• You can order directly through our website.
• Simply select your chosen spirit, add to cart, and follow the checkout steps.
• If you’re local, you can also arrange to collect from the distillery select this option at check out.

• Yes! You can add a gift note at checkout, and we’ll handwrite it for that extra personal touch.
• In return, we simply ask you to consider making a small donation to either the Great Bustard Group or our Rewilding Juniper Fund, two causes close to our heart.
• For corporate or bespoke gifting, just drop us a line we’d be delighted to help.

• If your order hasn’t been dispatched yet, we’ll do our best to amend it.
• Email us at info@downtondistillery.com as soon as possible with your order number and the correction needed.

• All orders are shipped using Royal Mail’s new Signed and Tracked 24 or 48-hour service.
• For orders of more than two bottles, we use FedEx to ensure safe and timely delivery, typically within 24 to 48 hours.

• Yes, once your order has shipped, you’ll receive a tracking link via email.
• If you haven’t received it or have any issues, just get in touch.

• First, check your tracking email to see where your parcel is, it’s often the quickest way to get an update.
• If it still hasn’t arrived after 5 working days, please get in touch and we’ll look into it straight away.
• Royal Mail and FedEx should leave a "missed you" card if they’ve attempted delivery.
• They’ll try up to three times before holding your parcel at the nearest depot or sorting office for collection.
• If it’s not collected in time, the parcel will be returned to us, but don’t worry, we’ll help get it back to you.

• If you’re nearby and would prefer to collect from the distillery, select “local pickup” at checkout.
• We will contact you to organise a collection time.

We’re so sorry to hear that! While we take great care in packing every order, accidents can occasionally happen in transit. If your order arrives damaged, please follow these steps:

• Refuse to sign for the goods when delivered.
• Take an image with the delivery person of the damaged item(s) and the packaging as soon as possible.
• Email us at info@downtondistillery.com within 48 hours of the attempted delivery.
• Be sure to include your order number, a brief description of the issue, and the photos.
• We’ll review the case and arrange a replacement or refund promptly, depending on your preference.
  

Your satisfaction (and a full bottle) matters to us, so we’ll sort it quickly and with care.

• We love a good refill and we love reusing even more.
• Every refill pack comes with a pre-paid returns label.
• Just stick it over your address label and pop it back in the post no charge, no fuss.
• Got empty bottles? Wrap them up, pop them in a box, and write “Freepost Downton Distillery” on the front.
• We'll clean them, refill them, and send them back into the wild, less waste, more taste.

• We currently offer a curated range of spirits, including Explorer’s Gin, Great Bustard Gin, and seasonal or limited-edition releases.
• Introducing Orchard Spirits a collection of Eau de Vies born from local collaborations, where orchard waste is re-imagined into vibrant, sustainable spirits.
• Availability may vary some batches are small and sell out fast!

• Yes! Our refill packs are designed to reduce waste and help you reuse your original bottle. They’re made from recyclable materials and fit through most letterboxes for easy delivery.
• Send them back to us using the 'Free Post Service.'
• All refills are then reused which allows us to lower the cost to you.
• We do not offer this service for our Hazelnut Vodka or Nocino.

• All refills contain 700ml of spirit.
• We do not offer our Flight Strength Gin as a refill yet (500ml)

• All of our gins are vegan-friendly and gluten-free.
• We don’t use any animal products in our distillation or bottling process.

• Explorer's Gin contains Pink Pepper and Ruby Grapefruit.
• Hazelnut Vodka contains hazelnuts.
• Nocino contains walnuts.

• Where possible, yes.
• Some of them are growing outside the distillery or within the local area of the distillery (Vineyard, Walnut Trees and Fig Trees).
• Others are sourced from local suppliers.
• Sadly spices can not be grown locally but come from reputable suppliers.
• Our Marc uses locally grown grapes from Domaine Hugo, our home.
• Our Pommeau and Eau de Vie use apples grown by Cranborne Chase Cider.
• Our Walnuts are sourced outside the distillery and from Cranborne Chase.
• Our Damsons are also sourced locally within Cranborne Chase.

• Then you’d better cosy up to our newsletter, it's the only place they live. No codes hidden under bottle caps or whispered in the wind… just good old-fashioned newsletters.
  
  

• We take a holistic approach from refillable packaging and recycled glass bottles to supporting local biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions.
• Our working waste is also put into a circular economy, where pallets are turned into furniture, botanicals into jams.
• Every decision is made with environmental impact in mind.

• Yes, through our refill model, local ingredient sourcing, and small-batch production, we aim to reduce waste and close resource loops wherever possible.
• Our pallets get made into furniture through Mule Bar.
• Spent botanicals either go towards jams or used for compost back into the vineyard or botanical garden.
• Our water comes from our own spring and goes back through our seep.

