At Copper Rivet Distillery in Chatham, Kent, whisky begins with a vision and an homage, not a marketing brief. The family-owned distillery works out of Pumphouse No. 5 in the historic naval dockyard, a restored Victorian building that once helped power Britain’s shipbuilding might and now houses stills instead of steam pumps.
When I spoke with co-founder Stephen Russell last week, he described a mission that feels both ambitious and very local. In his words, “we have this mission to make spirits so good that they put Chatham on the map as a centre of excellence for distilling.” That goal shapes everything from the way Copper Rivet sources grain to the way the team designs its own stills.
Copper Rivet’s Masthouse Whisky range sits inside a fast-growing English whisky scene. It stands out because the team talks less about casks and limited editions and more about distillate character, process control, and a house style that drinkers can recognize in the glass and recommend to a friend.
The Family Story Behind Copper Rivet And Why Chatham Matters
Copper Rivet began as a family project. Instead of one generation handing control to the next, father and sons built the business together. Stephen Russell told me, “We are a weird family business because it is a business that was started by two generations rather than us taking over from Dad.”
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The family already understood the drinks world. Stephen’s father had moved from running a wine bar to importing and wholesale, then into alcohol gifting for major brands. That background gave the family a clear view of how the industry works and what customers expect.
Their choice of location was personal. Chatham’s dockyard once powered Britain’s naval strength. Everything changed when the Royal Navy left in the early 1980s. The loss created long-term economic decline.
Stephen described Chatham as a place with an extraordinary past that few people appreciate today. “I can go on for days about Chatham’s place in English history,” he said, reflecting on the importance of the town and its people to Britain’s maritime accomplishments. So, in their distilling ventures, Stephen and his family wanted to bring the area back to prominence.
The restoration of Pumphouse No. 5 and the employment of locals reflect that commitment. It gives Copper Rivet a home that ties local history to modern distilling.
Grain To Glass As A Working Philosophy
Copper Rivet talks about grain-to-glass, but the team treats it as a technical framework rather than a marketing phrase. The starting point is always the spirit itself. Stephen Russell explained that “for us, it is all about the distillate,” and that every decision works backward from the flavor they want when the whisky runs off the still. That approach shapes each step, from mash design to fermentation length and final distillation strength.
The team works with local farmers and specifies the seed varieties they want grown, contributing to the local economy and to the sense of place that is so important to Copper Rivet’s whisky.
Copper Rivet wants drinkers to recognize the style, enjoy it neat, and come back to it because it feels consistent and honest.
Reinventing the Stills to Shape a Distinct House Style
The still house at Copper Rivet looks different from most whisky distilleries. The team designed and built its own equipment in Chatham, using local engineers and fabricators. Stephen Russell told me this was essential because they wanted stills that could deliver a very specific style. The goal was light, smooth, and approachable whisky driven by distillation choices.
Their pot still has an inclined lyne arm, which is markedly different from most other stills in the UK, most of which have declining lyne arms. This design forces heavier vapors to fall back and redistill until they reach the exact level of lightness the team wants. Stephen described the intent clearly. They want to make it “as hard as possible for that molecule of ethanol to get out of the still” unless it meets their target character.
Alongside the pot still sits a ten-meter hybrid column with forty copper plates. It rectifies the spirit for the signature single malt and produces a new make that is unusually refined for a malt whisky. Stephen calls the result “outrageously smooth” and jokes that people have nicknamed it “breakfast whisky” or “session whisky.”
The combination of custom engineering and deliberate reflux gives Copper Rivet a profile that does not mimic Scotch. It produces something clean, sweet, and light.
Process Choices That Serve Flavor Above Yield
Copper Rivet’s production style follows the same principle that guides its still design. Every step serves the final flavor. That often means accepting lower efficiency in exchange for a cleaner and more expressive distillate.
The mash is the first example. The team uses only fresh water rather than recycling second or third waters. Stephen Russell explained that later waters extract tannins from the grain, which would blunt the softness they want in the finished whisky. They handle the mash more like careful cooking. They start low, increase temperature slowly, and protect the grain from harsh extraction.
Fermentation runs for at least seven days. This is much longer than many whisky distilleries. Long fermentation builds the fruity and floral compounds that can survive that high level of rectification.
