The Old Stable, Stillington Road, Sutton-on-the-Forest, York, North Yorkshire, YO61 1EH, England, UK
Cooper King most exciting new Gin distillery
Cooper King distillery is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most exciting new gin distilleries in the industry. Founded by Chris Jaume and Abbie Neilson in 2016, the distillery has quickly made a name for itself with its commitment to sustainability and high-quality, small-batch production.
One of the most unique aspects of Cooper King is their dedication to sustainability. The distillery is fully powered by renewable energy, with all waste recycled or reused. They have also partnered with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust to plant one square meter of native English woodland for every bottle of gin sold, helping to offset their carbon footprint. This commitment to environmental stewardship sets Cooper King apart from other distilleries and has helped to attract a growing number of environmentally-conscious consumers.
In addition to their focus on sustainability, Cooper King also prides themselves on the quality of their gin. All of their spirits are distilled in small batches using traditional copper pot stills, resulting in a smooth and flavorful product. They use a combination of traditional botanicals, such as juniper and coriander, with more unusual ingredients like goji berries and lemongrass, creating a unique and complex flavor profile that has garnered rave reviews from gin enthusiasts.
Overall, Cooper King distillery is quickly becoming a favorite among gin lovers and industry insiders alike. With their commitment to sustainability, high-quality production, and innovative flavor combinations, it is no wonder that they are considered one of the most exciting new distilleries in the industry. Whether you are a seasoned gin connoisseur or just starting to explore the world of craft spirits, Cooper King is definitely a distillery to watch.
Our Story
We are Abbie and Chris
Once a scientist and an architect, we are now the founders of England’s most exciting new distillery. In 2014, a desire to leave the rat race led us across the globe to Australia, in search of sun, sand and adventure.
Whilst in Tasmania and researching for a whisky blog for friends back home, we visited all eight operational whisky distilleries at a time when the industry was just taking off. These small producers were carving a path for hand-crafted, premium whisky.
IT BEGAN IN TASMANIA
Inspired by the ingenuity and determination of the Tasmanian whisky distillers and compelled by our love of good whisky, we made the life-changing decision to bring their ethos back home to Blighty.
Taught by Bill Lark, the godfather of Tasmanian whisky, we armed ourselves with a wealth of knowledge gathered from across Tasmania’s now internationally acclaimed distilleries and beyond.
We returned to the UK in 2016 to establish an independent distillery, and made it our mission to produce sustainable spirits distilled with craftsmanship, honesty and adventure – the very same elements we fell in love with in Tassie.
RETURNING TO ENGLAND
Once back on English soil, we worked hard to source the finest ingredients and best craftspeople to help get the project off the ground. The Founders’ Club launched in 2017 to help finance the self-build: we immediately found ourselves surrounded by an enthusiastic network of gin and whisky drinkers from around the world, who helped turn our daring dream into reality.
Establishing a sustainable distillery which focuses on flavour and authenticity has been a wholesome team effort. We’ve supported many businesses across England on our journey so far, and the Cooper King team has grown into a vibrant and passionate crew.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
The first gin still was fired up in 2018, and the whisky still in 2019. Spirit has not stopped flowing since, all thanks to the help of our Founders, fans, friends and family. Read more about our sustainable spirits here.
This exciting and challenging venture continues at full-throttle. The release of Cooper King Single Malt Whisky in October 2023 signals the end of one journey, and the dawn of another.
You can take part in the adventure by visiting the distillery, drinking the spirits, buying a cask or joining the Founders’ Club when the next round launches (anticipated for 2024).
Sign up to the mailing list at the bottom of the page and follow our journey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Distillery
In the Heart of Yorkshire
We’re open every Saturday, 12pm – 6pm, with distillery tours running at 1pm and 3.30pm. You can book your tour here, or simply come along to enjoy a drink at the bar and browse the shop. With disabled access and visitor parking, everyone is welcome to witness first-hand how whisky and other spirits are made.
Located just ten miles north of the historic city of York, the distillery sits nestled between the rolling contours of the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the rugged Yorkshire Dales National Park. You can find us at The Old Stable, Stillington Road, Sutton-on-the-Forest, York, YO61 1EH. Major attractions such as York Minster, Castle Howard and Whitby are nearby.
