Europe’s largest rum distillery starts production in Nottinghamshire
A Nottinghamshire rum distillery – which claims to be the largest in Europe – is to launch its first product in April.
Dropworks Distillery, at Welbeck, has been three years in the making. Its head distiller, Shaun Smith, has previously launched multiple distilleries around the UK.
DropWorks was founded by owner Lewis Hayes, who has been in the drinks industry for the past 18 years. From initially working in bars, Hayes has opened several venues around the world with his firm, the London Bar Consultants.
Every drop of rum by the brand will be produced at the DropWorks Distillery. The distillery will have capacity to produce up to 10 barrels of rum per day, with the bespoke copper equipment used at the distillery is the first of its kind in Britain.
The DropWorks Distillery will be opening to the public for tours and tastings.
Hayes said: “DropWorks is a fresh face in the category, and is all about bringing Rum into the modern era. We stand out – you can see this across everything we do, just look at our packaging for example. We have a strong identity centred around fun and we are proud of the quality in our production in our own Distillery in Britain. We can’t wait for you to try it and see for yourselves.”
Business expansionspecialist at Invest in Nottingham, James Mann, was part of helping DropWorks opening the distillery.
He said: “We were thrilled to help Lewis and the DropWorks team secure their brilliant location in Welbeck. Bringing the largest rum distillery in Europe to Nottinghamshire is a great story to add to our local narrative and will create further jobs for people in the region.
“Nottinghamshire traditionally has a strong food and drink sector, and a thriving hospitality industry in the city centre. To add a local and high-quality Rum to our offering is a fantastic opportunity that further cements our reputation in the industry.”
The DropWorks Distillery has already begun producing Rum, with bottles being made available to the public on April 24.
