The Lakes Distillery- Sealing Deals With Drams

Sealing deals with drams

There are not many opportunities to own a piece of history. For whisky enthusiasts, a new distillery is a rare opportunity, and to own a sample of one of the first distilling's even rarer.

Within the business world, staying at the front of a client's mind is vital. Corporate gifting has become a modern day courtship, offering businesses the chance to impress and show clients, business partners and employees they are appreciated in a genuine and thoughtful way. With this in mind, Lakes Distillery is offering a 'once-in-a-lifetime' gift, ideal for those who wish to astound.

A dram of the finest single malt whisky is the ideal way to seal the deal. Now imagine the dram was poured from your very own branded cask containing one of the first distillings from England's largest whisky distillery, a gift from a loyal customer or supplier.

A very select group of just 60 whisky enthusiasts in the world have the unique opportunity to write their name in history. The Lakes Distillery in Cumbria will produce 60 very special Connoisseurs' Club oak sherry casks, filled with The Lakes single malt and exclusively owned by club members.

These will be available for private or corporate ownership, but once all 60 memberships have been reserved, there will be no more. But this is not simply about owning a cask of the finest whisky, this is the unique opportunity to be part of the distillery's family and follow the malt as it matures over the years.

Members and two guests are invited to be present on that first historic day to experience making the whisky themselves, fill their own Connoisseur's Cask and see it stored in the distillery warehouse as it matures to become our single malt. Each Connoisseurs' Cask will be inscribed with their name, etching their place into the history of The Lakes Distillery. Members decide when to bottle the exclusive whisky, either bottling the malt all at once, or spreading the bottlings over 10 years as it matures.

No other editions of the Lakes single malt will be produced in rare oak sherry casks, made especially for Connoisseurs' Club members resulting in a unique tasting malt, not available for general retail.

In addition to the unique signature Connoisseurs' Cask, members and two guests will enjoy invitations to an exclusive range of events at the distillery, including an annual Connoisseurs' Dinner, for themselves and two guests.

The dinner will take place in the distillery's exclusive Board Room area where interior designers Abercrombies of Jesmond, Newcastle, have created a boutique and stylish dining area where the maturing whisky can be viewed. Dinners will be hosted by The Lakes Distillery's founder and managing director, Paul Currie, and its head still man. Overnight accommodation at the nearby 4-star Trout Hotel will also be provided.

To help preserve the experience, Connoisseurs' members will also be treated to a gift of a commemorative limited edition print, taken from a specially commissioned painting of The Lakes Distillery by celebrated Carne Griffiths, who creates art using tea and alcohol.

The Connoisseurs' Club limited membership costs £12,000 which includes your unique signature cask, exclusive annual events including accommodation at the nearby 4-star Trout Hotel in Cockermouth, delivery, all duty and VAT.

It's estimated that if kept, the cask will be worth over £20,000 making it a perfect investment for both the head and heart.

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*Based on each bottle being worth around £200 after 10 years.

Each Connoisseurs' Club membership is priced at £12,000 with VAT and delivery included. Memberships can be purchased through www.LakesDistillery.com

Media Contacts –Ellie McParlin and Emma Campbell at O PR

Ellie@opr.co.uk /Emma@opr.co.uk / 0191 232 5690

Notes to editors

The Distillery

Close to Bassenthwaite Lake, in an area of unimaginable beauty encircled by Cumbrian fells, is the perfect home for the first-ever Lakes Distillery.

The experienced team behind the Lakes Distillery, which includes managing director Paul Currie who co- founded the Arran Distillery, Master Distiller Chris Anderson with over 30 years' experience and Alan Rutherford a former Production Director of Diageo, is renovating the historic buildings of an old Victorian Model Farm next to the famous river Derwent and close to Bassenthwaite Lake, with the aim to produce a new world-class single malt whisky.

The water from the famous River Derwent, with its source high up in the fells, a team steeped in whisky experience, and perfect conditions for distilling are set to create a very special malt.

The Lakes Distillery will open to the public in late 2014. The Lakes single malt will begin production this autumn, and its recently launched British blend The ONE, created from whiskies from around the British Isles, is available to buy now.

Connoisseurs' Club members will also enjoy:

• An annual Connoisseurs' Dinner, for you and two guests, when you can personally taste the maturing malt from your very own cask. This will also include overnight accommodation at the nearby 4-star Trout Hotel
• A gift of a beautiful, commemorative limited edition print, taken from a specially commissioned painting of The Lakes Distillery
• Invitations to exclusive events at the distillery