NEW figures have revealed that a distillery in the Cotswolds has been ranked the best in the UK and Ireland.

The team at The Cask Connoisseur ranked Cotswolds Distillery in Shipston number one out of 231 whisky distilleries in the UK and Ireland. 

Cotswolds Distillery was given the title for its picturesque location, immersive tours and opportunity to witness the meticulous craft of distilling firsthand.

It had racked up 2159 points in The Cask Connoisseur's distillery popularity index.

The Cask Connoisseur table also revealed that the business was the only England based distillery to feature in the top ten.

Despite having its base in Shipston, the Cotswolds Distillery also have shops across the Cotswolds, including Broadway and Cheltenham. 

A spokesperson for The Cask Connoisseur said: "Coming in at first place, the Cotswold Distillery takes the top spot as the best distillery in the UK and Ireland due to it being a highly sought-after destination in a picturesque location, immersive tours, and the opportunity to witness the meticulous craft of distilling firsthand."

The team at The Cask Connoisseur worked to build an index ranking on all distilleries in the UK and Ireland. 

The whisky experts researched 231 distilleries to rank the most popular distillery officially.

To do this, The Cask Connoisseur looked at the number of Google ratings and reviews, Tripadvisor ratings and reviews, and social media metrics, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

The data was collected in July 2023.

Coming second on the list was Kilchoman Distillery in Scotland, with a 1968 distillery popularity index, and the third was Isle of Raasay Distillery, also in Scotland.

Cotswolds Distillery was first established in 2014 and said it is one of the few distilleries producing English whisky.

Its whisky range from £39 to £99, and also has its own gin range.