ARDGOWAN BREAKS GROUND ON £20M CARBON-NEGATIVE WHISKY DISTILLERY

Distil plc (AIM:DIS), owner of premium drinks brands RedLeg Spiced Rum, Blackwoods Gin and Vodka, TRØVE Botanical Vodka and Blavod Black Vodka, is pleased to note that Ardgowan Distillery Company Limited ("Ardgowan") has broken ground on the first phase of its £20 million (US$24.6m) whisky distillery.

Inverkeithing based Muir Construction will deliver the first build phase which is expected to last 12 months and will see the completion of the distillery's main production elements, including core groundworks, steelwork, and distillation equipment, enabling Ardgowan to begin producing its own spirit from 2024.

The ambitious plans for the new net-zero distillery include cutting-edge technologies and partnerships with new technology developers to deliver a truly carbon-neutral spirit. The distillery has partnered with Heriot-Watt University and engineers Briggs of Burton to develop technology to capture all the CO₂ in its fermentation process and transform it into green biomethane - a technique which has never been used in a Scotch whisky distillery before. The distillery has plans to use the green biomethane to heat both the whisky and gin stills.

Commissioning of the gin still has been delayed due to the need to change some of the instruments, however Distil is working closely with the Ardgowan team to monitor progress with the aim of distilling the first Blackwoods at Ardgowan as soon as possible.

Martin McAdam, CEO, Ardgowan, said:

"It's been almost seven years in the planning, but now, finally, we have started construction.

When embarking on this project, we wanted to take time ensure that we were able to partner with the highest calibre engineers and incorporate the very latest technologies to ensure that we were minimising our impact on the environment.

Muir has been integral in constructing some of the finest Scotch Whisky distilleries open today and are at the forefront of several pioneering Scottish sustainability projects. We welcome their expertise as we embark on the first major phase of our state-of-the-art distillery."

Don Goulding, Executive Chairman, Distil, said:

"We congratulate the team on reaching this significant project milestone. We know that a lot of diligent planning has gone into the project to get to this point, and we support the team's unwavering commitment to reaching its carbon-negative goals.

Blackwoods Gin will begin to be distilled at the Ardgowan site in the near future, marking another significant milestone, and we look forward to seeing the site evolve over the coming months."

Muir Construction, part of Muir Group, is established in distillery construction, previously working with a number of major distillery companies, including William Grant & Sons, Distell and Glenmorangie. They have also worked on a number of key sustainability projects, including the Queens Quay Energy Centre in Glasgow and Celtic Renewables.

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