Collaborating with Michelin-awarded chefs, working with local coopers and stonemasons, partnering with nearby artists, sourcing from local growers and even harvesting honey from our on-site beehives, ensures exceptional products are created – whilst supporting a network of independent producers.
Using state-of-the-art vacuum distillation for the gin and vodka, and a bespoke Tasmanian copper pot still for the whisky, all our spirits are distilled, bottled and labelled here at the distillery.
HONESTY
Enjoy honest spirits that taste exceptional and benefit the environment, from a distillery powered by 100% renewable energy.
We believe drinking good spirits needn’t cost the Earth. That’s why we’re the first in Europe to join environmental initiative 1% for the Planet, and the first in England to produce carbon-negative gin and net zero energy whisky. We also plant one square metre of Yorkshire woodland or wildflower meadow for every bottle sold, thanks to our charity partnership with Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.
ADVENTURE
Inspired by the experiences of great-great-grandfather, Charles Cooper King, and fuelled by our wild adventures in Tasmania and beyond, we’ve self-built and crowdfunded a bold, independent distillery.
Founders, fans, friends and family helped us self-build on the site of an old stable block. The distillery houses a dedicated production area and cask maturation warehouse, together with a rustic tasting room and well-stocked shop.
Join us for tours, tasting evenings and special events. Guests after a luxury break away are encouraged to book into our on-site B&B.
Why The Name ?
A Family Name for a Family Business
Charles Cooper King, born in England in 1843 and Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Marine Artillery, was distillery founder Chris’s great-great-grandfather.
In 1885 he documented the Cooper King family history in beautiful and painstakingly handwritten volumes, tracing the family to almost every English county. His earliest known ancestors, dating back to 1030, were the Pigot (or Pygott) family of Yorkshire.
YORKSHIRE ANCESTORS
Thomas Pigot was confirmed as abbot of St Mary’s Abbey, York in 1398 and the Pigot family shield can still be seen today throughout Ripon Cathedral.
Travelling up from London in the late 1800s, Charles visited Yorkshire to research the Pigot name, which led him to the cathedral where he sketched the locations of the family crest. Retracing his steps around 130 years later, Chris visited the cathedral with his family. Using Charles’ drawings as a guide, they embarked on a treasure hunt to track down all 4 shields.
COOPER KING
It felt right that our family business should have a family name. Given the rich historical ties to England and Yorkshire and the reference to a barrel-maker, Cooper King fitted perfectly.
It was not without its problems, however. We had to seek permission from the Cabinet Office to use the word ‘King’ in our company name! Fortunately, the family history volumes were excellent proof that we had a genuine claim to the name and we were granted permission to use it.
THE SHIELD
The Cooper King shield now represents us and the distillery, albeit with a modern twist. The contemporary design is based upon the Cooper King coat of arms that Charles had hand-painted at the start of the first volume.
The top half depicts our Yorkshire roots with the three Pigot war hammers; the cross represents the Kings; the lion represents the Garrets and the Kings.
We haven’t been able to include an element from the Cooper shield as this remains a mystery yet to be solved. Read our blog to find out more.
Our Gin
“If we had to use two words to describe Cooper King Dry Gin it’d be Game Changer”
– The Gin Fayre
To bring you a range of sustainable gins bursting with flavour and purpose, we combine innovative distillation techniques with locally-sourced botanicals and Yorkshire-grown wheat. With our absolute dedication to craftsmanship, honesty and transparency, there’s never been a better time to explore the world of cold-distilled gins.
Buy online or use the stockist map to find your nearest bottle of Cooper King to try or buy.
ETHICALLY SOURCED BOTANICALS
Signature botanicals are sourced close to the point of distillation to support English growers, reduce food miles and celebrate Yorkshire’s bounty. The delicious raw honey used in the Dry Gin comes from our on-site family beehives – which are cared for by Graham, head distiller Abbie’s father – and the lavender is grown and harvested 9 miles away. Fresh basil for the Herb Gin is either grown on site or sourced from a specialist grower near York. The juicy raspberries used in the Berry + Basil Liqueur are all grown on Spilmans Farm, an independent, family-owned farm just 15 miles from the distillery.
We work with an ethical supplier for the more exotic ingredients – such as cardamom and clove – and are actively exploring ways to reduce the number of imported botanicals we use. Over the last three years head gardener and Abbie’s mother Pauline has been carefully tending to our trial batches of lemongrass in the on-site polytunnel. The results have been stunning, with this botanical beginning to be weaved into our recipes.
