The Spirit of Bristol is to move into The Milk Thistle bar to create a new West Country destination for craft spirits.
Bringing the gin producer’s production to The Milk Thistle represents a new chapter for the Class Bar Awards finalist, which first launched in 2011.
The Spirit of Bristol, meanwhile, has seen healthy growth since launching in 2024, now supplying more than 100 venues across the South West.
The first phase launches on Wednesday 15 July with the opening of The Milk Thistle Distillery, located on the top floor of The Milk Thistle’s historic building.
The new space will become the permanent home of The Spirit of Bristol, offering guided tastings, private experiences and distillery tours by founder and master distiller Pete Lumber.
A Milk Thistle gin and vodka have been created specifically for the venue, while the bar’s menu will also exclusively feature one of the distiller’s archive concoctions, Lumber’s Ivy Vodka.
Jay Mead, co-owner of The Milk Thistle, said: "The Milk Thistle has always been about creating memorable experiences and this partnership allows us to take that even further.
“Pete and The Spirit of Bristol have built one of the region's most exciting distilling businesses, while we've spent years establishing The Milk Thistle as one of the UK's leading cocktail destinations. Bringing those strengths together gives us an opportunity to create something genuinely unique for Bristol. We're not changing what people love about The Milk Thistle; we're adding another dimension to it."
Pete Lumber, founder and master distiller at The Spirit of Bristol, said: "Finding a permanent home within The Milk Thistle feels like a natural next step and gives us an incredible platform to share our spirits and our passion for distilling with even more people.
“The opening of The Milk Thistle Distillery is only the beginning. Our ambition is clear: to create the best tasting room in the South West and establish a destination that attracts spirit lovers from across the region and beyond. We want people to experience exceptional spirits where they're made and enjoy experiences they simply can't find anywhere else."
Bookings for The Milk Thistle Distillery will open on Wednesday 8 July ahead of its official launch on Wednesday 15 July 2026.