Cooper King is an independent distillery in Sutton-on-the-Forest, North Yorkshire, founded in 2016 by Dr Abbie Neilson and Chris Jaume. Self-built and crowd-funded, it operates on 100% renewable energy and holds a distinctive set of environmental credentials that are genuinely rare in the drinks industry.
The distillery produces a small range of carefully made spirits: two permanent gins, an English single malt whisky programme, and a new make spirit. Each reflects the same commitment to quality, provenance, and transparency that runs through everything Cooper King does.
Sustainability at the Heart of Cooper King
Cooper King is not just making sustainability claims; it has third-party verified credentials to back them up. For those who want their drinks choices to reflect their values, this is one of the most credible distilleries in England.
The Cooper King Gins
The two Cooper King gins are permanently available and represent the distillery at its most accessible. Both are cold-vacuum distilled, a technique used by very few distilleries in England, which extracts the freshest and most aromatic flavours from each botanical. Both are carbon-negative.
| Gin | Strength | Key Botanicals | Tasting Character | Perfect For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cooper King Dry Gin
Cold-vacuum distilled; carbon-negative
London DryView product |
42% Alc. | Juniper Cardamom Heather honey Lemongrass Lavender Cubeb | Piney juniper leads with floral honey and ripe citrus. Rich cardamom on the palate, wrapped in lemongrass and local honey. Fresh, vibrant, and long. "Everything you want from a dry gin" per BBC Good Food. | Garden G&T with rosemary; dry martini; Yorkshire provenance gift; eco-conscious gin buyers |
|
Cooper King Herb Gin
Cold-vacuum distilled; carbon-negative
ContemporaryView product |
40% Alc. | Juniper Fresh basil Lemongrass Clove Cardamom Fennel | Fresh basil on the nose, balanced with fragrant lemongrass and aromatic clove. Bright, herbaceous, and distinctive. Lighter than the Dry; softer on the finish. "Undeniably great taste" per The Independent. | Classic G&T with a basil leaf and orange slice; herby martini; anyone who finds standard dry gins too juniper-forward |
Alex's Cooper King Recommendations
If you are new to Cooper King, start with the Dry Gin: it is a confident, well-structured gin with real character and an unusually strong sustainability story. The Herb Gin is the one to reach for if you prefer something softer and more aromatic. The cold-vacuum distillation technique makes a genuine difference to the freshness of both. The Gin Duo bundle is good value if you want to try both. And if Cooper King whisky comes back into stock, it is worth moving quickly.
The Cooper King Whisky Programme
Cooper King produces English single malt whisky in small batches, using Yorkshire grain and a careful approach to cask selection. Individual releases tend to sell quickly and the range evolves as new casks are released, so availability changes. The Whisky Expedition Box, a set of three 100ml bottles, is the best way to explore the whisky programme as a whole and is the most reliably available whisky product in the range. Check the collection for current single bottle availability.
Cooper King also produces a New Make Malt Spirit: the unaged distillate straight from the still, before cask maturation begins. This is the only way to taste where the whisky starts before wood plays any role. It is a genuinely useful reference point for understanding how the distillery's mature releases develop.
Visit Cooper King Distillery
Cooper King runs guided distillery tours from Sutton-on-the-Forest, 10 miles north of York. Tours take you through the full production process, from the grain and botanicals through distillation to cask maturation, with tastings of the gins and available whisky releases included. The site also features the distillery's botanical garden and beehives.
Tours are available to book directly through Digital Distiller.
Book a Cooper King Distillery TourExplore More from Cooper King and Digital Distiller
Frequently Asked Questions About Cooper King Distillery
Cooper King Distillery is located in Sutton-on-the-Forest, North Yorkshire, approximately 10 miles north of York. The distillery is open for guided tours and tastings and is accessible from York by road. You can book a tour through Digital Distiller.
Cooper King gins are carbon-negative, meaning that for every bottle produced, the distillery removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than its production emits. The distillery runs on 100% renewable energy, sends zero waste to landfill, sources botanicals locally to minimise food miles, and was the first distillery in Europe to join 1% for the Planet. For every bottle sold, one square metre of native UK woodland is planted and a rural apprenticeship is funded.
Cold-vacuum distillation is a technique where the distillation takes place at lower temperatures than conventional distillation, by reducing pressure inside the still. This gentler process preserves the freshest, most aromatic and most delicate botanical flavours that would be driven off or altered at higher temperatures. Cooper King is one of only a handful of distilleries in England to use this method for its gins, and it is central to the fresh, vibrant character of both the Dry and Herb expressions.
Yes. Cooper King produces English single malt whisky in small batches using Yorkshire grain. The distillery was the first in England to produce net zero energy whisky. Individual releases tend to sell quickly; the Whisky Expedition Box is the most consistently available way to explore the whisky range. Check the collection page for current single bottle availability.
Both are cold-vacuum distilled and carbon-negative, but they have distinct characters. The Dry Gin (42%) is juniper-led and structured, with rich cardamom, local honey, and citrus giving it a fresh, vibrant profile well suited to a classic G&T or martini. The Herb Gin (40%) is softer and more aromatic, led by fresh basil and lemongrass with aromatic clove, and suits those who prefer a lighter, more herbaceous style. The Gin Duo Bundle is the most economical way to try both.
Yes. Cooper King offers guided distillery tours covering the full production process, from botanicals and grain through to distillation and cask maturation, with gin and whisky tastings included. Tours can be booked directly through Digital Distiller.
Want both gins at once? The Cooper King Gin Duo bundles the Dry and Herb Gin together at a saving. Or explore the broader range of English craft gins and eco-friendly spirits across the Digital Distiller range.