Gin’s key ingredient is the wonderful juniper berry, of which we use the variety Juniperus communis which brings that all important resinous, piney note to our gins. We currently import our juniper, though have just planted our first bushes on site.
LOCAL YORKSHIRE WHEAT
All UK-distilled gin must start with a neutral, high-strength alcohol which is predominantly distilled from grain.
Small-scale batch production of neutral alcohol is energy intensive. As a distillery focussed on sustainability, we strive to reduce the environmental impact of our products as far as possible. That is why we’ve chosen to work with a long-established local distillery who distil it entirely from Yorkshire wheat on their cutting-edge energy-efficient continuous column stills. This partnership better supports local farmers and significantly reduces the environmental footprint of one of our key ingredients. The result is a clear and pure wheat spirit with a beautiful silky texture. Some of the wheat is even grown in the field adjacent to the distillery, just 20 metres from the gin stills. This is where the fun begins.
INNOVATIVE COLD DISTILLATION
To create gins of exceptional character we take an innovative approach to distillation, cold-distilling botanicals under vacuum with a smooth Yorkshire wheat spirit. Awarded an innovation grant to explore the potential this distillation technique can bring to flavour, head distiller and former scientist Abbie set about creating spirits with a desire to keep flavours as fresh in your glass as they are in the wild. The result is a range of spirits with the freshest, most vibrant flavours unlike any others, all distilled with 100% renewable energy.
Botanicals are crushed, cracked or chopped and macerated in wheat spirit to coax out their flavour compounds. The glass vacuum still is then charged with this maceration and gently heated. Simultaneously a vacuum is drawn through the still, reducing atmospheric pressure and importantly, allowing distillation to occur at much cooler temperatures than traditional gin distillation which takes place upwards of 80°C.
The enriched alcohol vapour rises into the closed-loop condenser where it cools and condenses into a spirit full of botanical-derived essential oils and flavour. Once combined with pure Yorkshire water, a week-long resting period then follows allowing compounds to integrate and harmonise.
BOTTLED AND LABELLED BY HAND
All Cooper King gins are bottled and labelled by hand, one at a time, by our small and dedicated team. The batch number is handwritten on each bottle to provide full traceability back through the process, right down to the farm on which the wheat was grown, or the season in which the honey was collected.
GIN REFILLS
Customers are encouraged to bring their empty Dry or Herb gin bottles back to the distillery for a refill, saving them £6 off a new bottle. This ‘bottle for life’ reduces landfill and helps raise awareness of the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra. We were the first distillery in the country to offer this. Our stockist have been incredibly supportive in helping us introduce refills to the wider area.
See our refill stockists here.
BEYOND THE DISTILLERY
We pour care and attention into every bottle of gin, from the sourcing of ingredients through to ensuring it reaches you in pristine condition in a clever origami-style recycled cardboard box, developed with a local manufacturer.
When it arrives in your home/bar/boat, head to the Serves page to explore the perfect serve for your chosen spirit. Developed over many months by Laura – our head of drinks development – you’ll find recipes for the perfect yet humble G&T, right through to guest cocktails from our friends over at Tommy Banks’ Michelin starred restaurant the Black Swan, Oldstead.
Finally, take pleasure in knowing that you’re directly helping to remove carbon from the atmosphere, reforest the UK and improve biodiversity. Every 700ml bottle of Dry or Herb Gin sold removes 1kg of CO₂e from the atmosphere and plants 1 square metre of native UK woodland, thanks to our charity partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. Our loyal customers have enabled us to plant over 27,000 square metres of managed woodland so far. Thank you for your continued support and for joining us on this wholesome adventure.
Dry Gin
from £39.00
70cl / 42% abv.England’s first carbon-negative gin, meaning each bottle removes 1kg more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits and plants 1 square metre of native UK
Tasting notes: rich cardamom notes married with juicy citrus and floral layers of local honey deliver a fresh, vibrant gin of exceptional character.
Perfect serve: enjoy with Indian tonic water and a fresh rosemary sprig to create the Garden G&T.
