DRY gin distilled in the Cotswolds will be spiriting its way to New York this Easter now that the company has entered the US market.

The Cotswold Distillery, owned by former hedge fund manager Dan Szor, has signed an agreement with US importer MHW Ltd and will begin selling its flagship dry gin across the Pond within a few months.

“We are very excited to be bringing our gin to my hometown of New York so soon after its highly successful UK launch. The US market represents a significant opportunity for our firm and New York is a great place to start, given the appreciation of craft spirits, ultra-premium products in general and “Made in England” in particular.

"Our natural, unfiltered dry gin is a unique product and we believe it will go down a treat, especially with bartenders and 'mixologists' who are looking for superior quality and a unique flavour and back story," he said.

Located on a five-acre site, a Stourton, near Shipston, The Cotswolds Distillery is the first craft distillery in the Cotswolds region and started production of its whisky, Cotswolds Single Malt, using local barley, and its dry gin last September.

The first world-wide launch of the whisky is planned in two years time.

The distillery has also started a launch plan into the European market through the completion of two European export deals with distributors in Germany and Belgium launching Cotswolds Dry Gin into the market. Maison du Whisky in Paris will also be launching Cotswolds Dry Gin into the French market this spring.

John Beaudette, of MHW Ltd, one of the oldest spirits importers in the USA said: “We are delighted to be working with the Cotswolds Distillery on the US launch of their wonderful new gin. This new and iconic brand has achieved amazing success and recognition in the UK in a very short time and we are certain it will go far in New York and

other major markets across the US.”

As a native New Yorker and hedge fund manager, Mr Szor fell in love with the Cotswolds during his many family weekends spent escaping the stress of London city living.

He caught the distilling bug during an annual pilgrimage to the Isle if Islay where he purchased his first cask of whisky from the Bruichladdich Distillery.

He decided to settle in the Cotswolds and brew his own whiskey and gin after seeing crops of barley.

“I suddenly thought, there’s barley all over the Cotswolds and nobody’s distilling it, let’s be the first," he said.

He bought an old barn conversion and attended Heriot Watt University to sit a dedicated distilling course. A team of passionate experts, including a brewer, botanist, distiller, master distiller and wood ageing consultant was then appointed and the distilling began.

And being eco-conscientious, he made the commitment to ensure that all stages, from the growth of raw ingredients, to the malting, mashing and distilling take place in the Cotswolds.

The barley comes from farms only a few miles away, the malt less than 50 miles away and and the Cotswolds gin has the inclusion of locally foraged botanical ingredients.