Plans are being drawn up to establish what is known as a boutique distillery in Douglas designed to produce a range of "artisan spirits" for discerning drinkers.

Seven Kingdom Distillery will create a range of spirits to be sold in the Isle of Man and also exported world-wide under the Manx brand. The man behind the project, Andrew Mackenzie, says: "We will be using two bespoke pot-stills to produce high quality gin, vodka, and a single malt whisky. We are also keen to produce an American style grain whiskey and experiment with other spirits such as rum, along with mixers and bitters”.

"During the past 20 years South America, the Far East and the Indian sub-continent have been draining Scotland of its single malt stocks. The United States has seen an explosion in craft distilling in recent years, not dissimilar to the growth seen in the real ale sector in the UK”.

"Closer to home Scotland has seen a number of new and previously moth-balled distilleries spring into life. Consumers are also expressing more interest in where produce originates from and in that sense Seven Kingdom will be a true grain-to-bottle distillery producing unique handcrafted spirits”.

"We shall use as many natural local resources as possible and we look forward to seeing the first spirit run shortly after we take delivery of the stills from a German manufacturer later this year. We are dedicated to producing something the Isle of Man can be proud of with pure ingredients to produce premium spirits”.

"We plan to visit the still manufacturers in late summer and their consultancy office and distillery in Chicago before the stills arrive. But for the moment there is much else to do involving our architect, Planning, and Customs and Excise and other Government departments.

"When we are up and running Seven Kingdom will be inviting local people and visitors to the distillery for tours, master classes, and tasting events. In addition to this we intend to offer educational visits to students focusing on the science of distilling and the impact of alcohol. Ahead of launch more information is available from our landing site www.sevenkingdomdistillery.com

Originally moving to the Isle of Man in 1999 to work in the finance sector, after becoming disillusioned with his work after the banking crisis Andrew was determined to turn his passion and collection of whisky into his work.

Andrew added, "We’ve a lot of work ahead of us however we have a determined team behind us and I’ve been encouraged by the enthusiasm of both private sector and Government departments assisting in this project. I hope people will see this as placing the Isle of Man in the forefront of a luxury market with international recognition, also creating jobs and revenue for the island”.

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