Stoke the en-gin-e!

Britain is set to produce a wave of new distillers as drinkers seek to drink less but better, and increasingly turn to exciting new spirits products.

That’s the view of Jonathan Adnams, executive chairman of Adnams Brewery in Southwold,Suffolk, who successfully launched two gins and two vodkas and is maturing whisky spirit.

Adnams says that there has been a wave of interest from people looking at opening a distillery both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

“We have had several people come to see us about what we are doing,” he says. “I know that two or three brewers have expressed an interest in what we’re doing and there may be more as they realise that there is a market for it. But I would say that adding a distillery to a brewery isn’t for everyone.”

Adnams believes that consumers are more prepared than ever before to try unusual and exciting spirits drinks and is proud that his spirits drinks have distinctive tastes and are not appreciated by everybody.

“Adnams beers have distinctive tastes and they are not for everyone, and I’m fine with that,” he says. “It’s exactly the same with the spirits. If they didn’t offend somebody that would make them inoffensive and therefore bland. That’s not what we’re about. But we make spirits from the grain to the glass and use all raw ingredients, and we have deliberately sought to make unusual spirits.”

Adnams makes two distinctively different gins, a 100% malted barley vodka, and a malted oats, barley, and wheat and matured for five months in French oak casks. First year exceeded all targets “by a considerable margin” said Adnams.