This simple question has different answers, as the contexts and semantics of what constitutes the oldest licensed distilleries become contentious and subject to interpretation. Changing definitions, meanings, and laws necessitate reader latitude: is it oldest from royal assent, grant, letters of patent, chartered right, parliamentary privilege, permit, registration, or licence? Does it need to be at the same site or in near-continuous production while allowing for reasonable plasticity in the event of forced closures due to wars, prohibitions, natural disasters, or temporary production disruptions caused by economic downturns?
While England had the first grain or proto-whisky distillers operating, it was not until 1689 that the British government began legally supervising distil-houses. In 1736, London peaked with more than 1,500 petty distilleries and 28 large malt distilleries, where gaugers regularly surveyed…
