Manchester distillery to launch new rum and vodka experiences alongside gin school

They say provenance has a lot to do with why gin has become so popular. Gin can be made anywhere in the world. As new gins come to market, consumers invest into the story of where each one is produced and the people who make them, giving a strong connection to the products.

With such a strong sense of civic pride, it was only a matter of time before Manchester gave birth to its own distillery.

Which is why in July 2016, after four years in development, the City of Manchester Distillery finally opened its doors to the public and became the first Manchester city centre distillery in recorded history.

“Will rum be as big as gin? I don’t think it matters.”

Master distiller Dave Rigby

Originally designed as a home for the multi award-winning Manchester Three Rivers dry gin, the distillery quickly established itself as the top rated tourist attraction in the UK on Trip Advisor thanks to the ‘Gin Experience’ – a first of its kind, completely interactive, tasting and gin making tour.

Staying true to their original values of creativity, inclusivity and, above all, an authentic Mancunian spirit at the heart of all their endeavours, owners Dave Rigby and Mike Hughes are continually looking to recreate and reinvent – something the city is famous for.

Over the past three years, they have been inspired by many experiences travelling the world, learning from and collaborating with – not to mention drinking with – a multitude of food and beverage legends and maverick enthusiasts.

Now the Manchester Three Rivers Gin distillery, which was originally inspired by a love of a myriad of exceptional alcohols from fine wine to whisky, is evolving to create more fantastic spirits and experiences right in the heart of this great city of ours.

They’ve decided to turn their other interests into reality and have added MORE spirits to NEW experiences for you to enjoy – starting with vodka and rum experiences.

“When it came to the decision to launch the vodka and rum experiences, it really wasn’t about what was going to be ‘the next big thing’”, says co-founder and master distiller Dave Rigby.

“Our motivation with the new experiences was to pay homage to some of the influences which drove us to build the distillery at the outset. As a collective we have been on an amazing journey over the last few years and as such we wanted to share some of these incredible experiences, stories and some of the fun we’d had through a range of new and diverse events at the distillery.

“Will rum be as big as gin? I don’t think it matters. All that matters is that people gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the wonderful array of great liquids out there and the fantastic people who make them.

“Since opening, our guests have shared our passion for creating and learning about all things gin and long may it continue,” Dave continued.

“The gin renaissance has been a phenomenon the likes of which we are unlikely to see again for some time. Gin has captured the imagination of the masses in a way that few could have expected.

“We cannot thank you all enough for your support over the past three years and want to assure you that although we are changing the name of our Facebook page from Manchester Three Rivers to The City of Manchester Distillery, nothing is changing with regards to our wonderful gin or The Gin Experience. Three Rivers gin will continue to be lovingly produced by hand, by us right here at the distillery”.

If you have a love for vodka or a passion for rum, you can support the independently owned city centre distillery by searching out their products and booking online on to the limited edition new experiences launching this summer.

Support local. Support independent. Support real Manchester businesses.

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