Jamie Baxter has left The City of London Distillery (COLD) to establish a new craft distillery in the capital with Barworks founder Alex Wolpert.

The East London Liquor Company (ELLC) will become the first distillery producing whisky, gin and vodka in East London in over a century, when it opens in April.

Founded by Wolpert and other senior Barworks members, the ELLC will be situated in Bow Wharf and feature two stills.

Alongside a London dry gin, vodka and whisky aged on site, the ELLC also plans to import rum from Demerara Distillers in Guyana.

Baxter has sold his stake in COLD, which he founded in 2012, and will now take on the role of master distiller with ELLC.

“The opening of the East London Liquor Company marks a really exciting step for London’s craft spirit industry. When we open in April, we will be the only London distillery producing and importing four premium spirits and the first to bring the industry back to the East End – where it all started for English spirits,” he said.

ELLC will also feature a cocktail bar with glass feature wall enabling consumers to view the distillation process. Piyush Chavda, former head bartender of 5cc, will put together a cocktail menu as head mixologist.

ELLC is the latest craft distillery to open in the capital, in recent years, joining the likes of COLD in the City, and The London Distillery Company in Battersea.

“With the launch of East London Liquor Company, we want to revive East London’s rich legacy of spirits manufacturing,” said Wolpert. “The craft spirits trade went through a huge and successful resurgence in the USA, and now the UK is experiencing a similar renaissance, with several city distilleries popping up across the capital over the past 10 years.”

Despite not opening until April, ELLC claims to already have several bars lined up to stock its range of gin, vodka, rum and whisky.