The grain whisky follows the same mindset. It uses wheat, barley, and rye. Copper Rivet labels it simply as grain whisky because they want to avoid confusing drinkers, although Stephen noted that this choice may work against them. He described it as a “homage to grain” that showcases how each cereal contributes to the final profile.
Casks, Patience, and a Deliberate Approach to Limited Releases
Copper Rivet may be a distillate-led distillery, but cask choices still matter. The team selects wood that supports the spirit rather than dominates it. Most of the casks come from Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky.
Stephen Russell explained that “the very big majority of the casks that we have had and use have all been from Kelvin,” and that they are usually ex-bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill. One in every eight casks for the double pot distilled single malt is virgin American oak, which adds a little extra sweetness without overpowering the house style.
The team also works at a lower filling strength than the common 63.5%. They do this to reduce tannin extraction and encourage a softer, rounder mouthfeel. This choice requires more casks and costs more, yet it fits their flavor targets.
Copper Rivet also discovered the value of long marrying periods by accident. Delays during the pandemic held up bottling. As the spirit rested in tank, the team noticed that oxidation made the whisky richer and more integrated. They now marry batches for at least six weeks before bottling.
Stephen was open about the temptation to release endless finishes. “There is a massive temptation to sort of go very Instagram [and release limited editions for social media traction],” he said, but the distillery avoided that route. Experiments exist, yet they remain in the warehouse until the team can show how they add to the core Copper Rivet character. This patience is part of the brand’s identity.
Stephen said, “We want to give people a chance, even if it takes us longer, to get to know our character.”
Looking Ahead: Building Followers Instead of Chasing Shelf Space
Stephen Russell thinks about the next five years in terms of community rather than scale. He hopes for growth, yet he measures success by the number of people who discover Masthouse Whisky, enjoy it, and return to it because it feels honest and consistent.
He told me that he values “having people that know who you are and believe in it and advocate” for the distillery more than seeing bottles line every supermarket shelf.
Copper Rivet plans to build from its home in Pumphouse No. 5. The distillery has restored the building with care, and the site gives visitors a sense of how engineering and craft shape every part of the process.
Particularly important to Stephen and his family is the strong sense of place and brand recognition that can, and is being, built through the production of local, quality spirits.
My impression from our conversation is that the team is committed to long-term identity rather than fast visibility. The whisky is light, smooth, and intentionally different. It shows what English whisky can be when a distiller focuses on precision and character. Copper Rivet is still young, but it has built a profile that feels firm enough to grow with real confidence.
Final Thoughts
Copper Rivet Distillery stands out because everything it produces flows from a single idea. The team wants drinkers to recognize the house style and enjoy it without needing a limited release or a special finish to catch their attention. That idea guides each engineering choice, each cask decision, and every grain they ask local farmers to plant.
My chat with Stephen Russell showed how deep that commitment runs. His focus never drifted to trends or shortcuts. He talked instead about flavor, balance, and the long work of building trust with drinkers one bottle at a time. Copper Rivet’s whisky has a clarity that reflects that care. It is smooth, light, and distinct. It feels like the product of a place that has shaped it from the ground up.
English whisky now has more producers and more styles than ever. Copper Rivet earns its place in that landscape by doing something genuinely different. The distillery honors its dockyard roots, leans into its engineering strengths, and creates whisky with a profile that is easy to enjoy yet fantastically unique.
Copper Rivet Distillery’s Products
Whisky
Masthouse Single Malt (Signature) – £45
Masthouse Single Malt Whisky (Reserve) – £59
Masthouse Grain Whisky – £42
Masthouse Merlin – £65
New Make Spirit
Son of the Sea (New Make Single Malt Whisky) – £36
Son of a Gun (New Make Single Grain Whisky) – £32
Gin
Dockyard Gin – £29.95
Dockyard Gin Damson – £29
Dockyard Gin Strawberry – £32
Dockyard Gin Navy Strength – £35
Vodka
Dockyard Vodka – £29
Vela Vodka – £28.50
Liqueurs
Dockyard Spiced Clementine Christmas Spirit Liqueur – £12
Son of a Gun Coffee Liqueur – £23
Shop here: copperrivetdistillery.com
Visit the distillery: Copper Rivet Distillery, Pump House no. 5, Leviathan Way, Chatham Dockyard, Chatham Maritime Marina, No. 5 Maritime Way, Leviathan Way, Chatham ME4 4LP
