A trip and a sip: the best UK distilleries, vineyards, cider orchards and breweries to visit

The best UK distilleries, vineyards, cider orchards and breweries to visit
Tastings, tours, days out and overnight experiences: destination drinking for oenophiles, gin and whisky fans and cider drinkers

The British booze industry is thriving – and the unprecedented growth of “alcotourism” in this country is providing oenophiles, gin drinkers and cider fans alike with bucket-list worthy tastings, tours, days out and even overnight experiences, many of which are family-friendly. It’s “destination drinking” at its best – and how better to while away the weekend than with an award-winning tipple in hand?

At the Decanter World Wine Awards, English wine picked up a record 138 medals. According to WineGB, the number of vines planted has tripled from 1m in 2017 to 3m in 2019. Many vineyards are opening restaurants on site, and hosting weddings.  Tour operators such as English Wine Adventures are stepping up to show you around, and recent additions to the homegrown wine tourism scene include a new visitor centre at the Hush Heath Estate in Tonbridge, and the launch of a West Dorset tasting trail hosted by three vineyards: Bride Valley, Furleigh Estate and Langham Wine Estate. Llanerch Vineyard in South Wales recently opened a 26-bed hotel after securing a £2 million loan to emulate the success of oenotourism in New Zealand and Australia. 

But it’s not just wine buffs who have cause to raise a glass. Distilleries are also proliferating: the latest HMRC figures reveal that a total of 54 new distilleries producing an array of spirits opened in 2018 (although eight closed). There were 361 distilleries recorded in the UK last year, of which 166 were based in England and 160 in Scotland. 

According to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, the gin boom has helped the total number of UK distilleries to more than double in the last five years. Scotland has historically had the lead when it comes to distilleries because of their popular whisky industry – but there are now distilleries to visit across the length and breadth of the land.

Meanwhile, the cider and perry industry – currently worth £1.94 billion – is enjoying a revival. Once the toast of Georgian England and dubbed “England’s champagne” by Napoleon, sharp, tannic perries have undergone a “mini renaissance” this summer. 

Philipa Sloan visits the Torre Cider Company in Washford, Somerset
Philipa Sloan visits the Torre Cider Company in Washford, Somerset Credit: John Lawrence for The Telegraph

Stephen Ware, a grower in Herefordshire who has been planting more trees to meet demand, even compares our renewed taste for perry to our thirst for prosecco. The pressing season falls in autumn, producers welcome visitors to pay homage to their pomaceous fruits throughout the year.

Many of those featured on this list offer a range of activities for the whole family – from play barns to animal petting; and, of course, apple and pear juice for the kids to drink. According to the National Association of Cider Makers, their members are currently visited by more than half a million tourists every year.

And while many are now choosing to drink less alcohol, less often, a quest for better quality brews has done nothing to halt Britain’s historic and still-thriving beer market. “There is little doubt that the growth in British craft beer has helped boost the overall beer market which saw growth of 2.6 per cent in 2018, the biggest increase for 45 years,” says Mike Brenner, chief executive of the Society of Independent Brewers. 2017 was a record-breaking year for the industry, as 395 new breweries opened for business over the course of the year, taking the number in business up to over 2,430, according to date from the British Beer and Pub Association. 

The so-called craft beer “gold rush” has since slowed somewhat, with only eight new openings recorded in 2018. Still, with so many orchards, vineyards, distilleries and breweries to visit on our doorstep, there’s probably never been a better time to embark on a British booze tour. Here’s our pick of the very best...

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