‘Grain to glass’ Kent distillery readies launch

Copper Rivet Distillery, a new “grain to glass” distillery that uses only “locally farmed, hand-selected grains”, is set to open its doors in Kent this coming August.

Copper Rivet Distillery is due to officially open its doors this coming August

Located at the historic Chatham Maritime inside Pump House No. 5 – which was formerly used to pump water out of the dry docks – the new distillery will produce a range of gin, vodka, whisky and unaged spirits for release in both UK and international markets.

Copper Rivet is the brainchild of Bob Russell and his sons Matthew and Stephen, who claim “everything from milling, brewing and fermentation of the malts and grains, distilling, resting and maturing of the spirits, to bottling and packaging will be done under one roof”.

The family team also plan to keep the business local by sourcing everything locally – from the stills to the raw grains used in production.

Matthew Russell said: “Chatham Maritime and the dockyard has an incredible heritage of craftsmanship, industry and innovation.

“We’re hoping to replicate and reinvent this proud tradition by producing exceptional gins, whiskies and vodkas from scratch in bespoke stills, wrought right here in Chatham, with the same skill that local craftsmen once fashioned world-class ships.”

The distillery’s core product range will feature Masthouse single malt whisky, Dockyard Gin, Vela Vodka and Son of a Gun – an unaged grain spirit designed specially for cocktails.

It will also be open to visitors, who can tour the Victorian pump house and see the distilling process in action, experiment with flavour in the laboratory, and sample the spirits for themselves.

Stephen Russell said: “In today’s society, where everything is about repackaging and upselling, there’s a consumer revolution taking place. Consumers are asking for bespoke and hand-crafted alternatives to mass-produced products.

“It’s really satisfying to feel we’re playing a part in this revolution by creating something of real quality, from scratch, that consumers can discover, savour and enjoy.”