REG - Distil PLC - Opening of Blackwoods Brand Home

DistilAnnouncement

23/01/2026 07:02

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RNS Number : 0433Q  Distil PLC  23 January 2026

Distil PLC

 

Opening of Blackwoods Brand Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distil plc (AIM: DIS), owner of premium drinks brands including RedLeg Spiced
Rum, Blackwoods Gin and Vodka, and Blavod Black Vodka, announces the opening
of Blackwoods Brand Home and appointment of Brand Home Manager, Tomos Brooks.

 

Blackwoods Brand Home will be opening to trade customers by invitation from
1(st) February 2026, with bookings now open to the public for tours taking
place from 12th February 2026.

 

The new Brand Home is housed in a renovated stable building neighbouring the
Ardgowan Whisky distillery on the historic Ardgowan Estate. Located on the
west coast of Scotland, just 40 minutes from Glasgow airport, and 20 minutes
from Greenock Cruise Terminal, the Ardgowan Estate has a rich history spanning
800 years.

 

The opening of the space will allow the Blackwoods team to connect directly
with customers, immersing them in the brand heritage and showcasing the range
to build advocacy and strengthen affinity to the brand.

 

The Brand Home will provide a new revenue stream for the business, with
profits invested back into the brand to accelerate growth, as well as provide
the opportunity to develop new, limited expressions that allow us to showcase
the natural larder of the coast and surrounding area.

 

The Greenock Cruise Terminal, 20 minutes-drive from the distillery, is
expected to see over 136,000 passengers pass through in 2026, with many
visiting the local area. Distillery visits is one of the leading attractions
for visitors to Scotland, with over a quarter of visitors including a trip to
a whisky distillery, gin distillery or brewery during their trip.

 

The building

The renovation has remained sympathetic to the building's history, while
ensuring the Blackwoods brand is communicated at every touch-point, with
interiors designed by Studio Percale.

 

Guests can expect traditional slate roof, original stone entrance arch,
characterful concrete floors and rustic dark woods balanced with plush
banquette seating, rich jewel tones, bespoke-crafted dressers, and a
show-stopping granite-topped bar.

 

Guest experience

Blackwoods Brand home will offer a range of tours and tastings starting from
£10, a cocktail masterclass, and a 'Gin School' offering visitors the
opportunity to distil and hand-label their very own bottle of gin.

 

Each tour guest will be welcomed with a Blackwoods gin and tonic on arrival,
before being given a guided history of gin distillation and the Blackwoods
brand, and taken behind-the-scenes to learn the workings of the 1,000L
Scottish-made copper still used to produce Blackwoods gin and vodka. Tours
will end with a tasting flight of the Blackwoods core range.

 

Cocktail masterclasses will also run with guests receiving a mini distillery
tour, guided tasting and mixology workshop where they will learn tips and
tricks to shake-up three classic Blackwoods cocktails.

 

Gin School participants will be given a tour before selecting from a range of
botanicals to craft their unique flavour profile and then guided through
distilling their own 70cl bottle of gin, which they will be able to label and
sign before taking it home to enjoy with friends and family. Recipes will be
kept on file for guests to be able to re-order their bespoke recipe.

 

Bar & shop

The space will also operate as a cocktail bar and bottle shop, offering a
range of Blackwoods signature cocktails to enjoy in the comfortable bar
lounge, and a range of core and exclusive Blackwoods
bottlings, gift sets and merchandise.

 

All experiences can be booked on the Blackwoods website:
blackwoodsgin.co.uk/pages/visit

 

Brand Home Manager

Joining the Blackwoods team to lead the space is Tomos Brooks, who has a
wealth of experience in the spirits industry, having worked in Japan and
Scotland as a brand ambassador for the Chivas portfolio.

 

Most recently, Tomos was deputy supervisor of the Scapa Distillery visitor
centre on Orkney. During his time at Scapa, Tomos was in charge of designing
guest experiences, managing the retail operations, training staff and hosting
consumer and trade events.

 

Commenting on his appointment, Tomos said: "I've long been a fan of
Blackwoods, and I'm thrilled to join the team at such an exciting time for the
brand. The space that has been created here is world-class and I look forward
to welcoming our guests."

 

Sarah Kingsbury, Marketing Director, said: "The development of the Blackwoods
Brand Home has been a labour of love, and designed to convey the
sophistication, warmth and generosity that sits at the heart of the Blackwoods
brand.

 

"We're thrilled to now be able to invite guests in to enjoy the space, and
look forward to sharing further updates, insights and exclusive releases with
shareholders as the space develops."

 

For further information, please contact:

 

 Distil PLC
 Don Goulding, Executive Chairman  Tel: +44 203 283 4006

 SPARK Advisory Partners Limited

 (NOMAD)
 Neil Baldwin                      Tel: +44 203 368 3550

 Mark Brady
 Allenby Capital Ltd

 (Broker)
 James Reeve/Piers Shimwell        Tel: +44 (0)20 3328 5656

 Matt Butlin/Jos Pinnington

 

 

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