LATEST NEWS

Crafting Spiced Rum in Yorkshire

In the heart of Yorkshire, a region known for its rich history and traditional craftsmanship, a small Distillery has been quietly perfecting the art of making spiced rum. Nestled among rolling hills and picturesque landscapes, Yorkshire Dales Distillery has become a hidden gem for those seeking a unique and locally crafted spirit.

The journey of making spiced rum begins with the selection of high-quality sugar cane molasses. Yorkshire isn’t the best place in the world for growing sugar cane but the Caribbean’s fertile soil and climate provide the ideal conditions, making it a crucial ingredient for this exceptional rum. The molasses are carefully sourced from trusted suppliers, ensuring the finest starting point for the distillation of the base rum.Read More

National Vodka Day

National Vodka Day is observed on October 4th each year and celebrates this popular distilled spirit. So, in honour of National Vodka Day, here are some interesting facts about Vodka’s origins and history:

Origin: Vodka is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, with both Russia and Poland claiming to be its birthplace. The word “vodka” is derived from the Slavic word “voda,” which means “water.”
Early Production: The early production of vodka dates back to the 8th or 9th century, initially for medicinal purposes and later as a recreational beverage. It was made by distilling fermented grains or potatoes.Read More

The Adventures of Robert Prothero

The Adventures of Robert Prothero; a musing by Tony the Operations Director

With increasing frequency, I find the topic of despair in the current young generation is raised in conversation with much passion and, in my opinion, almost as much ignorance.Read More

A new addition to the team

The Team at Yorkshire Dales Distillery would like to introduce you to our newest recruit – local lass (Redcar), Jen started life as a professional violin and trumpet player with The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines back in 1999 performing throughout the UK and Internationally. She quickly moved on to being the Safety, Health and Environment Advisor with the Royal Marines Band Scotland up in Rosyth.

UK Spirits Duty Increase; what’s in the price of a bottle?

August 2023 UK Spirits Duty Increase; what’s in the price of a bottle?

The airwaves have been somewhat quiet of late on the increase in Alcohol Duty which will come into force next week on Tuesday 1^st August 2023. With gin, vodka, whisky and rum, Spirits Duty is our concern and this has remained at £28.74 per litre of pure alcohol since before Yorkshire Dales Distillery starting trading in 2017. In line with inflation, this will go up to £31.64.

What does this mean for a typical bottle? In the UK, the standard currency is a 700ml or 70cl bottle on which you were paying £8.05 in Spirits Duty on a product at 40% abv. This will go up to £8.86! Once you add the associated VAT in, this in an increase from £9.66 to £10.63 tax paid directly to the Treasury on every single bottle.Read More

Yorkshire Day 2021

Happy Yorkshire Day!

Did you know?

The date of Yorkshire Day alludes to the Battle of Minden, and also the anniversary of the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, for which a Yorkshire MP, William Wilberforce, campaigned!

Getting into the Summer Spirit!

After another testing start to 2021, we’ve never been more relieved to see the arrival of the wonderful Summer weather!

World Gin Day 2021

Cheers to World Gin Day 2021!

As far as World Days go, this one is definitely the best. Whether you like your gin with tonic, in a cocktail or neat, today is all about celebrating this wonderful spirit.Here at Yorkshire Dales Distillery we are so proud of both our traditional ‘Ram’ range and contemporary ‘YD’ range of gin. The quadruple distilled traditional Ram range includes 40%ABV Purple Ram Gin, which includes locally sourced honey and a sweet nose. At 45%ABV Wild Ram Gin is a treat for the tastebuds with a range of smooth flavours. With spicy notes, bitter orange, cardamon and rose petals our Desert Ram Gin is an impressive 50%ABV.

The contemporary ‘YD’ range provides flavours for every palette Honeyed Rhubarb, Strawberry & Thai Basil, Bramble Berry and Chocolate Orange are all taste sensations. Even better, our flavoured gins don’t include anything artificial and contain a very small amount of sugar. Read More

Craft Distillery Day

It’s Craft Distillery Day!

We are celebrating by reflecting on the past year and the challenges we’ve faced and overcome as a family run business. With the Coronavirus pandemic ongoing, the beginning of 2021 meant the Distillery had to adapt to yet another lockdown. Tony again assisting with the defence’s support to the crisis, and Sarah becoming a full-time home schoolteacher.Read More

SALSA Approval at Yorkshire Dales Distillery

We are SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval)

In a few weeks time, Yorkshire Dales Distillery will be 5 years old and what a journey it has been. From our home, set at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, our path has been long and not a little bumpy, especially over the last 12 months, but we are now in a great position to move forward and, even more so, given that we are delighted to have achieved SALSA Approval following a thorough independent inspection!

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