Cumbria’s The Lakes Distillery launches gin

The first distillery to be built in the UK’s Lake District in more than a century is set to release a new gin to join its British blended whisky.

The Lakes Gin is the only gin to be distilled in Cumbria, the UK’s Lake District

The Lakes Gin, said to be the only gin to be distilled in Cumbria, is created using water from the region’s River Derwent and a mix of traditional gin botanicals as well as bilberry, meadowsweet, hawthorn and heather, foraged where possible in the local countryside.

Made by The Lakes Distillery, which claims to be the largest distillery in England, the “artisan” gin is made in a bespoke 1,000 litre copper pot still.

“The Lakes Gin is actually the only gin to be distilled in Cumbria and it uses exceptional Cumbrian ingredients through and through,” said Paul Currie, founder and managing director of The Lakes Distillery.

The Lakes Gin will be showcased at this year’s Taste Cumbria food festival on 27 and 28 September.

Based on the banks of Bassenthwaite Lake, The Lakes Distillery launched launched the first British blended whisky, called The One, in the UK last autumn.

It is the brainchild of former Isle of Arran Distillers co-founder, Paul Currie, and former Dewars master distiller, Chris Anderson.

The distilling processes for The Lakes Malt and The Lakes Vodka will also commence in September, while the distillery’s visitor centre, artisan bar and bistro and shop will open in December.