First refillable whisky shop in England comes to Salisbury

Friday, 3 September 2021 01:00

Artisan Wine and Spirit Co. are the first refillable whisky shop in England, says owner Elizabeth Coombes.

The Salisbury wine and spirit shop stocks 5 straight-from-cask single malt whiskies which whisky lovers can buy in 100 or 200ml refillable bottles.

The alcohol is stored in glass demijohns, each one filled with a different whisky.

“Whisky straight from the cask is cask strength, which means that they haven't been diluted down to the usual alcohol percentage of 40%. They range between 53 and 64%.

"Neither have they been chill-filtered which means that they retain their natural colour picked up from the barrel in which they have been aged. With some whiskies this results in a darkish pink colour if they have been aged in a cask that's previously held a ruby port,” Elizabeth explained.

Artisan Wine and Spirit Co. have access to 300 casks of unique whiskies which Elizabeth says can’t be found in a bottle anywhere else.

“Each time one of our demijohns empties, we will refill it with a completely different one. Our selection covers all styles and regions, all different sorts of cask finishes and flavour profiles.

“The idea is that we can supply zero-waste single malt whiskies to the customer. They simply buy a 100 or 200ml reusable bottle, try a whisky, bring the bottle back and refill it with a different one. It's a great way of trying a whole range of unique whiskies both sustainably and affordably and means that you don't have to commit to what could be a £75 or more bottle.”

So far, the shop says the whiskies have proved a massive hit, with 3 new whiskies arriving today (3rd September).

“At the moment we have Caol Ila, a 10 Year Old Islay whisky aged in Virgin Oak casks for peaty-style whisky lovers. A Mannochmore 11 YO Speyside aged in Marsala Barriques (for drinkers who prefer something at the other end of the spectrum - more feminine, elegant, lighter flavoured). A Dailuaine 12-year-old Speyside aged in Pedro Ximinez sherry casks, Glenkinchie 13-Year-Old Lowland aged in ruby port barriques, and a Linkwood 11YO Speyside aged in hogsheads.

“Today we will receive a different type of Mannochmore, a 13-year-old Auchrois aged in Virgin oak and a Glenkinchie 11-year-old aged in Tokaji barrels which is super exciting,” added Elizabeth.

Find the Artisan Wine and Spirit Co. at 5 Winchester Street Salisbury.