York Gin: Company to open new cocktail bar, distillery and visitor attraction in the old Boots store in the Coppergate Centre, creating 12 jobs

The Distillery will house an interactive visitor attraction, a high-end cocktail bar, and will actually make gin in a beautiful copper and steel still. It will also offer gin tasting, gin making and cocktail making classes. A shop will sell the full York Gin range.

It is the brainchild of the York Gin Company whose range of gins have won gold medals at the world’s top spirits competitions, and whose internationally famous shop on Pavement has been crowned one of York’s best.

Coppergate has become one of the most exciting parts of central York, close to the Jorvik Viking Centre, department store Fenwick and Clifford’s Tower.

Bosses at York Gin are busy creating the three-floor attraction in the old Boots store. The artificial ceiling has been removed, revealing a ten-metre, cathedral-like structure. The Distillery will be on three floors, with the shop, gin experience and distillery on the huge first floor the 200-cover bar on the second floor and space for classes and experiences on the third floor.

Marketing Director Emma Godivala: "We want The Distillery to be so brilliant that it attracts people to come to York - like the Minster, the Jorvik Viking Centre and the walls.

"The Gin Lane experience will take visitors through the incredible story of gin with the sights, sounds and smells of its history from the last 300 years. It will be a go-to experience.

"The Distillery Cocktail Bar will be the place in York to enjoy a range of gin and other cocktails and paired dishes. The interactive classes will build on our reputation for brilliant, fun and fascinating activities for people to do with their friends. The shop will be the place to buy world-class gin and top quality York-made souvenirs. All in all, we’re really excited to extend York’s reputation as a brilliant and interesting place to visit with a truly top class attraction right in the heart of the city."

The company wants to encourage the local population to enjoy The Distillery and it will be offering schemes for residents to enjoy cut-price admission and offers, as well as residents nights and opportunities for local artists and musicians to display and perform.

"We want The Distillery to make a major contribution to the continuing success of York. And we want to share our success with the city, " said Ms Godivala.

The Distillery is set to create around 10-12 new full time jobs and up to 20 part time, and will be open seven days a week.

York Gin has been working with York-based Native Architects, local construction firm TekContracting, as well as other local businesses including Haywards Electric, Millers of Haxby and PurePallets so far.

Ms Godivala added: "It’s absolutely vital to us to support and celebrate other local businesses - so whenever we have any work that needs doing, we always try to find someone York or Yorkshire-based."