The Forest Distillery is a unique place where the bond Family and our small team lovingly distil small batches of spirits from wild foraged, locally sourced and organic ingredients combined with our pure, natural spring water.

The meteoric success of the Peak District’s first gin has left Karl, who classes himself as ‘a normal bloke’, in a state of amazement and disbelief. Lindsay Bond said: “We’re not huge fans of coloured and flavoured gins, but appreciate that lots of people do. Therefore, this seemed like a simple, natural way of creating a different product without resorting to additives. We are so proud to add Canada to the growing number of countries that we export it to.” It just so happened that The Forest Distillery was operating at capacity, and was in urgent need of a space to put barrels of freshly distilled spirit to “sleep” for a few years until it was ready to be enjoyed as English Single Malt Whisky. The Cat and Fiddle just happens to have an extensive network of cellars at 1600 feet above sea level with the most perfect conditions for whisky to mature… coincidence or fate? As the doors closed at the pub for the last time, a local family began a small business, selling gin which they distilled in their kitchen, using botanicals from the forest below The Cat and Fiddle. They called the product Forest Gin and it generated huge demand from the worlds best bars, hotels and department stores.In the meantime the family company is actively searching for new premises in the Peak District. Karl and Lindsay aim to create an ‘open distillery’ and gin school where visitors could experience the process of gin-making or just relax with a gin and tonic, whilst drinking in a Peak District view.

Built in 1813, The Cat & Fiddle was a remote coaching Inn, and over the years has become a destination in it’s own right, with views stretching across the Peak District, 7 counties, and on a clear day, there is even a distant sea view! As an Inn, it sadly closed in 2015, however there are several reasons why it suited Forest as home to their distillery: This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. The early days of his experimentation in 2014 bore no resemblance to the product which is now highly rated as a top tipple by high profile food and drink critics. He said: ‘I was like a lot of blokes who make their own beer, except I was making gin. And it was pretty nasty stuff. I’d give it to my wife to taste each night and she would spit it out.’ Forest Gin is distilled in batches of a maximum of 85 bottles at a time. Each bottle contains these key elements:Forest Gin is distilled in small batches (a maximum of 85 bottles at a time) at the brand’s distillery based in a 17th Century stone barn within Macclesfield Forest in the Peak District National Park. This location provides perfect access for the gin’s botanicals that are foraged locally, such as Peak District moss and ferns or wild bilberries and raspberries, as well as a source of Forest Spring water from an ancient spring in the Peak District. Today these ingredients are ground by hand using a pestle and mortar, before being distilled. The alcohol vapour, obtained from organic grain spirit, and the oils from the botanicals then cool in a copper condenser. The resulting fragrant spirit is then blended with the spring water to produce the distinctively herbaceous craft gin. The Forest Gin Artwork is a one of a kind commission by the respected Papercut artist Suzy Taylor, whilst our Forest Whisky artwork is beautifully cut by Georgia Low.