Distillery Insight

In The Welsh Wind

“Matured in the finest quality first-fill casks, our traditional handmade techniques create award-winning whiskies with genuine character”

Distillery Insight: In the Welsh Wind

Based in Tanygroes, just north of Cardigan on the west coast of Wales, In the Welsh Wind is one of the most interesting names in the modern Welsh whisky story.

The distillery has built its reputation on small-batch spirits, Welsh provenance and a distinctive grain-to-glass whisky project, using locally grown barley, traditional floor malting and on-site production to create whisky with a genuine sense of place.

They also joined us at this year’s Summerton Whisky Festival, where their whisky proved a real point of interest for members and festival guests keen to explore the new wave of Welsh whisky.

In Their Own Words

Sometimes taking the fork in the road provides the answers without asking the question. For us, this led to a long walk around Wales. 1,047 miles to be precise, which connects together 870 miles of beautiful Welsh coast path with Offa’s Dyke the historic border that runs from Chepstow to Chester. Although the distillery itself didn’t come to life for a few more years after our walk, this adventure was most certainly the catalyst for In the Welsh Wind Distillery.

Over the three months of our adventure, we found time to talk, dream and believe again. Wild nights camping on beaches and cliff tops joined together with hard miles, proved to quiet and simplify our existence enough for us to see where we might go next.

We now find ourselves running the distillery, producing bespoke spirits for businesses in the premium drinks industry. We are able to politely close the rule book of tradition and wade into all that is new and undiscovered in the world of craft distilling.

The In the Welsh Wind Distillery at Tanygroes sits surrounded by woodland and fields – we grow barley for our whisky out front – yet enjoy easy to access from the main A487 coast road that runs north to south down the edge of Wales, close to the route we once walked!

Based 5 miles north of Cardigan, in a former pub (the Gogerddan Arms) on the main A487 coast road between Aberystwyth and Haverfordwest, we specialise in creating bespoke spirits tailored to you in our copper pot stills Meredith and Afanc and our state of the art 5,000 litre whisky still.

Every spirit we create is unique because of our truly small batch and individual approach. We produce and sell our own, award-winning, In the Welsh Wind and Eccentric Spirits ranges. We are also (Summer 2023) the only distillery in Wales producing a 100% grain to glass single malt Welsh whisky crafted from locally grown grain which is malted, distilled and matured on site.

From a Welsh Walk to Welsh Whisky

The founding story of In the Welsh Wind feels unusually well suited to whisky. It begins not with a business plan, but with a journey around Wales. That 1,047-mile walk connected the Welsh Coast Path with Offa’s Dyke, giving the founders time to think, reset and imagine a different future.

What followed was a distillery shaped by movement, landscape and a willingness to step away from the expected route. Today, that spirit still runs through the business. In the Welsh Wind produces its own award-winning spirits, works with other premium drinks brands, and continues to push at what Welsh craft distilling can become.

A Distillery with a Sense of Place

The distillery is based at the former Gogerddan Arms in Tanygroes, a few miles north of Cardigan. It sits close to the A487 coastal road, surrounded by fields and woodland, with barley for whisky grown close to the site.

Inside, production combines copper pot stills Meredith and Afanc with a 5,000 litre whisky still, allowing the team to produce small-batch spirits while developing a serious Welsh whisky programme.

The visitor experience is also part of the appeal. In the Welsh Wind welcomes visitors to its shop and offers tours, tastings and gin-making experiences, making it a worthwhile stop for anyone exploring the west Wales coast.

Welsh Whisky, Genuinely Welsh

One of the most compelling parts of the In the Welsh Wind story is its commitment to Welsh origin whisky.

The distillery uses locally grown Welsh barley, malted on site in small batches using traditional floor malting techniques. It also mashes in on green grain, a process the distillery believes helps preserve more of the local grain character in the finished spirit.

That attention to origin matters. It moves the conversation beyond whisky that is simply distilled in Wales, towards whisky that reflects Welsh agriculture, Welsh production and the landscape around the distillery.

Why It Matters

Welsh whisky is still a young category compared with Scotland and Ireland, but producers like In the Welsh Wind show why that youth can be an advantage.

There is room to experiment. Room to ask what local barley, green malt, west Wales maturation and small-batch production can bring to the glass. Room to build tradition rather than simply inherit it.

For Summerton members who enjoy whisky with a strong sense of place, In the Welsh Wind is a distillery worth watching closely.