Salford Distillery launches its first ever gin

Harley Young 3 February 2026

The team behind Salford Rum are stepping into new territory

Salford Rum is branching out but staying true to its Northern working-class roots, launching its first ever gin under the very fitting brand name ‘Salford Gin’.

Born from the backstreets of industrial Salford, Salford Gin - the Distillery’s very first gin - takes a further step back in time from the famous docks, when the city was shaped by mills, factories and the people who worked in them. During the industrial revolution, workers brewed and distilled at home in the cramped ‘blind backs’ of Salford - single-room houses with no rear windows, proving creativity and intuition know no boundaries.

Crafted in small batches at Salford Distillery, the new spirit is a classic London Dry Gin, distilled to 40%, telling the tale of industrial Salford by incorporating warming notes of willow bark and lemon balm to give it a long, smooth finish.

Willow bark plays a particularly meaningful role in the recipe. Long before brick and smoke defined the skyline, willow trees lined the banks of the River Irwell, giving rise to the very name ‘Salford’.

Tommy Gaughan, co-founder of Salford Distillery said: “We are incredibly proud to branch out into gin - another spirit that captures the essence of local history and tells a story of the city’s fascinating past. Rum told the story of the docks. Gin takes us further back to the role Salford played in the country’s Industrial Revolution. This shows up on the bottle as a reminder of the responsibility we feel in telling Salford’s story on a national stage.”

The story continues in the design of the bottle, featuring the brand’s signature map illustration made by local artist Dave Draws, but this time from the perspective of Manchester looking across the Irwell into Salford.

Keep an out for the launch, happening this Sunday at 8pm on www.salforddistillery.com.

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