THE ORKNEY DISTILLERY
Since their striking distillery on Kirkwall’s historic harbour front was unveiled in July 2018, The Orkney Distillery has gone from strength to strength. The company behind it, Orkney Distilling Ltd, has refined a sleek, modern aesthetic style that sets its brand and flagship distillery and visitor centre apart, with the latter quickly establishing itself as a must–see attraction.
Within its first year, the distillery received five-star accreditation from Visitscotland and was dubbed “The Scottish Gin Destination of the year.” Since then, the momentum behind the progression of The Orkney Distillery has not abated.
Hand-crafted in small batches using traditional copper stills, in a process defined by passion, commitment and attention to detail, the entire process of creating Orkney Distilling’s Kirkjuvagr Gin is carried out with the modern, discerning gin enthusiast in mind. Three of the company’s gins won medals at the 2020 World Gin Awards, and within their range of multinational and international award-winning spirits, there is truly a gin here for everyone.
As well as providing an opportunity to see how the award-winning Kirkjuvagr gin range is crafted, The Orkney Distillery and Visitor Centre is an all-encompassing versatile hub, playing host to exhibitions, concerts and more.
The outbreak of COVID-19 precipitated the development of their innovative COVID-SAFE garden bar experience “Oot The Back,” that was received with enthusiasm from those once again enabled to meet with friends and family.
Oot The Back is kitted-out with ten individual, quirky, heated booths allowing those who visit to enjoy their drinks in a socially distanced, safe environment.
By incorporating a QR code menu (smartphone accessed), table service and a convenient “no need to queue” ordering system, the team at The Orkney Distillery have created a unique and novel experience that the whole family can enjoy, and it’s even dog friendly! One reviewer wrote that this new project is “just what is needed during these strange and awkward times.”
Whether you’re at The Orkney Distillery for a dram after a long day of sightseeing, visiting to learn how they craft their Kirkjuvagr gins, or are experimenting with flavours of your own, you are guaranteed a warm welcome and excellent customer service that is unmistakably Orcadian.