ENGLISH WHISKY MARKET VALUED AT £1 BILLION

The market for English whisky has seen remarkable growth over the last 5 years, with projections showing an impressive 189% increase from 2019 to 2024 and now being valued at £1 billion this year.

Despite still being quite a young market, English whisky has carved out a respected reputation in the industry, for its sustainable growth and environmental practices, and for producing award winning whiskies. The English Distillery underlined this by wining the prestigious title of World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards in both 2022 and 2024.

The English Whisky Guild (EWG) have launched their first annual review this year and the report showcases the industry’s milestones and outlines future directions. The review depicts the history of English whisky from the 17th century to the present, offering fascinating insights into the distilleries that shape England’s whisky landscape.

Popularity for English whisky can be seen through whisky tours, which attracted over 250,000 visitors in 2023. It’s not just the UK market that has gotten a taste for English whisky however, as 40% of all production is now sold outside the UK and is enjoyed in over 30 markets worldwide.

Sustainability has been a core focus for English distilleries and its served as a real USP, with there being a real focus on reducing the carbon footprint and contributing to the net zero agenda. The Cotswolds Distillery recently opened an innovative ecological site that was constructed by award winning landscape design artist Rachel White. All waste from the distillery is now being sustainably reused, with the ecological site filtering out impurities and feeding clean water to 1,800 willow trees that were planted by the distillery on the grounds.

The annual review is available on the English Whisky Guild’s website to read here.