Distillers Hub™ Sign inList your company
Sign inSearch companiesDirectoryRegulationsMarketplaceOpportunitiesNewsTechnologyEventsPricesTrade partnersDuty-freeSuppliers' CornerExport guidesGet the appAbout usList your company
Directory / United Kingdom

Distilleries and liquor manufacturers in United Kingdom

619 producers listed, including 3 bulk or neutral spirit.

Add your company

Nothing matches that search. If the company is missing, add it free.

United Kingdom at a glance

Population
69.5 million (2025)
GDP
US$4.00 trillion (2025)
GDP per person
US$57,602 (2025)
Capital
London
Currency
Pound sterling (GBP)
Languages
English (de facto; Welsh co-official in Wales, Scottish Gaelic recognised in Scotland)
Climate
Temperate maritime: mild, wet and changeable, with cool summers and mild winters; rain falls year-round and is heavier in the west and in Scottish uplands. Cool, damp conditions suit slow maturation (Scotch warehouses) but warehouses need damp control.
Alcohol status
legal
Legal drinking age
18 to buy alcohol (16-17 may drink beer, wine or cider with a table meal in a licensed venue in England/Wales/NI; Scotland differs slightly)
Alcohol per adult
10.8 litres of pure alcohol a year (2019, WHO)
Spirits imports
US$1.2 billion (2024); mainly from United States, France, Ireland, Italy
Spirits exports
US$8.4 billion (2024); mainly to United States, France, Singapore, India
Import duty on spirits
UK Global Tariff: 0% customs duty on the 2208 lines checked in the live UK Trade Tariff (single malt/Scotch, cognac, gin, vodka, liqueurs, ouzo, tequila and rum above the value thresholds); only low-value rum lines (value below GBP 6.60 per litre pure alcohol in containers of 2 L or less) carry a specific duty (GBP 0.50 per % vol per hectolitre plus GBP 2.60 per hectolitre for the high-volatile-substance rum line checked). Goods from India enter at 0% under the preference measure. Import also bears UK alcohol duty and 20% VAT. Separately, the UK-India CETA (in force 15 July 2026) cuts INDIA's duty on UK Scotch whisky and gin from 150% to 75% on entry into force, falling to 40% by 1 January 2036.
Traveller allowance
4 litres of spirits over 22% ABV (arriving in Great Britain from outside the UK).
Popular brands
Smirnoff (Diageo), Bell's Original, Gordon's (Diageo), Captain Morgan (Diageo), The Famous Grouse, Jack Daniel's, Bacardi, Baileys
Major producers
Whyte & Mackay, Diageo
State monopoly
none
The market
The UK is a large, mature spirits market and also the world's biggest spirits exporter. In 2024 it shipped about 1.5 billion 70cl bottles abroad (WSTA), and in 2025 Scotch alone earned about GBP 5.3bn in exports. At home, vodka, gin, rum and Scotch lead sales; the gin boom has faded while flavoured vodka, rum and tequila-style and RTD formats have grown. Spirits duty has risen about 17 percent over three years and spirits duty receipts fell by GBP 94m in 2025/26, which the industry blames on a weak domestic market. The craft sector is large, with 426 registered distilleries in 2024.
Making spirits
There were 426 registered distilleries in 2024, up from 116 in 2010 (WSTA). Distilling needs HMRC approval (excise warehouse and distiller's approval); Scotch is protected by the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009. Grain, malted barley and molasses are the main raw materials.
Importing
Imports of spirits are free of customs duty on the headline codes checked (0% third-country rate on whisky code 2208306100), but bear alcohol duty (GBP 33.99 per litre of pure alcohol for spirits above 22% ABV from 1 Feb 2026) and 20% VAT. Goods are normally moved under duty suspension to an HMRC-approved excise warehouse. Several FTAs (e.g. with the EU, Australia, India) matter for origin claims.
Advertising
WHO country profile (2018 edition, data c.2016): legally binding national rules - advertising: no; product placement: no; sponsorship: no; sales promotion: yes; health-warning requirement - on adverts: no; on containers: no. Status may have changed since; check current national advertising code.
Sale restrictions
England and Wales: no fixed statutory hours; each premises licence sets its own. Scotland: off-sales only 10:00-22:00. Northern Ireland licences are court-granted with a surrender principle. Online sales are allowed with a premises licence.

Regulators: HM Revenue & Customs (alcohol duty and warehouse approvals)

Trade bodies and fairs: Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), Scotch Whisky Association

Compiled by Distillers Hub in October 2026 from the World Bank, WHO, UN Comtrade, the WITS tariff database and the sources below. Figures change: check with the regulator or a customs broker before you act.

Sources (28)

About United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is an island nation located in north-western Europe. English is the official and primary language spoken across the country. Its economy is widely known for international finance, services, advanced manufacturing, and global trade.

The spirits market

Alcohol is legal in the United Kingdom, distributed through licensed private on-trade and off-trade channels without a state retail monopoly. Commercial importers require a GB EORI number, with most spirits entering duty-free under the UK Global Tariff, though they face an excise duty of £33.99 per litre of pure alcohol over 22% ABV plus 20% VAT. Local distilleries produce gin, single malt scotch whisky, rum, vodka, and liqueurs. Exporters benefit from zero tariffs and no pre-market label approvals when targeting demand for premium spirits.

Licences, import duty and labelling rules in the United Kingdom

Spirits importers and distributors in the United Kingdom

Duty-free and travel-retail shops in the United Kingdom

Who makes liquor in United Kingdom? This list covers 619 liquor manufacturers and distilleries — The Copeland Distillery, In The Welsh Wind Distillery, Hughes Craft Distillery, Still Wild (Still Wild Drinks Ltd) and more: whisky, rum, gin, vodka, brandy, neutral spirit (ENA) and local spirits producers, with their towns, products and websites. See also how to import or export liquor to United Kingdom and the licences needed to make it there.

Listings are compiled from public sources. Companies marked Verified have confirmed their details. If this is your company, claim the profile free to correct it, or ask us to remove it. Not listed? Add your company free.

Browse the United Kingdom by spirit

Browse the United Kingdom by state or region