Think of rum and tropical islands with sandy beaches, palm trees and crystal clear blue seas may come to mind. However, the location of a brand new producer, Welbeck in Nottinghamshire - although very lovely in its own right - has certainly never been described as exotic.
It's a little-known fact but the north Notts village, renowned for artisan food and drink and an award-winning farm shop and cafe, is also home to Europe's biggest rum distillery. Although rum must be made from sugar cane, it doesn’t need to be made in a sugar cane producing country or island.
In exciting news for rum lovers, DropWorks Distillery will be launching its first batch of the spirit very soon. And it will be opening the site to the public for tours and tastings.
Keep up to date with all the latest food and drink news by signing up to our newsletter here
The DropWorks brand has been three years in the making. Born from a love of rum and the belief that rum should be fun, the brand places focus on quality throughout the product life cycle. From high-quality ingredients, high-spec equipment, quality packaging and an expert team. 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, Lewis has previously opened multiple venues around the world with his consultancy, the London Bar Consultants, including an award-winning cocktail bar and ‘the best-stocked rum bar in London’.
Every drop of rum by the brand will be produced at the DropWorks Distillery - with the capacity to produce up to ten barrels of rum per day. The bespoke copper equipment used at the distillery is the first of its kind in Britain.
Lewis 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 expansion specialist at Invest in Nottingham, James Mann, was an integral 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 & 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.”
Lewis has gained lots of praise and support from the drinks industry both nationally and internationally on launching the new brand. Peter Holland from TheFloatingRumShack.com said: "Lewis has been a champion for authentic rum for the many years I've known him, using a dual-edged approach of presenting the spirit in delicious cocktails and leveraging education.
"We know the general consumer's appetite for Rum is growing year on year in general - and specifically here in the UK for locally produced rum of character and authenticity, so it's no surprise to me to see the scale of the endeavour being undertaken at The DropWorks. This facility is built to seize the moment and build for a bright future."
The DropWorks Distillery has already begun producing rum, with bottles being made available to the public on April 24 from its websitedropworks.co.uk
READ NEXT:
Nottingham Victoria Market traders told to take down posters criticising city council
Historic Nottingham pub enjoys record-breaking week after takeover
Children's adventure playground 40 minutes from Nottingham named best for all ages
Mystery surrounding future of Nottingham waterside pub after closure