• Our refill packs allow customers to reuse their existing bottles, reducing glass waste.
• They’re recyclable and fit through standard letterboxes making it easier to enjoy gin with a lighter footprint.
• You send them back to us, using our Free-post service and we re-use them.

Don’t bin your bottle refill it instead! You can top up your Downton Distillery bottle at the following refill locations:

• Downton Brewery (Downton Industrial Estate)
  
• Salisbury - Regent Tailoring (73 New Street)
  
• Old Sarum - Dark Revolution Brewery
  
• Devizes - Healthy Life

Refilling helps reduce waste and keeps the spirit flowing, cheers to that!

• By choosing refill packs, recycling your packaging, and spreading the word about our conservation partners like the Great Bustard Group and the Rewilding Juniper Fund, you become part of the change with every sip.

• Do not buy a glass bottle!
• Instead purchase a refill (cheaper) and use that beautiful decanter!

• Explorer's Gin uses 45% recycled glass
• Great Bustard uses 50% recycled glass
• GB Flight Strength uses 100% recycled glass
• All vodka bottles use 100% recycled glass
• Our refills use 100% recycled materials.

This is a great question, while B Corp certification is respected and increasingly popular, many brands—including small, sustainable, and ethical ones—choose not to pursue it.

• High Costs – Certification fees (plus reassessments every 3 years) can be steep, especially for small or independent brands.
• Time-Consuming – Gathering evidence, tracking metrics, and completing the application takes serious admin bandwidth. Most companies outsourcing this to third parties to do the work for them.
• Legal Restructuring – In the UK, you may need to change your Articles of Association—something not all companies want to do.
• Better Alternatives Exist – Other certifications (like Green Small Business, Soil Association, or Fairtrade) can be a better fit.
• Impact Over Accreditation – Some brands prefer to invest in real action rather than audits and scoring systems.
• Credibility Concerns – there have been several incidents where questionable practices has led some to question B Corp’s consistency.

• We are Small Green Business Certified
• Ethically Credited by the 'Good Shopping Guide'
• Members of the SME Climate Hub

• You purchase direct from us at the distillery.
• Please contact us at info@downtondistillery.com or call 07825 528255 if you would like to come up.
• This allows us to ensure some one will be at the distillery and that you have not wasted a journey.

• We’re nestled on the beautiful Wiltshire Downs, just outside the village of Downton at the top of Wick Lane.
• Directions and parking details are provided upon booking.

• Tours run during the warmer months, spring through to early autumn.
• The distillery gets a bit too brisk in winter (think icebox, not ice bucket), so we pause tours until things warm up again.
• If in doubt, just ask James May, he’ll tell you exactly how cold it gets up here!

• Tours can be booked directly through our store or via the calendar of events.
• New dates are always being added to the calendar.
• If a date is not showing, or you’d like to arrange a private group or bespoke experience, just get in touch at info@downtondistillery.com
• We are always happy to tailor something special.

Short Tours:

• 2hrs
• £30 per person
• Min 4 people - Max 12 people

Long Tours:

• 4 hrs
• £50 per person
• Min 4 people - Max 12 people

Gin Master Class

• 4hrs
• £150 per still (two)
• Min 2 people - Max 4 people

• You’ll enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at our distillery, learn about our distillation process, botanicals, and sustainability efforts and of course, there will be lots of tasting involved.
• Each tour will be different according to other experiences you may have had at other distilleries.
• We want you to learn something new, whilst making it fun.

• Can’t find a date that works? Don’t panic, just drop us a line at info@downtondistillery.com and we’ll help you find one that does.

• Yes, free parking is available on-site.
• The final stretch is a farm track, so drive slowly and enjoy the view.

• The distillery is part working farm, part gin haven.
• So we recommend sensible shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.

• The Great Bustard is one of the world’s heaviest flying birds and once roamed the Wiltshire Downs.
• Declared extinct in the UK by the early 1800s, it’s now making a remarkable comeback thanks to conservation efforts, led by the Great Bustard Group.
• There are 50 birds on the Downs, but the 2024 breeding numbers have yet to be released - I hope and wish for 75.
• They are graceful, highly social and as a Wiltshire icon, it’s the perfect symbol for our gin with purpose.

• You can book tours through the Great Bustard Group.
• Tours last 2 hrs and cost £25.
• We highly recommend seeing them, more so if you catch them flying.
• The charity also has a shop at Enford Hall.
• You might also see Gertrude a lone female bustard at Stonehenge.

