County Durham Gin & Distillery Guide
On This Page: County Durham Gin and Distillery directory, reviews and tasting notes, distillery tours and gin schools in County Durham, interviews with County Durham distillers.
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County Durham has a relatively short history of commercial distilling, with Durham Distillery being the first to be established in 2014. Since then, Country Durham has raced to an impressive 7 gin distilleries in total. There is a wealth of inspiration in the county for the distillers too, from the North Pennines to the west, the North Sea coast to the east, and an abundance of countryside and historical locations in between. Two of the 7 gin distilleries are also open to the public for tours, tastings and gin making experiences.
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The gins featured in this guide are gins which, to the best of our knowledge, are produced in County Durham. There may be additional products named after places in County Durham or that are based in County Durham, however, they are not be featured in this guide if our understanding is that they are produced outside of County Durhamm.
County Durham Gin Reviews - A to Z
Dragon Slayer Gin
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Dragon Slayer Distillery was established by father and daughter Paul and Yasmin Gibson in 2021 in Low Dinsdale near Darlington. Their flagship gin, Sir John Conyers Gin, features botanicals including lemon, orange and lavender, and is inspired by the local folklore of dragon slayer Sir John Conyers. Their range also includes Sir John Lambton Strawberry & Mint Gin.
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Pitwheel Gin
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PitWheel Distillery was established by the Rickard family in 2019 in Wingate. Their flagship gin, PitWheel Classic Dry Gin, was launched in 2020 and the name and imagery are inspired by Wingate's mining history and the town's Pit Wheel monument that commemorates this history. Their range includes their Classic Dry Gin, Navy Strength Gin, Oak Aged Orange & Ginger Gin, Original Spiced Gin and Raspberry & Vanilla Gin.
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For more gins produced in County Durham:
- Durham Gin - Durham Distillery, Durham
- Steel River Gin - Steel River Distillery, Stockton-on-Tees
- WL Distillery Gin - WL Distillery, South Hetton
Distillery Tours & Gin Schools in County Durham
Just two of the wonderful distilleries in County Durham are open to visitors for tours, tastings or gin making experiences, which make for the ideal experience for gin lovers living in or visiting County Durham.
1. Steel River Drinks (Stockton-on-Tees) - Tours & Gin School
Meet the Makers
Get to know some of County Durham's finest gin creators and distillers in our 'Meet the Maker' interviews. Find out what inspired them and how they created and launched their gin, how it's made, what botanicals are used, what you can experience if you visit their distilleries, how best to serve their gins, and what they have planned for the future:
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PitWheel Distillery - Wingate
"Our distillery is located within our home in the form of a garage conversion. It is relatively compact, however it fits the ‘micro-distillery’ aspect perfectly. The main garage conversion hosts the Rectification Room and is where the magic happens. We then have a large packing room directly above which allows storage of all materials in order to suitably package and dispatch our products to both trade and consumer." - Founders, Derrick & Charlotte Rickard |
