Daniel Szor
It was an honour to be installed as the Master on 20th November 2025.
Born in New York City, Daniel’s first career in foreign exchange trading and investment management spanned nearly 30 years and took him to Paris for over 10 years and then to the UK, where he has lived since 2006.
It was during his time in France that Daniel was first bitten by the whisky bug, his passion fuelled by regular tasting events and trips to distilleries across Scotland.
In 2012 Daniel gazed out the window of the North Cotswolds farmhouse he and his London-born wife Katia had bought as a weekend bolthole, and he was transfixed by a field of spring barley swaying in the breeze. His thoughts naturally turned to whisky, and he decided to be the first person to make a Cotswolds single malt, using local grain.
The Cotswolds Distillery is now in its 9th year, producing award-winning single malt whisky and other “Outstanding Natural Spirits” including its much-loved Cotswolds Dry Gin. Over 100,000 visitors come to the distillery and its local shops every year, and the brand is now distributed nationally and in over 35 countries.
Daniel joined the livery in 2016 having been introduced to the WCD via the Gin Guild, of which he has been a board member for the past several years. Daniel also sits on the board of the Wine & Spirits Trade Association and is vice-chairman of the newly-formed English Whisky Guild, representing the exciting new category of English Whisky with over 40 whisky distilleries in England now in some stage of production or planning.
Daniel and Katia, who is a practising consultant neurologist, live with their daughter Emily in an old barn which is 3 miles from the distillery. Daniel has two older sons, Henry and Alex, who live in New York City.