• Exactly that. We’ve selected botanicals that mirror parts of the Great Bustard’s natural foraging diet, including herbs and plants found on the Downs, giving the gin a truly local and wild character.
• These include yarrow, wild rocket, dandelion leaf, red clover and alfalfa.
• Alfalfa is known as Luceren, its the pea sprouts you find in your salad bags.

• By simply buying a bottle, using our refill packs, or donating directly to the Great Bustard Group or Rewilding Juniper Fund.
• You’re not just enjoying gin, you’re helping protect the wild beauty of Wiltshire and leaving a legacy for the future.
• If you are a land owner and would like to help with either the Great Bustards or Rewilding Juniper - please contact us at info@downtondistillery.com.

• Juniper is a key botanical in gin and a keystone species in chalk grassland ecosystems.
• Sadly, it’s in decline across the UK due to habitat loss and poor germination.
• We're working to rewild juniper on the Wiltshire Downs, planting saplings, protecting biodiversity, and restoring native flavour to the land.

• We focus on south facing chalk-rich soils with good drainage perfect conditions for juniper to thrive.
• Each site is carefully assessed to support long-term growth and biodiversity, often surrounded by wildflowers.
• This why the vineyard is ideal for these plants.

• Juniper is a slow-growing and delicate plant one that comes with both patience and a price.
• A single sapling can cost anywhere from £15 to £1,200 for a mature specimen.
• So far, we've established four juniper groves, each with around thirty plants.
• Our oldest and most established were rewilded this year at Old Compton, while two others grow along the boundaries of Botley Farm, surrounding the distillery.
• Just recently, we planted a new nursery of 29 saplings in the botanical garden. These will mature in safety before being reintroduced to the Downs.
• Unlike many crops, juniper can't be cultivated or tamed it must be left to grow wild, and sadly, not every plant survives.
• We're always on the lookout for new, protected spaces to re-establish groves especially away from grazing animals, which can undo years of growth in a single nibble.
• If you would like to help us please contact us at info@downtondistillery.com

• Our tours often include a visit to the juniper grove at the distillery.
• To see the bustards in the wild, you can book a guided tour with the Great Bustard Group it’s a rare and unforgettable experience.

• They have and not only did they survive, they came back for seconds.
• Our gins have been reviewed by everyone from gin bloggers and spirits judges to curious locals and the occasional unsuspecting relative.
• One even said it was “alarmingly smooth for something that strong.”
• We’ll take that as a win.
• Fancy being the next to test it? We dare you.

• Technically? One.
• Emotionally? All of us including the still, the gin elves (always on strike), and occasionally the post lady when she stays for a chat.
• It’s a small but mighty crew fueled by caffeine, botanicals, and blind optimism.

• Downton Distillery is proud to support a range of charities that reflect our values of conservation, community, and service.
• We work with the Great Bustard Conservation Group to help reintroduce this iconic bird to Salisbury Plain.
• With TUSK to protect endangered African wildlife.
• The Buffalo Foundation empowers disadvantaged communities through sport and education.
• While Naval Wings preserves the history and legacy of naval aviation.
• We also contribute to Great Ormond Street Hospital, supporting life-changing care for seriously ill children.
• Through these partnerships, we aim to give back, protect the natural world, and make a positive difference well beyond our distillery.

• Neither of our gins have been show cased by the Craft Gin Club.
• Explorer's Gin was show cased by the Winchester Gin Club.

• The distillery has only run one crowdfunding campaign to raise funds during lock down so we could continue producing hand sanitiser for local communities and schools at a time when it was desperately needed.

• Yes and he still hasn’t forgiven us for how cold it was that day. True story. Ask him about it.

• Maybe. Maybe not. Let's just say we’re always working on new recipes but they only make it to bottle if they pass the “juniper grin” test.

• You can order our spirits directly through the Downton Distillery website, where we ship across the UK.
• Prefer to shop in person? You’ll find our gins stocked at select independent retailers, farm shops, and specialist drinks stores across the South West including Regent Tailoring (Salisbury), Dark Revolution (Old Sarum), and Healthy Life (Devizes).
• We also pop up at seasonal fairs, local events, and markets, so keep an eye on our newsletter and socials to see where we’ll be pouring next.

• One minute you're the darling of the shelf, the next you're replaced by a novelty vodka with glitter in it. That's retail, tastes shift, trends change, and shelf space is always in demand.
• If your favourite local shop has stopped stocking our spirits, don’t panic it’s not a breakup, just a temporary reshuffle.
• Feel free to give them a nudge with a friendly, “Oi, where’s the Downton gin?” We’re always open to a reunion.

• Alas, not this time. But fear not!
• We will be at the smaller Salisbury Christmas market outside the town hall.