The Cotswolds Distillery launches first book, Spirit Guide – in search of an authentic life

Daniel Szor, founder and CEO of the award winning Cotswolds Distillery has today launched his first book, Spirit Guide – in search of an Authentic Life. 

This autobiography tracks the life of Dan, a native New Yorker, who over 30 years built up a very successful career in finance, primarily in New York and then in Paris. However, his aspirational life in finance was not enough and this is the story of how Dan, an American businessman, became the founder of an English distillery in the heart of the Cotswolds, turning his dreams into a reality. 

Throughout the book there is a strong sense of Dan’s spirit and soul, not just the spirit you would associate with whisky and gin, but the spirit of individuals and of the era.  Living in such uncertain times with the presence of Covid-19, Dan gives the reader hope and a reminder that whilst life is short, it will grant second chances to those willing to make the leap. 

Dan’s passion is whisky, the spirit itself and the people who make it. Whilst working for his New York company in Paris, this passion developed together with his appreciation for people who make authentic products.  He cultivated this passion by spending much time in the remote Scottish distilleries and slowly the seed was sown for his second career.  

The latter part of the book follows Dan’s relocation to the UK and his call to ‘start over’.  Whilst observing the summer barley fields around his home in the Cotswolds he asked the question why hadn’t anyone made whisky in the Cotswolds? He realised that he could combine the entrepreneurial skills learnt in business with his dream of owning a distillery. With the help of several charismatic whisky gurus, his ‘barley epiphany’ materialised and The Cotswolds Distillery was born. 

Commenting on the book Dan says, “I am delighted to have written my first book and to share my journey with readers. I really hope this book will provide some inspiration during these unprecedented times and if I have one message it would be “following one’s heart is never the wrong direction”.