The English whisky industry is celebrating its granting of Geographical Indication (GI) status by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The move give legal protection to the names “English Whisky” and “English Whiskey” under the UK Spirits Drinks GI Scheme.
The announcement comes as a result of more than six years of work by the English Whisky Guild, which has been in close contact with DEFRA and its member distilleries. The application was first submitted in February 2022 and published for opposition in February 2025.
“This is a defining moment for English Whisky” said Dan Szor, chair of the English Whisky Guild. “I am immensely proud to see our category formally recognised with its own Geographical Indication. It gives English Whisky a clear and protected identity, celebrates the quality and provenance behind what we produce, and sends a powerful signal to consumers and markets around the world.”
The approved specification includes the following details:
— Must be made from UK cereal grain and English water
— Distilled in England from wort created in England, at less than 94.8% ABV
— Matured in England for a minimum of three years in wooden casks no more than 700 litres
— Bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV
— Plain caramel (E150a) is the only permitted additive and only for colour
The GI status will give clearer clarity for consumers both at home and overseas about what English whisky is and the standards that it must meet. It also provides room for innovation, accommodating for modern still designs, non-oak wooden casks and collaborations with local breweries on mashing and fermentation.
The chief executive of the English Whisky Guild, Morag Garden, commented: "Securing GI status is a landmark achievement for English whisky and recognition of the quality and innovation across our growing industry. We are grateful to DEFRA and to everyone who contributed to this collaborative effort. This milestone will support future growth and international recognition for English Whisky."
Vice-chair of the guild and GI lead Tagore Ramoutar added: “The English Whisky Guild would like to thank the DEFRA Spirits and GI Teams and of course the minister of state, for all their support in getting the English whisky GI across the line. The approval of the English Whisky GI marks a new chapter for English whisky, it recognises the huge steps that the English Whisky category has taken since 2003. “Our next challenge is to help all the English whisky makers transition to the GI and raise consumer awareness of our whisky produced.”
English whisky joins its Scotch, Welsh, and Irish counterparts in having GI status. The next steps for the guild include focus on communication and what the new protection represents to consumers and its members. Today, there are more than 70 distilleries in England, up from 46 in 2023, and bottles exported to more than 30 countries around the world.
