Edinburgh Gin: Classic Tour & Tasting in Old Town

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Duration1h 5m

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Gin, botanicals, and the still room where it all happens

You spend ninety minutes in a working gin distillery learning how botanicals shape flavour, then taste three different gins with proper mixers and garnishes. The Flavour Arch—where you smell and taste the actual ingredients—is the part people remember. Entry, welcome drink, and all three tastings are included, plus access to the shop and bar if you want to stay longer.

1h 5m

Step-by-step itinerary

Edinburgh Gin Classic Tour and Tasting

Arrive at Edinburgh Gin Old Town
Receive welcome drink
Learn history of gin in Edinburgh
Explore Flavour Arch aromas and botanicals
Tour the Stillhouse distillation area
Taste London Dry, Full Strength, and Liqueur gins
Enjoy mixer and garnish pairings
Optionally visit Distillery Bar
Shop at Distillery store

The Experience

The moment you walk into the Flavour Arch, you stop talking. It's a corridor lined with glass jars—each one holds a different botanical that goes into Edinburgh Gin. You lean in, breathe in cardamom, then juniper, then something floral you can't name. Your guide hands you a small spoon to taste the actual botanicals, not just smell them. That's when it clicks: this isn't a marketing exercise. It's how they actually build the gin, one scent at a time.

The tour moves through the Old Town distillery in a loose sequence. After the welcome drink and a short history of gin in Edinburgh, you're standing in front of the Stillhouse—the copper stills where the actual distillation happens. Your guide explains the process without the jargon feeling heavy. Then you move into one of the Tasting Rooms, where the real work begins. You'll taste through three different expressions: the London Dry, the Full Strength Flavour, and a Liqueur gin. Each one comes with a carefully chosen mixer and garnish. So it's not just tasting neat spirit—you're learning how a drink actually tastes when you make it the way people drink it.

The whole thing takes about ninety minutes, and the pace feels right. You're not rushed through, but you're not standing around either. If the Distillery Bar has space, you can linger there after the tasting. The shop at the end has special promotions for people who've just done the tour, which is a nice touch if you want to take something home. The space is wheelchair accessible throughout, and if you're staying in Edinburgh's Old Town, you're already there—no travel time to factor in.

What’s included

Your ninety minutes include a welcome drink, an introduction to Edinburgh's role in gin history and the story of Edinburgh Gin itself, a tour of the Flavour Arch where you experience the botanicals by smell and taste, a tour of the Stillhouse to see how distillation works, and a curated tasting of three different gin expressions—London Dry, Full Strength Flavour, and Liqueur—each paired with a carefully selected mixer and garnish.
You'll taste in one of the Tasting Rooms, and if space allows, you can visit the Distillery Bar afterward.
The Distillery shop is open for browsing and purchasing, with special promotions available for tour participants.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Edinburgh Gin Distillery

Is this one for you?Right for gin drinkers who want to understand how flavour actually builds, not just taste spirits. The ninety minutes are paced for learning and tasting together, which means you're not rushed but also not standing around between pours.