Get the DROP with Dropworks

by Jamie Wilson

Redefining Rum: Dropworks unveils Britain's newest distillery, where quality and creativity are combined, the result? Tasty world-firsts!

Newly launched DropWorks, set to be Europe’s largest Rum Distillery, is bringing a new genre of British Rum to the UK, and it’s epic!

DropWorks has launched a new genre of British Rum, on a scale never seen before on these shores. It is the largest Rum Distillery in Europe and on a mission to prove that there is a rum out there for everyone to enjoy!

Set within Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, DropWorks was founded by industry expert, Lewis Hayes, who believes that Rum has so much to offer the world: “at DropWorks we are creating a fresh, new face for Rum by injecting a new lease of life into the category through added vibrancy and innovation. We are launching truly high-quality, unique Rums, and we want to deconstruct Rum to create something new and exciting. At The DropWorks Distillery we have invested heavily in producing bespoke products which allow us to make Rum that is as light as Vodka, fruit driven as Cognac, funky as tequila, as smoky as Mezcal, as oaky as Whisky or as spiced as Gin. All without the need for any additional flavourings. The team have decades of experience in distilling spirits and are committed to continuously bringing new and innovative Rum products to the market through new processes and ways of flavouring products.”

The DropWorks Distillery spans 17,000sq ft, including an 8,000sq ft barrel store and 3 mile underground tunnel for storing the casks. The facility can produce up to 2 million bottles of rum a year and up to 10 barrels of rum a day. The Distillery houses the first double retort still in England which has a 1,500 litre capacity as well as a 1,500 litre hybrid still with an impressively large 8 plate column, which nearly didn’t fit in the building - tense times! As well as a 3,000 litre pot still.

All raw materials, including molasses and the first sugar cane honey to reach the UK are fermented and Distilled at the DropWorks Distillery, where quality control over the production process is managed to high standards.

The DropWorks Wild Trinity Yeast consists of 3 strains that lives together symbiotically - a world first that is used in some of their products and gives some excellent, funky flavours.

The core range will consist of 4 Drops, 3 of which have launched already. That’s 3 products in 3 months since launch!

  • Clear Drop, an unaged, unadulterated Rum which is surprisingly full of flavour.
  • Funk Drop, an un-aged, overproof, high ester Rum.
  • Spice Drop, a Spiced Rum made without adding any spices (yes really!).
  • Dark Drop, a Dark rum which will be launching before Christmas.

Alongside its core range, the aim behind DropWorks, and inspiration for its name, is focused on introducing a range of small batch limited edition Rum releases, aptly named ‘Drops’. The different variations in style and flavour mean the breadth on offer will be huge, with the idea that there will be something for everyone. Flavour is subjective, but quality is something that will not be compromised at DropWorks Distillery. The aged liquid is already tasting so good that they are considering launching it after only a few months in-cask!

With the brand being born from a passion for quality Rum and inspired by the iconic and eclectic style of popular British cultural movements such as Britpop, having a great time is very much on the agenda for DropWorks. There are some very interesting plans in the pipeline including some unique installations at the DropWorks Distillery itself, as well as some out-of-the-box thinking on collaborations. DropWorks are definitely one to watch!

About The DropWorks Team

The DropWorks team is headed up by Lewis Hayes, who is very much hands on and in the detail with everything, along with COO Lauren McGuirl.

Head Distiller Shaun Smith leads the distillery team, supported by Will Palmer who is the Assistant Distiller, with another role currently being recruited for. Chris Bryant-Mansell is the Sales Director and is currently building a team of people to ensure DropWorks Rum is being used in the best venues far and wide, and Vicki Georgiou is Head of Marketing and busy spreading the word that DropWorks is here and it is awesome!

 Check out the range: https://www.distillersdirect.com/collections/dropworks