Contract Distilling for New and Growing Spirit Brands
Small‑batch production, recipe development and white‑label spirits for founders, brands and innovators.
We are the spirit makers
CONTRACT DISTILLING IS WHAT WE DO. It’s been at the heart of our business for over a decade, and we’ve helped hundreds of founders and brands bring new spirits to life.
We specialise in working with new spirit brands, corporate gifting, hospitality and private label projects: taking as much care with a few hundred bottles as we do with a few thousand. Every client is different, so our services are tailored to your needs, whether you’re developing a new recipe, scaling production or looking for a reliable long‑term partner.
Read on to explore how we work, or use the button below to book a no‑obligation discovery call, or distillery visit.
Contract Distilling: Your Questions Answered
Curious about how our bespoke distilling process works? This section covers the essentials: from developing your recipe to scaling production and bringing your brand to life. Whether you’re creating your first spirit or expanding an existing range, you’ll find clear answers to the most common questions founders ask.
You can also read our full guide to choosing the right distilling partner here.
A Quick Introduction to Our Contract Distilling Services
Hear directly from our founder about how we help new and growing spirit brands bring their ideas to life.
Our Services in More Detail
From house spirits branded with your own labels to customised botanicals and fully bespoke recipe development, we offer a complete range of services to support new and growing spirit brands. Whether you need a simple white‑label solution or a completely unique spirit created from scratch, we tailor every project to your goals, budget and timeline.
House / Off the Shelf
Our entry‑level service uses one of our house spirits — gin, rum or vodka — to create your own branded product or range. You can also choose from our off‑the‑shelf flavoured spirits if you want something ready to go.
This is a cost‑effective option for cocktail bars, pubs, restaurants, hotels, wedding venues and stately homes looking for their own private‑label spirit. Minimum quantity is just 48 × 70cl bottles (or equivalent), making it easy to start small and scale as needed.
Products are typically supplied duty‑paid in one of our stock 50cl or 70cl bottles, or you’re welcome to supply your own. You can view our standard bottle and closure options here. Pricing is charged per bottle, keeping everything simple and predictable.
For one‑off or occasional runs, we can print basic labels in‑house.
For ongoing brands, we normally expect you to supply your own professionally printed labels for the best finish.
Just choose your spirit, ABV and bottle, supply your label artwork (or ask us to print a basic one‑off), and we’ll take care of the rest.
Customised
Our customised service starts with one of our house spirits — gin, rum or vodka — and allows you to tailor it with additional liquid botanicals and natural flavours to create your own signature spirit, liqueur or product range.
Each customised requires a short flavour development session at the distillery. This interactive session typically lasts around an hour and gives you the chance to meet the distillers, explore ideas, and refine your flavour profile together.
Minimum quantity is 48 × 70cl bottles (or equivalent). Spirits are usually supplied duty‑paid in one of our stock 50cl or 70cl bottles, or you’re welcome to supply your own. You can view our standard bottle and closure options here. Pricing is charged per bottle, making it easy to scale production to your needs.
For one‑off or occasional runs, we can print basic labels in‑house.
For ongoing brands, we normally expect you to supply your own professionally printed labels for the best finish.
Choose your base spirit, ABV and bottle, bring your ideas to the development session, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Bespoke
Our fully bespoke service allows you to create a completely unique spirit from scratch on our copper pot stills. Whether you’re developing a gin, vodka, brandy or grain/beer‑based spirit, we can help you bring your idea to life and get it ready for market.
For all bespoke spirits other than gin and botanical vodka/rum, you will typically need to supply your own base alcohol (wort, beer, cider, wine, etc.). This ensures the final spirit reflects your chosen raw materials and flavour profile.
Most bespoke projects begin with a development stage we call the Proof of Concept (POC). This can be carried out remotely, but many clients choose to visit the distillery, as it’s a great opportunity to meet the distillers, learn the process, and explore your project in more detail. The POC takes place on our development stills, and you’ll leave with a sample of your spirit for testing before committing to a full production run.
Once produced, your bespoke spirit will be supplied duty‑paid in one of our stock 50cl or 70cl bottles, or you’re welcome to supply your own. You can view our standard bottle and closure options here. Minimum run size depends on the base alcohol you provide, but typically starts from around 130–140 × 70cl bottles (equivalent). Pricing is charged per bottle, making it easy to scale production to your needs.
For one‑off or occasional runs, we can print basic labels in‑house.
For ongoing brands, we normally expect you to supply your own professionally printed labels for the best finish.
Once your spirit is developed, simply choose your preferred ABV and bottle, supply your label artwork (or ask us to print a basic one‑off), and we’ll take care of the rest.
Whisky
To legally be called a whisky, new‑make spirit must be matured in wooden casks for a minimum of three years. Because of this, we do not generally offer full whisky production, nor do we have whisky available as an off‑the‑shelf product.
