At Far Shore Merchants, we take immense pride in the fact that our rums are distilled by The Cornish Distilling Company, under the expert guidance of Tom Read, Head Distiller. What sets this partnership apart is not only Tom’s unrivalled skill as a distiller, but also the shared values that run through both our businesses: authenticity, sustainability, and a deep respect for craft.

Sustainability at the Heart of Distilling

From day one, The Cornish Distilling Company has been built around a commitment to the environment. Unlike many spirits producers, our rums are made entirely from scratch—fermented, distilled, and bottled in Cornwall. That ethos of doing things properly extends to the way the distillery powers its operations:

100% Electric Distillery – The entire site is run on electricity, powered primarily by a large on-site wind turbine that consistently generates more electricity than the distillery uses, feeding the surplus back into the national grid.

Supplemented by Solar – When the North Cornish winds occasionally still, solar power fills the gap, ensuring energy resilience and renewable consistency.

Borehole Water for Fermentation – The distillery makes use of natural boreholes on site, keeping production self-sufficient and minimising environmental impact.

Closed-Loop Cooling System – Their distillation process uses an innovative closed-loop system that dramatically reduces water waste during cooling.

Carbon Reduction – Since its installation, the wind turbine alone has prevented more than 2,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere (a figure now likely closer to 2,500 tonnes).

This isn’t sustainability as an afterthought—its sustainability engineered into the very DNA of the distillery.

British-Made, From Scratch

Most “British” rums are imported as bulk spirit and simply blended or bottled in the UK. At The Cornish Distilling Company, everything begins with raw molasses and is fermented, distilled, and crafted on-site. That means when you enjoy a Far Shore Merchants rum, you are drinking one of the few genuinely British-made rums—a spirit that reflects both place and purpose.

Shared Values, Shared Future

At Far Shore Merchants, we chose The Cornish Distilling Company because they reflect our own values: respect for tradition, innovation rooted in science, and a fierce commitment to sustainability. Together, we are proud to be setting new standards for what it means to be a British distillery in the 21st century—proving that craft and conscience can, and should, go hand in hand.

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