Shropshire distillery secures historic third Distillery of the Year crown

Henstone Distillery has been named Distillery of the Year at the Gin Guide Awards for a record third time, becoming the only distillery in the world to achieve the honour.

The distillery, run by an Oswestry family, also celebrated Gold Awards for each of its three core gins - London Dry, Navy and Rosé - in their respective categories, competing against entries from hundreds of distilleries across 36 countries.

The Gin Guide Awards are widely regarded as the world's largest independent gin awards and are judged through a rigorous blind tasting process by distillers, spirits buyers, mixologists, authors and other industry experts. Entries are assessed solely on the quality of the spirit, with no influence from branding, marketing or country of origin.

Henstone Distillery said the awards reflected the team's hard work and unwavering commitment to producing consistently high-quality spirits.

Paul Jackson, head judge and founder of The Gin Guide, said: "The quality and diversity of gins entered in The Gin Guide Awards 2026 has been remarkable. Gold Award winners have shown the depth of skill in distillation that continues to flourish in the industry. Being a Gold Award winner has become one of the most revered achievements in the gin world."