Grasmere Distillery, based on the shores of Grasmere in the Lake District, will begin small-scale malting on site from autumn 2026 as it works towards producing the first whisky made entirely from Cumbrian ingredients. The distillery’s co-founder and head distiller, Paul Abbott, has planted the operation’s first barley crop in collaboration with Thistlewood Farm near Carlisle, with harvest expected in August 2026.
The initial yield of eight tonnes of Laureate barley will allow the team to produce malt for both brewing and early whisky experimentation. The distillery plans to trial varying levels of peat influence to develop a distinctive house style.
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Farmer Jonathan Bainbridge of Thistlewood Farm, a third-generation grower with over 35 years’ experience, is cultivating the Laureate variety for the first time. Laureate is a spring barley approved for both brewing and malt distilling, known for its high yields.
Bainbridge said: “South of Carlisle, we’ve got some good fertile soil and good-sized fields for producing crops. It’s an ideal place to trial this. We grow barley, wheat, and oats, but this is our first time growing Laureate barley in particular. It’s something people grow for the market for distilling, and it has all the attributes you need to make the whisky taste good, so it’ll be interesting to see how it does – here’s to the first bottle.”
The distillery has invested approximately £10,000 in new equipment, including a stainless-steel immersion tank, a mash tun with heat jacket control, and augers for handling malt. A bespoke kiln, built in collaboration with a local blacksmith, will enable the traditional malting process to be completed entirely on site.
Each harvest will yield up to four barrels of whisky. The first releases are expected after a minimum six-year maturation period, placing the earliest bottles around 2032. In the meantime, malt-forward beers produced from the distillery’s own barley are expected to be available later in 2026.
The longer-term ambition is to work with growers across Cumbria’s six distinct regions to create a series of whiskies reflecting local terroir. Since launching gin and vodka in 2022, co-founders Paul and Beth Abbott have reinvested revenues to expand production at what remains one of the UK’s smallest distilleries.
Abbott said: “Malting Cumbrian-grown barley here in Grasmere is a huge step towards creating something genuinely rooted in this place. By using Cumbrian water and locally grown barley, we’re aiming to produce a whisky that truly reflects the landscape it comes from. It won’t be about volume; it’ll be about character — small-batch, hands-on, and unmistakably Cumbrian.”
