And the Hooting Owl and Curious Cat Distillery in Rougier Street is also marking the event with a massive giveaway.
The popular venue in the former Society Lounge and Bar is today (Friday) launching the Hooting Owl York Gin.
It is called Hooting Owl York Gin, to avoid any confusion with York Gin, who also operate locally, have a shop on Pavement and will be opening a distillery at Middletons Hotel next week.
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Hooting Owl relocated from Barmby Moor to Rougier Street last year, with a £400,000-plus investment delivering plus lounges, bars, shop and visitors’ centre.
The Hooting Owl York Gin is 42 per cent ABV and contains Earl Grey, citrus and locally-sourced botanicals.
It adds to an extensive range of artisan gins from Hooting Owl, whose range includes gins named after the constituent parts of Yorkshire, plus fruit gins. In addition, Hooting Owl also makes vodka and rum.
The new gin comes in a specially engraved bottle and also allows a personal message to be engraved on it.
The special Hooting Owl York Gin (Image: Supplied)
Today from 5pm, the distillery is to give away 200 gin and tonics to celebrate the launch, as well as 100 discount VIP cards, which last until December 31 and give a 20 per cent discount on all Hooting Owl products.
Looking back on the distillery’s first year in York, owner Dominic M’Benga says the year has been “really, really good.”
He told the Press: “We are 30 per cent up on what we expected, The months keep getting better, even during January, February and March. We were still busy. We are also getting all five-star reviews on TripAdvisor and Google.”
People are coming to York specifically just to visit the distillery and enjoy its tasting trails, which are fully booked.
Recently-launched afternoon teas, delivered in partnership with Scranny McPhee, and featuring the distillery’s Earl Grey Gin, served in a teapot, are also doing well.
A new booking system will be launched next week to allow people to book tables as sometimes regulars and locals cannot get one.
Next, Hooting Owl is looking at options to double its floorspace in the city.
And as Dominic told a York Press LOCALiQ business networking event at York St John University last August, one day he hopes to create ten small-scale distilleries, suggesting possible locations in Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester.
However, any new distilleries will be something for 2026 to consider.
In the meantime, Hooting Owl has just launched an initiative to give some free stock to small independent hospitality venues to try out the distillery’s artisan products.
