With the growing interest in English whisky, I decided to hop on a train to visit an old colleague who’s now leading distillery operations at a hidden gem in the heart of Lancashire. The Lancaster Spirits Company was founded in 2022 by the team behind Lancaster Brewery. Seeking to diversify their portfolio, the team began distilling vodka and gin in 2022, and English whisky in 2024.
So, when I traveled up to visit the distillery I was interested to get a look at the whisky-making process and assess how the Lancaster Spirits Company will fit into the ever-expanding world of English whisky.
The Lancaster Spirits Location
Lancaster is a city in the North West of England, lying just a few miles from the coast. The River Lune snakes through the historic city, which was once the capital of the county of Lancashire.
The city is home to a multi-award-winning brewery that has now ventured into the world of distillation—much like another well-known English distillery, Filey Bay, on the other side of the Pennines.
The site has been a brewery for the past two decades and a distillery for just under a year. Their beers span a wide range of styles, from blonde and red ales to modern IPAs. All their beer mashes are made using the same Flagon Pale Ale barley, and their in-house brewer’s yeast strain—kept somewhat of a secret—is now being lab-cultivated to meet demand. This yeast strain is over two centuries old and produces sweet, fruity esters during its long fermentation.
The brewery sources its water from an aquifer 90 meters beneath its base, where the temperature remains a steady 10°C year-round.
The New Make Spirit
Beyond beer, the distillery also produces gin and vodka to generate revenue while its whisky matures. One standout offering at the distillery is their new make spirit, which comes off the still at around 74% ABV before being reduced to a cask-filling strength of 63.5%. It’s available for purchase at £35 in a 50cl bottle—a great size for experimenting at home.
It’s refreshing to see a distillery not only selling but also allowing visitors to sample new make spirit. While it may not be something everyone wants to own, it offers a rare opportunity to taste the foundation of their whisky—perhaps even the very spirit that could end up in a cask you own. Only a handful of distilleries worldwide make their new make available for purchase, and it’s something that larger, more established distilleries could offer but often choose not to.
Chris, Lancaster Spirits Company’s Commercial Director, and an old colleague of mine, had just come back from The Southport Whisky Festival the weekend prior. The new make spirit and a few cask samples he had with him went down a storm.
The Whisky-Making Process
When it comes to spirits, The Lancaster Spirits Company operates a steam-powered still that’s half steel and half copper—featuring a steel base with a copper kettle on top. Their wash still is tucked away in a small annex at the back of the brewery, where it shares space with their barrel storage and tasting room. Meanwhile, the spirit still takes pride of place in their stunning bar area. If you visit for a drink or an event, you’ll be greeted by a beautifully stout copper pot still alongside two striking column stills. The larger column still, with its illuminated portholes, offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the distillation process.
Each Thursday, 8,000 liters of wash is mashed before being transferred into one of the brewery’s 10,000-litre fermentation vessels. After four days of fermentation, 2,000 liters are moved into the wash still for its first distillation. Another 2,000 liters follow on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the final batch distilled on Thursday after fermenting for a full seven days.
Longer fermentation times encourage the development of fruity esters, a subject of much discussion in the whisky industry among both traditional and emerging distilleries. Each fermentation is driven by 20 kilograms of yeast, working to break down the mash. Once distillation is complete, they produce around 1,200 liters of spirit, ready to be casked at 63.5% ABV.
Quality, Not Quantity
As of my visit on January 20th, 2025, the whisky team—Joan and Chris—had filled 90 casks of various sizes. Given the relatively small scale of their operation compared to other English distilleries, Chris prioritizes A1-grade barrels. Just a few weeks before my visit, they received a shipment of 210 ex-bourbon casks, but 30 didn’t meet their quality standards and will need to be re-coopered by a local Lancastrian cooperage. The advantage of a smaller operation is the ability to maintain this level of quality control.
Their current cask selection includes first-fill bourbon barrels, seasoned Oloroso sherry hogsheads, and seasoned Pedro Ximénez casks. They also have a selection of smaller octave casks that previously held Port and Madeira, alongside an impressive variety of authentic red wine casks from Bordeaux and Burgundy, as well as STR casks from Rioja.
The Cask Collective
A number of their casks have already been purchased by local whisky enthusiasts and clubs. As you walk through the warehouse, you’ll see customers’ names proudly displayed on the barrel heads—a rare sight outside of Maker’s Mark. There’s something special about knowing these casks are aging for people who will one day share them with friends and family, making whisky feel that much more personal.
If you’re interested in purchasing a cask, you’ll need to join The Cask Collective. For more information, visit www.lancasterspirits.co.uk or contact the team at [email protected].
The Lancaster Spirits Company Founders Reserve Whisky Club
Lancaster Spirits Company also offers an exciting Founders Reserve Whisky Club with two membership options: a five-year bottle program for £595 and a ten-year bottle program for £995. Members receive a 70cl bottle of Lancastrian Single Malt each year as it matures and develops, with the first release scheduled for November 2025.
New members also receive a welcome pack containing a 50cl bottle of their new make spirit, a Glencairn glass, and a membership card. Additional perks include a 10% discount on all purchases—except casks, of course.
Visit The Distillery
If you’d like to experience the distillery firsthand, you can find the address below. For private tours, contact Chris Pateman at [email protected], or book a tour online at LancasterSpirits.co.uk.
