As a young lad growing up in the UK, like many others, I had a keen interest in cars. Having recently turned 40, I can confirm that I still do, proving once again that we are all just big kids at heart. I used to read car magazines, watch the racing whenever it was on, and would regularly tune into Top Gear on BBC2 every Sunday night. 

It wasn’t just the cars that I tuned in for, it was the chemistry between Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and the man I’m writing about today, Richard Hammond, that really captivated me. We all know how that ended, and we all know that the three would continue to work together on Prime Video’s The Grand Tour. 

When they weren’t talking cars, they would do other things away from the cameras (mostly) such as buy their own farms, buy their own pubs, and launch their own booze. Following in the footsteps of his Top Gear co-presenters, Richard Hammond has recently launched his own line of spirit, and you’re probably not shocked to hear that one of which is whisky (or else I wouldn’t be writing about him today). 

Here’s a quick look at the whisky and how this all came about. 

Better Late Than Never

Collaborations in whisky are nothing new. In fact, I’ve covered some of whisky’s most famous collabs in a previous blog, so feel free to check that out (obligatory shameless plug alert). It’s also not uncommon for celebs to launch their own brand of booze, as is the case with two of Top Gear’s most famous former presenters. 

Following the success of his Prime Video show Clarkson’s Farm, Jeremy Clarkson launched his very own brand of beer, lager, and cider, which he named ‘Hawkstone’ after an ancient Neolithic standing stone located in the Cotswolds (home of the brewery, now known as the Hawkstone Brewery, and formerly the Cotswold Brewing Co) called the Hawk Stone. 

Using grains produced on his farm, Hawkstone offers a range of beers, lagers, ales, ciders, stouts, and more besides, and is a very good drop. The brand, and Clarkson’s empire, continues to evolve at an astonishing pace. 

Next came James May. Considered the most sensible of the trio, the more refined English gentlemen co-acquired and saved, a local pub in Wiltshire, called the Royal Oak. in 2020/21, he too got into the alcohol business, where he launched his own brand of gin, which he called ‘James Gin’. It too proved successful, albeit not as successful as Hawkstone, but the two brands, like the people behind them, are very different. 

So then, it was only a matter of time before Hammond got in on the action, and earlier this year, he did, thanks to a collaboration with Hawkridge Distillers. His tipples of choice? Gin, and an English single malt whisky. 

Hawkridge Distillery

In recent years, English whisky has grown at a moderate pace. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see it ever rivalling Scotch, which has a lineage behind it dating back centuries, but it’s definitely on the up. 

In 2018, the Hawkridge Distillery was founded in the gorgeous North Wessex Downs, Berkshire, by Robin Horrex, Phil Howarth, and James Gurney – three distillers with a passion for fine spirit. Using locally sourced and grown ingredients, the distillery began producing gin and English whisky. They also now offer other spirits, including rum and vodka and have already won plenty of awards. They’re definitely a brand to keep an eye on. 

As the brand grew, they relocated to a bigger spot, converting an old 17th century barn into their new distillery and visitor centre in Hampstead Norreys. Not too long back, they released both an English single malt, and a blended whisky, which both proved very successful. 

In early summer 2025, the distillery revealed that they’d be collaborating with Richard ‘Hamster’ Hammond, on a range of spirits, including gin and single malt whisky.