more about The Orkney Distillery
Our Story
the orkney distillery
the journey begins
Orkney Distilling was formed in 2016 by local couple, Stephen & Aly Kemp, who sought a way of combining their passion for gin with their pride in their Orcadian heritage. The Orkney Distillery & Visitor Centre was opened in July of 2018, on the historic harbour-front of Orkney’s ancient capital, Kirkwall.
the journey continues
Our award-winning Kirkjuvagr Gin range reflects the rich history of our islands and the boldness of those ancient seafarers. In character though, it’s utterly contemporary and has been crafted with the modern, discerning gin enthusiast in mind.
Each of our gins are characterised by the use of locally grown botanicals, including a variety of Norse Angellica brought to our islands by seafarers centuries ago. We grow these botanicals in partnership with the Orkney Agronomy Institute in Kirkwall, ensuring consistent quality throughout
the harvest.
We small batches using traditional copper stills in a process defined by passion, commitment and attention to detail. This merging of traditional methods with contemporary flavours is what allows us to create spirits that are unmistakably Orcadian.
a new era
The production of single malt whisky has been a long-held ambition for The Orkney Distillery. The necessary whisky licenses were granted to the distillery in September 2023, with the first spirit flowing on International Whisky Day, March 27th 2024.
We have installed a pilot brewhouse for the initial whisky development phase which, paired the addition of three new copper pot stills, will provide production capacity of around 30,000 litres of pure alcohol per year.
We are incredibly grateful to all of our customers over the years for your continued support and custom, and for helping our journey into the world of craft spirit be what it is today.
while we wait...
As an initial step into the whisky market, and before our own single malt becomes available after the minimum three-year maturation period, we recenty launched our first Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Fara.
Fara is elegantly smooth, with sweet notes of heather honey and vanilla, complimented by hints of spiced apple.
Non-chill filtered. Unpeated - free of smoke!