The Lakes Distillery

Even if you are not a whisky drinker, you will find the Lakes Distillery a delightful place to visit. Housed in a lovingly renovated Victorian model farm, the distillery opened in December 2014 and has quickly become a popular Lake District attraction.

Visitors can enjoy a walk down to the River Derwent, which provides the water for their spirits, passing by the friendly alpacas – a great attraction for all the family. The Lakes Distillery are also only 300-metres from Bassenthwaite Lake, offering beautiful walks and views.

Things To See

There is plenty to do, see and drink at the Lakes Distillery, including tours with tastings, lunch or dinner at the Bistro and plenty more for the whole family.

Tours

It is best to book tours in advance as they can quickly become fully booked during peak periods. The tour starts with an impressive video that follows the flow of water down from Sprinkling Tarn to the Irish Sea.

From here, you are taken into the distillery itself, where you can see the process in action and learn more about how their family of spirits is created. At the end of the tour, you are invited to sample some of the spirits that are produced on the site. The tour lasts between 45 and 60 minutes.

The Bistro at the Distillery

You can combine your tour with a meal or light snack and refreshment in their restaurant, called Bistro at the Distillery. Thanks to chef consultant, Terry Laybourne, of 21 Group and head chef, Andrew Beaton, the bistro has built up a tremendous reputation and is a favourite with tourists and locals alike.

The main philosophy of the bistro is to reflect the Cumbrian location, by interweaving Cumbrian products with the menus as much as possible, whilst providing a first-class service and delicious food.

The Gift Shop

The Lakes Distillery’s gift shop is also proud to celebrate the creativity of the region and offer their guests locally-designed and sourced products. Their retail shop is beautifully appointed with a range of spirits well laid out on lit shelving, and a broad range of other (primarily local) products on offer.

Lastly, you can sign up to join one of The Lakes Distillery’s clubs either in the shop or online. This includes the Founders’ Club, which gives you exclusive access to bottlings from the first 100 casks produced at the distillery.

Useful Information

The opening hours are as follows:

• Retail Shop: 11am to 6pm*
• Bistro at the Distillery: 11am to 5pm, 5:30pm to 9pm*

*During particular times of year, such as the festive period or less-busy periods, the gift shop and bistro have slightly different opening hours. Please visit the website or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.

Map