The Cotswolds Distillery is officially home to the most popular whisky distillery in the UK and Ireland following on from research by whisky experts The Cask Connoisseur.

With whisky tourism becoming more and more popular, The Cask Connoisseur team looked to chart the top whisky attractions for tourists.

They analysed the Google ratings, Tripadvisor reviews and social media metrics of 231 whisky distilleries across the UK and Ireland, with The Cotswolds Distillery coming out on top. Each distillery was given a total score out of 2,310, representing its 'distillery popularity index' with The Cotswolds Distillery gaining a score of 2,159.

Located near Shipston-on-Stour, the Cotswolds Distillery is the largest producer of English whisky and has become a premier Cotswolds attraction, offering tours and tastings. The distillery and stores in Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water receive nearly 100,0000 visitors a year.

The Cotswolds Distillery was commended by The Cask Connoisseur for its "highly sought-after destination in a picturesque location, immersive tours and the opportunity to witness the meticulous craft of distilling first-hand".

The distillery saw off stiff competition from the likes of heritage Scottish distillery Bruichladdich, which came in fourth place; picturesque Welsh distillery, Penderyn, which was placed fifth; and Dublin's well-respected Teeling Distillery, which came in tenth place.

Cotswolds Distillery founder Daniel Szor said: "It is an honour to receive such praise for our distillery. It comes at a time when we have recently completed expansion of our whisky production site and are now the largest producer of English whisky in the UK. This accolade serves as a fantastic recognition of the hard work of the entire Cotswolds Distillery team."

The distillery was founded by Daniel Szor in 2014 and was born from a dream to produce Outstanding Natural Spirits in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

Nestled in the Cotswolds countryside, the Cotswolds Distillery is the first full-scale distillery in the region and focuses on quality and flavour above all else.

Visitors to the distillery can enjoy a range of distillery experiences, from their award-winning tour and tasting to interactive blending masterclasses and virtual tastings.

A new visitor centre opened in May 2019 which includes a shop and café serving food made with locally sourced ingredients and a range of cocktails.

Since its opening in 2014 The Cotswolds Distillery has won a series of awards for its finely crafted spirits but also as a venue, having won a Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice Award in 2020, 2021 and 2022.