Aber Falls Distillery prepares to start production

Halewood International’s Aber Falls Distillery, thought to be the first in North Wales in more than a century, is one step closer to production after installing its stills this month.

Aber Falls Distillery has installed a 5,000l wash still and a 3,600l spirit still

A 5,000-litre wash still and a 3,600-litre spirit still arrived on site earlier this month, and trial production runs are scheduled to start by October under the watchful eye of head distiller Lora Hemy – a Heriot-Watt University graduate, who has consulted on craft distillery projects in Scotland in the past and previously worked at Dalmore Distillery.

Located on the site of Aber Depot in Abergwyngregyn, Aber Falls Distillery will initially create flavoured gins and liqueurs, which it hopes will be ready to launch by Christmas this year.

The distillery also intends to produce a “Welsh-inspired” single malt whisky, but is still deciding on whether the first product will be a three-year-old or five-year-old bottling.

Once the main body of the distillery is complete, Aber Falls plans to construct a visitor centre, which will open by spring 2018.

Mandy Hampton, marketing manager, said: “Aber Falls is very much about North Wales and about working with other businesses in the area.

“A lot of what we do will be about sustainability – we want to put North Wales on the map as a key player in whisky.”