), here’s a curated list of the finest places to enjoy local spirits in Yorkshire.
Rare Bird Distillery, Malton
It was Italian chef Antonio Carluccio who first dubbed Malton as ‘Yorkshire’s food capital,’ and this recognition is largely attributed to small producers like Rare Bird Distillery. This small-batch distillery and gin school is a cornerstone of Talbot Yard, an innovative food court set in historically significant stables.
The distillery’s entire stock is crafted using a 300-litre copper still located right as you enter. To your left, you’ll find cozy sofas where patrons can enjoy a gin and tonic, especially appealing in warmer weather when guests often spill out into the cobbled courtyard.
The gin is a sophisticated, savory London Dry, interwoven with flavors of rosemary and hibiscus—be sure to try their popular rhubarb and ginger gin for a taste of local tradition. Distillery founder Matt Stewart welcomes guests to complement their drinks with chocolates or pork pies from nearby vendors.
Hooting Owl Distillery, East Riding
A mere twelve miles east of York lies Barmby Moor, a village steeped in history that was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The area brims with heritage—Queen Victoria is rumored to have stayed in the Georgian inn that now houses the village’s Hooting Owl Distillery. Their signature spirit is a London Dry gin, with their largest batch run yielding just 150 bottles. The distillery offers four distinct gins—all themed around Yorkshire regions, each capturing subtle unique characteristics.
Visitors can explore the distillery through Brewtown, which recently initiated behind-the-scenes gin tours that cover three craft distilleries near York; just remember, a group of six is required to book a tour.
Spirit of Harrogate
Unsurprisingly, the most refined gin experience in Yorkshire can be found in upscale Harrogate. Nestled on the edge of the Montpellier District, overlooking The Stray park, this converted terrace house invites gin aficionados to partake in tasting evenings complete with nibbles. The main spirit—Slingsby gin—pays homage to William Slingsby, who famously discovered the local spring water’s therapeutic properties in 1571, thus establishing Harrogate as a spa destination. Slingsby gin is crafted with water drawn from the town’s aquifer and local botanicals, including Taylors of Harrogate green tea.
During daytime hours, Spirit of Harrogate serves as a bottle shop marketing seven different Slingsby spirits, some exclusive to the store. Guests can encounter Harry Potter-esque potion bottles that dispense experimental gins still in development. Flavors may include innovations like marmalade and lemon cream, where feedback is encouraged to aid in product development. One successful creation emerging from this initiative is Slingsby’s popular Yorkshire Rhubarb Gin, sourced directly from the West Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle.
Humber Street Distillery, Hull
The cordial staff at this distillery-bar in Hull’s revitalized Fruit Market area offer a friendly and informative experience. Known for their extensive collection of over 150 gins, patrons can enjoy a Hull Dry Martini while discussing their favorite bottles in the bar’s exposed-brick setting. This selection encompasses international rare finds, aged gins, and local favorites, such as York Gin and Masons Yorkshire Tea Gin. Don’t miss out on Whitby Gin, crafted with locally foraged sugar kelp and heather from the North York Moors.
Since launching in 2017, the team has also taken to distilling their own gin on-site. Humber Street Distillery’s London Dry incorporates pink peppercorns, yielding a spiced profile, while their berry edition features an impressive 33kg of mixed berries per 150L batch. Tour-and-tasting sessions are available Sunday to Thursday from 12pm to 7pm.
Harrogate Tipple, Ripley
Every aspect of Harrogate Tipple is firmly rooted in the local area. This distillery is located in historic stables on the Ripley Castle Estate, approximately four miles north of Harrogate. Owner Steven Green collaborates with the estate’s gardener to cultivate botanicals in the castle gardens and Victorian hothouse, using exclusively Harrogate spring water. In addition to gin, he also crafts an award-winning rum that boasts a luxurious texture, incorporating wildflower honey harvested from beehives on the estate.
Visitors can embark on a tour and tasting at this charming rural operation. If you wish to fully immerse yourself in the tranquil countryside, consider joining the distillery’s gin-making school, which launches this summer. Participants can forage from the castle gardens to create their own unique botanical blend, followed by distillation on-site.
Cooper King Distillery, Sutton-on-the-Forest
Founders Abbie Neilson and Chris Jaume—a scientist and architect duo—conceptualized Yorkshire’s first whisky distillery during a visit to Tasmania in 2014, witnessing a whisky renaissance. Drawing inspiration from their mentor Bill Lark, the pioneer of Tasmanian whisky, they opened a sustainable distillery situated 10 miles north of York, nestled below the picturesque Howardian Hills. The facility operates on 100% green energy and offers informative distillery tours at 2pm and 4pm on Saturdays, alongside a bar operating from 10am to 6pm.
While whisky production is their ultimate aspiration, it is still in development with a release slated for 2024. In the meantime, Cooper King is dedicated to gin-making, employing honey from their own beehives, locally sourced lavender, and Maris Otter barley from Yorkshire farms to create a gin they term a ‘sipping spirit’. The distillery also promotes sustainability by implementing a bottle refill scheme, planting one square meter of native English woodland for each bottle sold, in support of the 1% for the Planet initiative.
Where to Stay
As most of Yorkshire’s craft distilleries are located in North Yorkshire, York serves as an excellent base for exploration. Consider staying at The Grand, conveniently situated next to York station, or Grays Court, a stunning medieval mansion adjacent to York Minster, both of which offer delightful gin-themed afternoon teas.
