Eden Mill has officially completed the commissioning of its new St Andrews distillery with both gin and single malt whisky now in production. The independent Scottish distiller filled its first cask – made from Scottish Oak – on Monday, April 7, marking a significant milestone for the company.
The completion comes after 21 months of construction work following the June 2023 handover from the University of St Andrews. The new facility represents a major expansion for the Fife-based distiller.
The state-of-the-art distillery boasts impressive specifications with a mash tun, six washbacks, dedicated gin and whisky stills, hot liquor tanks, and a cask warehouse with capacity for 300 casks. The facility can produce up to 1 million liters of pure alcohol annually, significantly enhancing the already vibrant distilling landscape in Fife.
Eden Mill St. Andrew’s Distillery Production Plans
With nearly 400 casks remaining from their original distillery located on the same site, Eden Mill is now focusing on restarting whisky production. The company plans to fill hundreds of additional casks with new-make spirit for maturation.
The distillery will also produce Eden Mill’s core gin range – Golf, Love, and Original Gin – which will soon be relaunched in redesigned bottles for a more sophisticated appearance.
“The new distillery marks a step change for our business and follows years of hard work by the whole team,” said Rennie Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer at Eden Mill. “To be able to announce that our new distillery is now fully operational is incredibly exciting and we are just a few short months away from being able to open our doors to the public and welcome visitors from all over the world.”
Visitor Experience and Sustainability
Located just ten minutes from St Andrews town center on the University of St Andrews’ Eden Campus, the distillery will open a visitor center to tourists later this year. The facility will offer immersive gin and whisky experiences, retail space, and a top-floor cocktail bar with views over the Eden Estuary.
Construction on the visitor center is expected to finish this summer with a planned August opening date.
Eden Mill’s Head Distiller Scott Ferguson commented, “Following the installation of our copper stills in January, we have been progressing towards getting the distillery operational and refining our new-make spirit. My objective is to replicate the profile of what we used to distil at our original site – a light, sweet spirit with floral and grassy notes. I am looking forward to coming to work at this beautiful location every day and to overseeing the distillation of our excellent products.”
Environmental sustainability features prominently in Eden Mill’s operations, with 100% renewable electricity sourced either from the University of St Andrews’ solar farm or renewable grid tariffs. The company is also pursuing additional sustainability initiatives, including its partnership with MiAlgae announced in October 2024.
Read the full article at This New Independent Scottish Distillery Is Finally Up & Running
