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Policy & Regulation

English Whisky Secures Protected Geographical Indication Status

English Whisky has gained protected status, recognising it as a distinctive whisky category. Producers must first complete HMRC verification to benefit.

Stephen Grindley - Managing Director, Alcohol Ltd
1 min read
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English Whisky has secured protected Geographical Indication (GI) status, Defra announced on 11 September 2026. The recognition marks a welcome milestone for producers, establishing English Whisky as a distinctive category alongside Scotch, Welsh and Irish whiskies.1

Recognition for a growing sector

The English Whisky Guild led the application on behalf of its member distilleries. More than 70 distilleries now produce English whisky, compared with 46 in 2023, and bottles are exported to more than 30 countries.1

According to industry estimates cited by Defra, maturing stocks held in casks across England are worth around £1 billion.1

What producers need to do

Producers must first be verified under HMRC’s Spirit Drink Verification Scheme to take advantage of the new protected status.1

Source

1
GOV.UK: English Whisky raises a glass to new protected status

Defra announcement published 11 September 2026

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/english-whisky-raises-a-glass-to-new-protected-status

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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