A NEW distillery on the outskirts of York is set to produce its first gins in the autumn and start whisky production in the winter as backers continue to show support for the project.

Cooper King Distillery is the creation of Abbie Neilson and her fiancé Chris Jaume who are transforming a stable block in Sutton on the Forest into a distillery, shop and tasting room.

As the couple continue to welcome support through their crowdfunding scheme, the Cooper King Distillery Founders Club, they have revealed their first production schedules for the project.

The distillery will start production of its premium single malt whisky in winter this year, and will open its doors to members of the public soon after production. The whisky will then be ready for consumption in 2022. Meanwhile the homemade gin, to be flavoured with local botanicals, will be ready in autumn this year.

Commenting on the launch of The Founders Club, Mr Jaume said: “England’s whisky industry is still in its infancy, with only fifteen craft distilleries across the UK.

“The demand is growing, and we have the potential to be recognised world-wide as an exceptional whisky-producing region if we focus on flavour, terroir, and experimentation.

“More young people are starting to drink whisky and they want something unique and fresh. Cooper King will be at the forefront of the micro-distilling industry.”

The Founders Club calls on whisky and gin enthusiasts to become part of the Cooper King family. Members will be rewarded with first-release products, rare bottlings, distillery merchandise and a lifetime membership.

Made using Yorkshire barley and inspired by Australia’s whisky connoisseur, Bill Lark, Cooper King Distillery will produce a 100-litre cask, the equivalent of 150 bottles, of whisky a month. This is in contrast to the vast whisky-manufacturing operations in Scotland, where more than distilleries average three million litres every year.

The gin will be produced in micro-batches, each bottle being filled, labelled and individually numbered by hand at the distillery. Cooper King Distillery is the first in Yorkshire to combine innovative cold vacuum distillation with traditional hot copper-pot distillation in a process tailored to suit each individual botanical.

Miss Neilson and Mr Jaume moved from Yorkshire to Australia in 2014 but are returning to launch their business.

They will produce whisky using Yorkshire barley and casks made in Wetherby by England’s last master cooper, Alistair Simms.

The couple learnt the craft in Tasmania and say they were inspired by the rapid growth of the whisky industry in Australia. They say they hope to help raise the profile of English whisky.