Hand distilled, bottled and labelled at the distillery, using 100% renewable energy. Refills are available from the distillery shop and a number of our wonderful stockists. £1 from every bottle purchased is donated to our tree-planting charity partner, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (Registered Charity No. 1061687).
Herb Gin
from £39.00
70cl / 40% abv.
England’s first carbon-negative gin, meaning each bottle removes 1kg more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits and plants 1 square metre of native UK woodland.
Tasting notes: fresh basil, beautifully balanced with fragrant lemongrass and aromatic clove creates a bright, herbaceous gin.
Perfect serve: enjoy with light Indian tonic water and a fresh basil leaf to create the Spring G&T.
Hand distilled, bottled and labelled at the distillery, using 100% renewable energy. Refills are available from the distillery shop and a number of our wonderful stockists. £1 from every bottle purchased is donated to our tree-planting charity partner, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (Registered Charity No. 1061687). Suitable for vegans.
“For both its undeniably great taste, and extensive sustainable credentials, we can’t fault Cooper King’s Herb Gin” – The Independent, IndyBest Eco-Friendly Drinks
Berry + Basil Gin Liqueur
from £32.00
70cl / 25% abv.
Tasting notes: a luxurious, fruity liqueur, bursting with ripe Yorkshire raspberries and finely balanced with fresh basil and juniper.
Perfect serve: enjoy long with Indian tonic water, garnished with a fresh raspberry and slice of lime (for those with a sweeter tooth serve with lemonade in place of tonic water). It’s also great in a cocktail or with sparkling wine.
Each bottle restores 1 square metre of UK wildflower habitat, as we donate £0.40 from your purchase to our charity partner, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (Registered Charity No. 1061687). Hand distilled, bottled and labelled at the distillery, using 100% renewable energy. This liqueur contains no preservatives or colourings so please store out of direct sunlight and enjoy within 6 months.
Skosh Smoked Spiced Dry Gin
from £45.00
70cl / 41% abv.
Tasting notes: black cardamom, nori, mandarin and Szechuan peppercorn are beautifully layered to create a complex and full-bodied spirit.
Perfect serve: enjoy with Indian tonic water and a whole star anise to create the Spiced G&T.
A limited-edition collaborative gin developed with Skosh, a Michelin-awarded restaurant in York. Hand distilled, bottled and labelled here at the distillery, with 100% renewable energy. Suitable for vegans.
“Cooper King Distillery embraced the Skosh concept and balanced the flavours in our bespoke gin to perfection” – Neil Bentinck, owner and head chef at Skosh, York
EXPERIENCES
HOME TASTING EXPERIENCE
Enjoy an immersive tasting experience from the comfort of home – all you need is a Sharing Selection Box. Alternatively why not book onto a Guided Distillery Tour?
Distillery founders Abbie & Chris have created a guided virtual tasting session to accompany each Sharing Selection Box. Perfect for a quiet evening in or a group activity with friends, let us entertain you with the adventurous story behind the distillery as you delve into the spirits in your box. Enjoy in your own time and at your own pace.
- Order your Sharing Selection Box.
- Watch your virtual tasting session and access your Experience Guide for Box 1.
- Watch your virtual tasting session and access your Experience Guide for Box 2.
GUIDED DISTILLERY TOUR
Experience Cooper King Distillery in person by joining a guided distillery tour – simply complete the booking process below (over 18’s only). Alternatively purchase a distillery tour voucher as a gift or enjoy a Home Tasting Experience.
Join us for a guided tour of England’s only self-built whisky and gin distillery, situated in the picturesque countryside, 10 miles north of York.
Discover the adventurous story behind the distillery and understand how our sustainable spirits are made. We’ll introduce you to state-of-the-art vacuum gin distillation and the wonderful Tasmanian copper whisky still – the only one of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere.
Finally, enjoy a fully guided tasting session, where you’ll try at least 6 different spirits. Drivers will be offered a complimentary sample to take away and enjoy at home.
You can find a location map here and the onsite Airbnb here.
HOW TO BOOK
- Please enter the number of people in your party in the quantity box – before selecting your preferred date – to ensure there is availability.
- Select your preferred date to see times and availability for that day (3 spots left = availability for 3 people).
- If you have a voucher, click the ‘Redeem Coupon’ button, and enter the promo code.
- Select your time slot, enter your details and complete the booking. You will receive an email confirmation shortly after.
