A Kendal distillery’s aperitif has been named the best in the world.
Pennington’s Distillery, based at Boundary Bank, took home the prestigious global title for its Summit Aperitif at the World Drinks Awards 2026 in London.
Summit was crowned England’s Best Aperitif earlier this year, earning it a place in the global finals against category winners from around the world.
For founder Mike Pennington, the award marks the culmination of hundreds of hours of development last year.
He said: “We wanted to create something that captured the spirit of the Lake District while offering a genuinely natural alternative to products such as Aperol.
“Summit is made using real fruit and botanicals, with no artificial colours or flavours, and to have it recognised as the best aperitif in the world is an incredible honour.”
Developed, produced and bottled entirely at Pennington’s Distillery in Kendal, Summit combines Yorkshire rhubarb, sweet orange peels and a combination of other botanicals.
Pennington’s Distillery was founded in 2015 and has become known for producing award-winning spirits inspired by the landscapes and heritage of the Lake District.
The distillery has previously won national and international recognition for its range of gins, vodkas and liqueurs, but this latest accolade represents its biggest achievement to date.
Mike added: “To be competing against producers from across the world and then come away with the title of World’s Best Aperitif is something we’re immensely proud of.
“We’re a small independent business based in Kendal, so to bring a world title back to Cumbria is very special.”
