Brailes Mechanical & Craft Society – January 2026
THE TALE OF THE COTSWOLDS DISTILLERY BY FOUNDER AND C.E.O. MR. DAN SZOR.
After 30 years of city trading, New Yorker Dan was looking for a new direction. He decided to have his own distillery. His Cotswold Distillery is now producing malt whisky and signature gins.
Towards the end of his city trading, Dan and his wife bought a home near Traitors Ford. They liked the Cotswold atmosphere, so they made it their home. He carried out an extensive search for a suitable site and in the end bought a 4-acre derelict site in Stourton, 3 miles from his home. This site had planning permission for commercial development. There was a three year interval between site purchase and opening with the doors of the distillery opening in 2014.
Malt whisky contains only three ingredients: water, barley and yeast. The barley is grown in the Cotswolds. It is malted in Warminster where the traditional open floor method gets used. Barley grains are soaked in water, they germinate and are then dried and ground into grist
The copper vessels for distillation are hand made in Scotland. The final stage of whisky making is maturation. The pre-used oak barrels come from either sherry or wine making. It is these sources which gives the final product its distinctive flavour
Gin production starts with a neutral spirit and botanicals are added. These could be berries, herbs or spices. The mixture is re-distilled and then diluted to around 40% alcohol content. It is then bottled. Gin has the attraction of being ready for sale more quickly. Hence the ‘waiting for whisky’ in the title of the talk. The distillery now sells more gin than whisky.
Dan is very keen to involve the community in their activities. He recruits locally when he can. The visitor centre and cafe are open to all. Music evenings are held once a month. The site has been extended to over 10 acres. It has been landscaped and planted, and there is ample car parking.
Overall 40 people are now employed. Marketing is an important part of the business. There are two shops in the Cotswolds and more overseas markets are being investigated. The distillery is in the process of gaining Geographical Identification. This award is given to products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities due to this origin.
Katie Haycock thanked Dan for his very interesting talk. The meeting concluded with samples of whisky and gin being tasted.
Our next meeting is on Monday 2nd February when Paddock’s Farm talk is ‘From Paddock to Plate – your local butcher’s story’. We meet at 7:30pm in the Village Hall. New members and guests are welcome.
Eric Darvell
Secretary