A distillery which is the largest producer of English whisky in the UK has been named the most popular in the UK and Ireland.
The Cotswolds Distillery was named most popular tourist attraction for whisky experts by industry website The Cask Connoisseur which anaylsed Google ratings, Tripadvisor reviews and social media metrics.
The top Cotswolds attraction was commended for its "highly sought-after destination in a picturesque location, immersive tours and the opportunity to witness the meticulous craft of distilling first-hand".
It beat heritage Scottish distillery Bruichladdich, picturesque Welsh distillery, Penderyn and Dublin’s well-respected Teeling Distillery.
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Founder Daniel Szor said: “It is an honour to receive such praise for our distillery.
"It comes at a time when we have recently completed expansion of our whisky production site and are now the largest producer of English whisky in the UK.
"This accolade serves as a fantastic recognition of the hard work of the entire Cotswolds Distillery team.”
Mr Szor founded the distillery - the first full-scale distillery in the region - in 2014.
Its first whisky, Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky, was launched in October 2017.
It won gold at the World Whiskies Awards 2019 and was given two stars - one of only two whiskies to do so - in the 2019 Great Taste Awards.
Cotswolds Reserve Single Malt Whisky was launched in late 2021 and won Best English Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2019 and double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021.
It is available in Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose and was the first English whisky to be sold at all three supermarkets.
The distillery's Cask Collection features four different single malt whiskies: Founder’s Choice, Peated Cask, Sherry Cask and Bourbon Cask.
And this year the Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky won gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023 and was the only UK product to take home a gold in the whisky category.
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The Cotswolds Distillery also releases yearly limited-edition whiskies and makes award-winning Cotswolds Dry Gin.
The distillery in Stourton, Shipston-on-Stour, and the stores in Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water receive nearly 100,000 visitors a year.
They can tour the site as well as taking part in tasting, interactive blending masterclasses and virtual tastings.
A new visitor centre opened in May 2019 which includes a shop and café serving food made with locally sourced ingredients and a range of cocktails.
The distillery won a Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
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