About Our Distillery

The idea of Old Market Distillery was born many years ago, but it was only being furloughed during the pandemic that gave the founders the time to make their idea a reality.

Born in January 2021, with installation being done at a safe social distance and in face masks, the distillery represents the next evolution in craft distilling in the city of Bristol.

We could not have done it without the love, help, and support of Bristol Dry Gin who have been the Yoda to our Padawan. We remain eternally grateful for their help, insight and passion for their industry, their city and their fellow human beings.

Old Market Distillery was set up to produce a distinctive style of gin which has been largely forgotten, and is largely the preserve of cocktail bartenders and gin aficionados. The Old Tom style was the dominant style of gin for decades. The added sweetness making primitive distillates more palatable. As distilling improved, and tastes moved on, the need for sweetening diminished and was largely forgotten, save for a few classic cocktails. Even though gin has exploded in popularity, it is still a divisive spirit, attracting love and hate. Old Tom has always been a bridge in the spirits world; not as dry as London Dry, and not as sweet as Dutch styles. 

It was with this in mind that we, set out to recreate a populist juniper spirit and recreate the famous Old Tom Style.