YORK Gin’s motto is ‘history in the tasting’ - and early indications suggest its future looks rosy too.

A group of York friends produced the first bottles of York Gin in March 2018. The business now hand make, bottle, label, distribute and market high-quality gins from a small distillery in Acaster Malbis. They also welcome visitors to see the city’s only gin distillery in action.

In April, they opened the York Gin shop in Sir Thomas Herbert’s House in Pavement. The company has won a string of awards, earlier this year winning York Gin won Tourism Supplier of the Year at VisitYork Tourism Awards and the Garbutt & Elliott Yorkshire brand of the year award.

It now hopes to add the Retail, Tourism and Leisure Business of the Year and New Business of the Year awards to its name.

York Gin’s products are nationally and internationally recognised; in 2018 winning a silver at the Gin Masters and a gold at the People’s Drinks Awards. This year, its Navy Strength York Gin Outlaw won a double gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of only a handful of world gins to achieve this accolade.

The firm’s rapid growth means it expects to double its first year’s turnover this year.

It is constantly looking to improve and expand its offer, and has collaborated with some of York’s best-loved businesses. In 2018 it developed a gin with a Viking theme for the Jorvik Viking Centre and a bespoke gin to coincide with the Magic & Mystery exhibition at Barley Hall. It collaborated with York Theatre Royal to create Grey Lady gin to mark their 275th birthday - nodding to their ‘ghost’.

It recently launched an Old Tom gin developed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Andrew Pern.

“We put quality first, and we are also working hard to have a positive effect on the environment," said the directors. "We use the best ingredients and packaging; local packaging designers ensure they’re recyclable. Our bubble wrap and tasting cups are biodegradable. Our electricity is from 100 per cent renewable sources and we have one of the first electric, emission-free delivery vans.

“We work closely with the pubs, bars, hotels, restaurants and attractions in York. Providing them with unique, locally-made, high-quality products is key to attracting and winning the loyalty of visitors and locals alike. We have a great local story and we ensure this is known to everyone who sells our products.

“Customers are increasingly keen to know about the provenance of locally-made products. The fact that we are local people, making the products right here in the city means our story is 100 per cent authentic and customers can trust us.”