FY16 marks a year of major progression for Distil with a substantial increase in turnover and a dramatic reduction in the operating loss, despite a marked step up in brand marketing costs and difficult trading conditions in Eastern Europe continuing to adversely impact sales of Blavod, the black vodka brand. Following its TTB approval, shipments of Blavod have been resumed into the USA, after an absence of several years. RedLeg Spiced Rum achieved a significant breakthrough in the UK, winning listings at two of the Big Four supermarket chains in the UK. These gains contributed to a 350% volume increase for RedLeg in its domestic market. The March placing has further bolstered the balance sheet and introduced the highly regarded Miton investment group to the shareholder list.