First refillable whisky shop in England comes to Salisbury

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.