Penderyn Swansea Copperworks Distillery
Penderyn Swansea Copperworks Distillery is the third site in the Penderyn Distillery group, opened in June 2023 inside Swansea's historic Hafod-Morfa Copperworks — a Grade II listed industrial heritage site with an extraordinary backstory. The Hafod Copperworks was founded in 1810 by John Vivian and grew during the 19th century to become the largest copper works in the world, at one point directly or indirectly employing a majority of Swansea's entire population. The distillery combines working spirit production with a world-class heritage visitor attraction, including an immersive exhibition about the copperworks' history, a copper tunnel, and a tasting bar.
[!warning] Correction The Hafod Copperworks holds Grade II listed building status, not UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The UNESCO World Heritage Site in Wales is the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape — a separate site.
Tours
Available
On-site Shop
Open
Online Shop
Available
History
The Hafod Copperworks was founded in 1810 by John Vivian, a Cornishman who moved to Swansea to exploit the region's combination of coal and sea access to build Wales's dominant copper smelting industry. The works grew rapidly: by 1823, Swansea's copper industry supported 10,000 of the city's 15,000 residents. The rival Morfa works opened in 1835 and merged with Hafod in 1924 under Yorkshire Imperial Metals. Production declined as local geological resources were exhausted, and the rolling mills finally closed in 1980.
Penderyn's occupation of the site from 2023 represents a significant piece of adaptive industrial heritage reuse. The project was funded by a £4 million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, £500,000 from Welsh Government Economy and Transport funding, and additional Welsh Government Targeted Regeneration Investment support. It was a collaboration between Penderyn Distillery, Swansea Council, and Swansea University.
Production
The Swansea site is the newest in the Penderyn group and its precise production role within the group is primarily complementary — the site's main significance is as a heritage visitor attraction and premium tasting destination within Swansea. Penderyn's Faraday still technology underpins production at all three sites. The full Penderyn portfolio is produced and sold through the shared online platform and the Swansea on-site shop.
Tasting Character
The full Penderyn range is available at the Swansea site, from the Madeira Finish and Sherrywood Gold expressions through to the Dragon range and other spirits. The copper heritage of the site — Swansea was literally built on copper — provides an evocative context for a distillery that uses copper pot stills as its defining production tool.
What They Produce
Notable Bottlings
- Penderyn Madeira Finish (Gold)£40.95 — Available across all three Penderyn sites; dried fruit and warming spice; 46% ABV
- Penderyn Sherrywood (Gold)£42.95 — Richer, nuttier Oloroso sherry profile; 46% ABV
- Penderyn Portwood (Gold)£54.50 — Port cask finishing; rich dried fruit; 46% ABV
- Penderyn Peated (Gold)£42.50 — Delicate smoke and citrus; 46% ABV
- Brecon Gin£23.50 — Gold award-winning Welsh craft gin
- Merlyn Cream Liqueur — Welsh cream liqueur
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Visiting
Open Wednesday to Saturday at the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, Swansea SA1 2NF. The visitor experience layers the working distillery with an immersive exhibition about the copperworks' industrial history, a copper tunnel, and a tasting bar. A physical shop and the shared Penderyn online shop are both operational. The Grade II listed industrial setting provides a historically rich and visually dramatic backdrop to the tasting experience.
Official Website
