Top 10 London distilleries

London’s historical reputation as the hub of the UK’s spirits industry has been revived in recent years as a swathe of new independent distilleries open up across the city.

London has a rich heritage of distilling – we roundup the city’s top 10 distilleries operating today

In particular, the recent boom in demand for craft gin brands and spirits which convey history and provenance has spurred the capital’s leading role in today’s spirits industry.

While most distilleries included on this list – which looks across the city from Hammersmith to Hackney Wick – produce mother’s ruin, others have even veered into the whisky industry.

Some are also contained within a cocktail bar, one is a third party distiller for leading independent house brands, while another is one of the world’s leading international gin labels.

Popular among London’s urbanites who want to celebrate the history of their city, as well as with tourists keen to immerse themselves in its fascinating food and drink industry, some of these distilleries are fast becoming leading London attractions.

Click through the following pages to discover our pick of the top 10 London distilleries. If you think we’ve missed an essential choice out, let us know by leaving a comment below.

City of London Distillery (COLD)

The City of London Distillery is the first distillery to be built in London’s historic Square Mile district in more than 200 years.

Producing its own small-batch brand of eponymous London dry gin and a new product, Square Mile Gin, the distillery also doubles as a bar, stocking more than 300 gins from around the world.

With capacity to produce just 300 bottles of gin a day, City of London Gin and its parent distillery embody the artisan gin renaissance trend taking the UK by storm.

East London Liquor Company (ELLC)

Another new distillery which has played an active part of the revival of London’s historic position as a world leader in gin-making is the East London Liquor Company.

Situated in the city’s old spirits industry, Mile End, the ELLC is the first distillery to produce whisky, gin and vodka in East London in over a century.

Alike COLD, this distillery also features two stills and its own cocktail bar, offering bespoke creations which showcase the “rich heritage” of gin production around the world.

Sipsmith

Now iconic craft spirits brand Sipsmith has led the resurgence of the craft gin movement across the capital since its launch in 2009.

Previously located in garage in Hammersmith, the business recently moved its operations to a larger site in Chiswick as its global distribution increases.

The new distillery features a new still, Constance, which joins Sipsmith’s existing still and maceration tank Patience and Prudence. The site will also act as an education facility for the trade, featuring a bespoke training bar and experimental laboratory.

Thames Distillers

Thames Distillers is third party gin supplier and bottler for some of the UK’s most well-known house gin brands, having produced 45 different brands.

Just last month Charles Maxwell, founder of Thames Distillery, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the UK’s Gin Guild for his “dedication to the production and promotion of the highest-quality gin”.

Based on Timbermill Way in South London, the distillery recently created a new house gin for London’s Roast restaurant, in Borough Market.

The London Distillery Company

Based in Battersea, The London Distillery Company breaks away from the gin category with its claim to be the first distillery to produce whisky in the UK’s capital in more than 100 years.

However, the distillery celebrated the city’s historical ties to mother’s ruin with its inaugural product – Dodd’s Gin, named after 18^th century entrepreneur and founder of The Intended London Distillery Company Ralph Dodd.

It was revealed in December last year that using Matilda, a 650-litre copper pot still named after TLDC founder and CEO Darren Rook’s grandmother, the group intends to produce just 100 barrels of single malt whisky annually.

Bermondsey Distillery

Bermondsey Distillery started producing popular craft gin brand Jensen’s in the heart of its namesake London neighbourhood just this year.

Based in a railway arch beneath the main line from London Bridge station to the south east of England, the distillery produces both a London Dry and Old Tom gin, which take inspiration from gin styles of the early 20th Century and 1840s respectively.

Located between the Maltby Street and Spa Terminus food markets, the distillery is open on Saturdays for tastings and long drinks.

Beefeater

The largest gin brand produced in London in undoubtedly Beefeater, owned by Chivas Brother, the whisky and gin business of French drinks group Pernod Ricard.

In May this year, the brand opened London’s first gin distillery visitors’ centre, where fans can witness the production process of Beefeater first hand.

Opened 55 years ago, the Beefeater Distillery is London’s oldest continually operating gin distillery working today.

Four Thieves

Four Thieves is London’s newest gin distillery and brewery, opening inside the Four Thieves pub in Battersea.

Featuring a roof garden growing botanicals used in the gin’s creation, the distillery encompasses small copper pot still, complete with carter head, which is being used to create Four Thieves Gin.

Lavender harvested from the pub’s roof garden will be used as the headline botanical in Four Thieves Gin, as a nod to the site’s construction on a former lavender field.

Butler’s Gin

Launched by Ross Butler, Butler’s Gin is produced in East London’s Hackney Wick.

Inspired by a Victorian gin recipe, the gin is placed in a 20-litre glass jar with infusion bags containing fresh lemongrass, cardamom, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel, lemon and lime for 18 hours, after which time it is hand-bottled.

Sacred Spirits Company

The Sacred Spirits Company has been producing craft brand Sacred Gin since the company opened in North London’s Highgate in 2009.

Operating out of the back room of a residential house, a vacuum plant is situated in a wendy-house in the distiller’s back garden.

The company’s namesake gin is produced in small batches using 12 organically sourced botanicals – including Frankincense – which are macerated with English grain spirit and then distilled separately in glassware under vacuum.