Honouring Veterans Through Our Spirits

Our Partnership with the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans

At Distinct Distillers, remembrance is a key part of who we are.

Not just because of the spirits we produce, but because of where we produce them. Our distillery is based within a former WWII underground fuel depot in Shropshire — a site originally commissioned by the Ministry of Defence in 1938 to store aviation fuel for RAF bases during the war.

Every day, we work within a place shaped by wartime history. That naturally comes with a responsibility to preserve and share the stories connected to it.

That’s why our partnership with the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans means so much to us.

Supporting Those Who Served

The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans has spent decades supporting veterans through transport, commemorative trips, and social events — particularly for those attending D-Day and Arnhem remembrance events.

The charity relies entirely on donations and fundraising to continue its work, helping veterans attend important memorial events and maintain the friendships and connections that mean so much later in life.

Why We Created 1944 D-Day Rum and VE-Day Gin

Our commemorative spirits were never designed to simply be “another product”.

They were created as a way to mark significant moments in history while directly supporting veterans through every bottle sold.

1944 D-Day Dark Rum

Created to honour the courage and sacrifice of those involved in the Normandy landings, our D-Day Dark Rum reflects both the wartime history of our site and the generations who served.

VE-Day Gin

Our VE-Day Gin was created to commemorate Victory in Europe Day and the end of the war in Europe — recognising both celebration and sacrifice.

For every bottle sold of either spirit, we donate £2 directly to the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans.

It’s a simple commitment, but one we’re incredibly proud of.

A Distillery Built on Wartime History

The connection between Distinct Distillers and military history runs deeper than branding.

Our site itself played a role in Britain’s wartime infrastructure.

Commissioned in 1938 by the MOD, the underground depot was designed to store and transport aviation fuel during WWII. Connected via a hidden pipeline network, the site helped support RAF operations while remaining protected from aerial attack.

Today, many of the original features still remain:

• underground vaults,
• reinforced concrete chambers,
• wartime tunnels,
• and the old Generator Room, which has now been transformed into our tasting room.

As we’ve restored the site over the years, we’ve tried to preserve as much of that history as possible rather than erase it.

For us, the site isn’t just where we work. It’s part of the story we’re trying to protect.

Welcoming Veterans to the Distillery

In 2024, we had the privilege of welcoming veterans from the Taxi Charity to the distillery.

It was a genuinely special day for everyone involved.

Hearing stories directly from the men who served — many now in their late 90s — brought a completely different perspective to the history surrounding the site. These weren’t stories from books or documentaries. These were lived experiences, shared first-hand by the people who were there.

The visit reinforced exactly why preserving these stories matters.

Since then, that relationship has continued to grow through our Heroes Reserve programme, where we’ve laid down commemorative casks in honour of WWII veterans so their stories can continue to be shared with future generations.

Why Partnerships Like This Matter

There’s no shortage of products using military imagery or wartime references. But for us, it’s important that there’s substance behind it.

That means:

• supporting real veterans,
• working with charities doing meaningful work,
• preserving the history of our site,
• and creating products that contribute directly to those efforts.

The Taxi Charity does incredible work supporting veterans across the UK, and we’re proud that our products can play a small role in helping them continue.

Support the Taxi Charity

If you’d like to learn more about the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans and the incredible work they do, you can visit their website here:

Taxi Charity for Military Veterans

We're also available for distillery tours so if you'd like to learn more about the history of our WWII distillery site and how we make our commemorative spirits, please book here.