Think of English delicacies, and your mind immediately wanders to things such as the Full English Breakfast, delicious cups of tea, the Ploughman’s Lunch, and of course, Fish and Chips, ideally by the seaside smothered in salt and vinegar.

As far as alcoholic drinks are concerned however, we’ve got things like real British ales, pressed cider, and English gin. All these drinks are fantastic, yet there’s another English spirit grabbing a lot of the headlines lately, that a decade ago nobody would have even considered. Considering what we specialise in here at Great Drams, you can probably guess what that is. Yes, it’s whisky – English whisky to be precise.

Over the last several years, English whisky has enjoyed significant growth, and having sampled more than my fair share, I can definitely see why that is. Do I believe that English whisky will ever reach the heights of our beloved Scotch? Of course not. Do I believe that English whisky is still on the rise? Absolutely.

The Rise of English Whisky

For many centuries now, Scotch whisky has been a truly remarkable beverage that has achieved legendary status. This protected beverage is the national drink of Scotland and is a British icon in every sense of the word.

With newer distilleries popping up across Scotland, it’s safe to say that Scotch is in a very healthy spot. It turns out, however, that on top of Scotch, there is also a market for English whisky. Yes, you did read that right, English whisky is a thing, and do you know what? It’s pretty damn special.

There are currently 61 English whisky distilleries in operation, with 38 providing whisky to the general public. The remaining distilleries are biding their time, waiting for their new-make spirit to reach the minimum age of 3 years to be legally sold as whisky. There are also several still under development, so that number only looks set to increase over the next few years.

Between 2019 and 2024, the English whisky market has enjoyed significant growth, with the market now estimated to be worth more than £1 billion! That’s a five-year growth percentage of over 189%. While this is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the Scotch whisky industry, which is believed to be valued at around £27.1 billion worldwide, it’s still heading in the right direction. So, why is this?

To begin with, the industry is being praised for its sustainability practices. As you know, we here at Great Drams are passionate about that ourselves, which is why we often use recycled/repurposed packaging for your orders (unless you request otherwise, of course). This has helped generate a lot of good press for English whisky distilleries in recent years.

On top of that, like in Scotland, the distilleries make fantastic tourist destinations. Many of the distilleries are situated in stunning parts of the country and offer various tours and experiences. The White Peak Distillery for example, is one of my personal favs. They’re located in the heart of the stunning Peak District and offer tours and tasting experiences, including their ‘Whisky in the Woods’ tasting experience, featuring an open fire, artisanal food, and a tasting of 6 of their most unique drams with the Derbyshire Peak District as a backdrop. Another fav is the Cotswolds Distillery, nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds and offering tours and tasting experiences, many of which include lunch.

Gin has also played a huge part in English whisky’s rise. We all know just how popular gin became a little over a decade ago, which is why many English whisky distilleries also provide the drink known as Mother’s Ruin, as well as whisky. Gin’s popularity also showed the potential of what can happen when a drink’s popularity really takes off and goes mainstream. As gin’s popularity peaked a while back, whisky is once again becoming fashionable and trendy, rather than being simply viewed as an old man’s drink, which was the case decades ago.

Finally, English whisky is on the rise because there are so many out there that taste fantastic. English whisky is not trying to copy Scotch, nor bourbon, nor Japanese, or any other dram, it’s its own unique drop. Utilising local resources, produce, and ingredients, distillers are able to innovate and do their own thing. This means that each distillery has the ability to produce a completely different dram from one located one county across.

Years ago, whisky purists would turn their noses up at the thought of a dram of whisky from south of the border. No anymore. Now, there are more options than ever, making it a fantastic time to be whisky drinker.

Great Drams Recommends 4 English Whiskies

As I’m here talking about how English whisky is growing in popularity, and how there are so many great choices out there, it’s only right that I share some recommendations with you today.

Here are 4 English whiskies that get the Great Drams seal of approval.