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Salford Distillery has launched the Manchester Explorer Edition, a new airport-exclusive rum created in partnership with Manchester Airport and now available through World Duty Free.

The 70cl release draws on Salford’s historic trading links with the Caribbean, taking inspiration from the navy-style rums that once passed through Salford Docks during the city’s industrial heyday. The golden rum blends selections from Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad, aged for up to five years before being blended and bottled at Salford Distillery, and offers notes of tobacco, caramel and tropical fruit.

Beyond the liquid, the bottle itself is designed as a collectable: it carries a bespoke illustrated map of Manchester landmarks by artist Dave Draws, produced in collaboration with Manchester Airport, giving travellers a keepsake tied to the city’s identity as well as its travel retail channel.

The launch adds to Salford Distillery’s momentum in airport retail. Since debuting in the channel in 2024 with its Original and Dark expressions, the brand has sold more than 20,000 bottles, expanding the range with a Honey variant in summer 2025. The Manchester Explorer Edition is positioned as the next step in taking the distillery to a wider international audience, with Manchester Airport’s passenger footfall offering a direct route to travellers from around the world.

Tommy Gaughan, co-founder of Salford Distillery, says: “We’re incredibly proud to launch the Manchester Explorer Edition in partnership with Manchester Airport. This bottle is a celebration of where we come from and the journey we’re on as a distillery. Salford has a remarkable history with rum, thanks to the bustling docks that once connected the city to the Caribbean, and we’ve drawn on that heritage to create something that feels authentically local while looking out to the world.

“Every day, thousands of visitors fly through Manchester Airport, making it the perfect place to introduce a spirit that’s proudly made just a few miles away.”

A spokesperson for Avolta duty-free retail at Manchester Airport described the collaboration as a celebration of local creativity, noting that the bottle design, developed by Dave Draws with input from the airport team, was intended to capture the character of Manchester for travellers picking up a unique product tied to place and partnership.

Shoppers who buy a bottle this summer are being encouraged to track its journey using the hashtag #TakeSalfordWithYou on social media.

The Manchester Explorer Edition (40% ABV) is available exclusively at Manchester Airport Duty-Free, priced at an RRP of £27.49, and can also be pre-ordered online for collection at UK airports through World Duty Free.

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