Ellers Farm, the North Yorkshire distillery co-owned by Ricky Gervais, has revealed its inaugural single malt.
Established in 2021, Ellers Farm Distillery is best known for making Dutch Barn vodka. They also produce Y Gin and a range of liqueurs. Gervais joined the company as co-owner in November 2023 following a ‘major’ but undisclosed investment from The Office star.
Founder Chris Fraser stresses that Ellers Farm’s association with Gervais isn’t a marketing gimmick and doesn’t distract from their goal to produce high quality spirit.
He said: “[We] didn’t start with a marketing brief. It started with the question: how do we make the best possible single malt in Yorkshire that can stand alongside the very best in the world?”
The distillery’s first foray into English whisky is called Three Ridings and takes its name from the three administrative areas of Yorkshire - East, North, and West -, called Ridings. It’s a fitting name for a whisky brand that draws upon Yorkshire’s rich heritage of brewing and farming expertise.
While the distillation, maturation and blending take place at Ellers Farm, the whisky makers have been able to take advantage of English whisky’s more relaxed production rules and collaborate with other local companies. As such, the barley malting, fermentation and brewing were done alongside Fawcett & Sons in Castleford, and T&R Theakston brewery in Masham.
Speaking on the project, chairman of T&R Theakston Simon Theakston said: “The development of Three Ridings single malt whisky has been a wonderful adventure, shared with our supremely talented partners, Ellers Farm Distillery and Thomas Fawcett & Sons, building on our near 200 years of brewing the finest Yorkshire beer here in Masham.
“Developing the wash for a new malt whisky is a natural extension of what we do every day and will enable us to extend our reach into this new and exciting market. We could not be any more proud than we are of our association with Three Ridings single malt whisky.”
A four-part documentary will also be released as part of the Three Ridings launch. Each episode will explore the different aspects of the whisky’s creation, shining a light on the people at the heart of the each step and the spirit of collaboration that made it all possible. The documentary will be available through the distillery’s social media channels and YouTube.
Returning to the whisky itself, Three Ridings is presented without tasting notes or much in the way of technical information. This serves two purposes: to let the whisky speak for itself; and to let the brand’s story play a central role.
What we do know is that the distillery utilises a long fermentation process, that normally results in a more floral, fruitier final whisky. Bourbon casks were also used to the mature the spirit. Three Ridings First Release will also be bottled at 57.9% ABV.
Only 1,000 individually numbered bottles are set to be released. To secure a bottle, interested parties must purchase The Evolution Collection on the distillery’s website.
Reflecting on Ellers Farm and the Three Ridings journey, Ricky Gervais said: “I love working with people who care more about doing something properly than doing it quickly. Three Ridings is the result of the pursuit of excellence, and I am very proud of what we have created.”
No formal launch date has been disclosed, Three Ridings First Release is scheduled to be released in the coming months.