However, we can distil new‑make spirit to your specification for maturation off‑site. This allows you to create a whisky that begins with your chosen wash, grain bill or beer‑based spirit before it goes into cask.
If you’re looking to create a whisky‑based spirit drink, we can also source Irish or Scotch whisky from our suppliers* and use it as the base for your product. This is a popular route for brands wanting whisky character without the three‑year maturation period.
Once produced, your spirit will be supplied duty‑paid in one of our stock 50cl or 70cl bottles, or you’re welcome to supply your own. You can view our standard bottle and closure options here.
If you’d like to explore the options, you can contact us to discuss your project in more detail.
* Minimum order quantities for sourced Irish or Scotch whisky are typically 1000L at around 64%.
The Process
We aim to make the process as simple and straightforward as possible. Depending on the service you choose, there may be opportunities to get involved along the way: from flavour development to helping distil your first test batch.
1. Start with your branding
Label artwork is almost always the final element we’re waiting for, so we recommend beginning your branding early. This keeps your project moving smoothly.
2. Choose the service that suits your project
- House products are the quickest route to market.
- Customised and Bespoke options take a little longer as they include development stages.
If you’re unsure which route is right for you, we’re happy to talk it through.
3. Decide on your ABV
Think about the strength you want your spirit to be. A good quality craft spirit is typically 40–43%, although some products have specific legal requirements.
Higher ABV means higher UK alcohol duty, so choose carefully.
4. Consider your flavour profile (Customised & Bespoke)
If you’re creating a customised or bespoke spirit, think about the flavours you want to achieve. We’ll guide you if something won’t work, but we don’t prescribe flavours — there are thousands of possibilities, and your creativity is part of what makes the product unique.
5. Take part in the development stage
Customised and bespoke projects include interactive development sessions.
For bespoke spirits, you also have the option to help distil your first test batch from start to finish.
These sessions are a great opportunity to meet the distillers, see the distillery, and refine your ideas.
6. Production & bottling
Once everything is agreed, production is scheduled and your spirit is bottled in your chosen packaging. If you come to us with the key decisions made, your product can be ready for market in as little as 1–4 weeks.
If you’d like to talk through your ideas or explore the options in more detail, you can arrange a discovery call with one of our distillers.
Bottles & Packaging
The look and feel of your product is hugely important: it’s what draws customers in. The quality of the spirit is what brings them back. While we’re not brand designers, we can point you towards trusted creatives and label printers if you need support with your visual identity.
Choosing bottles and closures can feel daunting, especially when you’re starting out and only need small quantities. You’re always welcome to supply your own packaging, but we also offer a curated selection of high‑quality stock bottles from UK and European manufacturers, with a choice of stoppers or screw‑cap closures to get you started. You can view the range here.
Once you’ve chosen your bottle, you’ll need to decide how you want to make it tamper‑evident. We can supply simple PVC shrink capsules, or you may prefer a paper “watch‑strap” tamper label or even a wax‑dipped finish. A good brand designer will help you choose the right approach for your style and budget.
Finally, you’ll need to provide your labels on rolls that are compatible with our machinery. We can apply a single label or separate front and back labels. For very small runs, you may choose to have labels printed on sheets and apply them by hand: ideal if you want full control over placement or are producing a limited number of bottles.
Charities
If you’re a registered charity or community group looking to raise funds, your own‑label gin or rum can be a highly effective way to generate income with no upfront costs. Each year we help organisations of all sizes raise thousands of pounds through their own branded spirits.
If you’d like to explore how this could work for your charity or event, get in touch and we’ll be happy to talk through the options.
Please get in touch here to see how we can help.
8 things to consider when starting your own spirits brand
Clients starting their own spirits brand often arrive with plenty of questions — but there are usually even more things they haven’t thought about yet. To help clear the fog, we’ve put together the questions we’re most commonly asked, along with some initial guidance to get you started.
As you progress your project with us, we’ll provide more detailed, tailored advice. And if you’re planning to go it alone, we also offer hourly consultancy to help you navigate the technical, legal and practical steps involved in bringing a new spirit to market.
You can read our guide here.
Manufacturing Terms & Conditions
Once we begin working together, our Manufacturing Terms & Conditions apply. These set out the key principles of our partnership, including non‑disclosure, clarity around intellectual property, and a clear framework for how we work together.
We recommend taking a moment to read through the full document so you know exactly how your project will be managed and how your ideas are protected.
Get In Touch
Ready to Start Your Project? Book a no‑obligation discovery call or send us a message — we're here to help you bring your spirit to life.
5 Tips for Choosing the Right Contract Distilling Partner
- Responsiveness
- IP Ownership
- Technical Capability
- Compliance
- Brand Fit
Start the Conversation
