Copper Rivet Distillery

Copper Rivet Distillery: a grain-to-bottle craft distillery in Chatham

Copper Rivet Distillery presents itself as Kent's only distillery working entirely from grain to bottle, located in the heart of Chatham's Royal Dockyard. The company makes whisky, gin and vodka with an approach that, according to its own description, respects tradition but seeks to push the boundaries in favour of flavour and smoothness. Its team, described as small but dedicated, produces small batches in stills designed and built in Chatham.

The distillery draws inspiration from the industrial past of its hometown, Chatham, once a global centre of shipbuilding, and links its activity to that tradition of craft and innovation.

Distillery products

Copper Rivet Distillery's range includes a variety of spirits and liqueurs, among which are:

• Vela Vodka: premium vodka made from a combination of wheat, barley and rye, with sweet, creamy notes and a lightly spiced finish.
• Dockyard Gin: a contemporary gin inspired by traditional naval gins, distilled in the patented copper still Janet with botanicals from around the world.
• Dockyard Vodka: a citrus-forward, light vodka, presented as the perfect complement to Dockyard Gin.
• Masthouse Single Malt (Signature): single malt whisky distilled in a copper pot still, made with Kentish grain and inspired by ship mast-making at the Royal Dockyard.
• Masthouse Single Malt Whisky (Reserve): a premium single malt version, with a smooth, elegant finish.
• Masthouse Grain Whisky: a single grain whisky combining three cereal varieties, with its characteristic smoothness and spiced complexity.
• Masthouse Guardian Edition Whisky: a special edition whisky.
• Son of a Gun: a new make grain spirit aged for only 8 weeks in ex-bourbon casks, with flavours of banana, tropical fruit and cereal.
• Son of the Sea: a cask-finished malt spirit.
• Son of a Gun Coffee: an English coffee liqueur made with locally roasted beans, cold brewed and blended with Kentish grain spirit.
• Dockyard Cherries and Berries Spirit Liqueur: a berry liqueur.
• Dockyard Gin – Damson: gin with damson plum, a tribute to Medway's heritage in growing and trading this fruit.
• Dockyard Gin – Strawberry (50CL): gin with whole fresh strawberries added, harvested the same day at a local farm.
• Dockyard Gin – Navy Strength: a high-strength expression, with a £5 contribution per bottle to the Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity.

Production process

The distillery describes a production method that begins with growing grain in Kent, often within a 20-mile radius of its facilities, in collaboration with local farmers. The grain is milled on site and mashed at low temperature with fresh water to maximise extraction without generating dry or harsh notes. Fermentation is lengthy, producing a fruity and powerful distiller's beer. Distillation is carried out at low temperature in stills designed specifically to achieve maximum smoothness and flavour extraction; the company states that its 40-plate, 10-metre-high hybrid still is unique, and that its gin still is the only patented one in the world. Masthouse whisky matures in selected casks and is filled at a lower alcohol level than usual for gentler maturation and a sweeter flavour. Blends and macerations are left to rest without haste.

Tours and experiences

Copper Rivet Distillery offers tours and experiences at its facilities, which include a bar and a restaurant. Among the featured experiences are the Masthouse whisky tasting and tour, the Dockyard Gin tasting experience and the distiller's whisky blending experience. The company describes itself as one of the few multidisciplinary grain-to-bottle distilleries in the United Kingdom.

Presence and contact

Location and contact

Pump House no. 5, Chatham Dockyard, Leviathan Way, Chatham ME4 4LP · Phone: 01634 931122