UK gin distilleries that are worth the journey

National Geographic

6 days ago

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Britain has a deep-rooted relationship with gin. This long and sometimes complicated love affair has evolved from moments of codependency — notably during the 18th-century 'gin craze', when many poorer Londoners were hooked on often home-distilled hooch — to the period of relative abstinence that followed with the Gin Act of 1751 restricting who could sell the stuff.
Traditionally a grain-based spirit whose neutral taste is flavoured with juniper, gin was credited by Winston Churchill as having 'saved more English lives and souls than all the doctors in the Empire', thanks to the belief that the quinine in tonic water, commonly used as a mixer, could combat malaria-carrying mosquitos. But in the centuries following its Victorian heyday, the spirit ultimately took a back seat to beer.
In 1987, with the creation of the Bombay Sapphire brand, the love affair was reignited, leading the way for other new-era brands including Hendrick's, which launched in 1999. 'With the rise of cocktails and cocktail culture, people were drinking gin again,' says Sean Harrison, master distiller at Plymouth Gin. 'It went from a forgotten spirit that was perceived as old and snobbish to a revived spirit that was back in people's consciousness.'
Founded in 1793, Plymouth Gin is England's oldest working gin distillery. Among its offering, it sells 'navy strength' gin, which dates to the 18th century when British naval forces would only carry gin that was a hefty 114 proof (57% ABV) — a high alcohol content meant it wouldn't spoil a ship's gunpowder if the booze barrels leaked, as the spirit would simply burn off. Today, it's a favoured cocktail ingredient thanks to its bold flavour and fiery punch.
Britain's latest gin craze began in earnest in 2008, after founders of Sipsmith Distillery, Sam Galsworthy, Fairfax Hall and Jared Brown, successfully petitioned to end an 1823 law that limited still sizes, allowing micro-distilleries to flourish once again. 'That's the magic of gin,' says Sean. 'People can take the spirit in so many different directions now. The only botanical you absolutely need is juniper berries. Then, you can use anything to tailor the drink to your personal tastes.'
Today, more than 800 distilleries operate across the UK, each offering signature botanicals and all manner of inventive tasting experiences. Here are eight to consider. The Master Distiller's tour at the Plymouth Gin Distillery allows visitors to craft their own gin. Photograph by Plymouth Gin Plymouth Gin Distillery, Master Distiller's Tour, Plymouth, England
The 15th-century brick building that houses England's oldest working gin distillery started as a monastery for the Black Friars before becoming a debtor's prison. In 1793 it found its calling as a distillery, making a gin that's steeped in history, including the image on its labels — the Mayflower, the ship which carried the Pilgrim Fathers from Plymouth to the Americas in 1620. Gin fans can celebrate the distillery's balance of botanicals by attending one of its many tours and tastings. Book the Master Distiller's tour to sample different varieties, take a whistle-stop history lesson, make your own gin at a distilling masterclass and enjoy a classic G&T at the site's Refectory Bar. Tours from £55 per person. Warner's Distillery Nature Experience, Northamptonshire, England
Spread across 140 acres of farmland with three botanical gardens, this rural distillery offers tasting experiences backed by the sound of mooing cows. Start with a gin and tonic in Warner's tasting room before hopping on a tractor for a tour of the estate. Pick botanicals such as lavender from the gardens before learning how to make a lemon balm smash cocktail, combining gin, sugar, lemon juice and freshly picked lemon balm. Then, change into protective gear for a visit to the bee hives, where guide and beekeeper, Jonny, shows how to move a swarm of bees into one of Warner's man-made hives. End the experience back at the tasting room with a final drink and the chance to purchase one of the distillery's many gins. £60 per person. At Warner's Distillery, visitors can suit up and visit Warner's man-made bee hives. Photograph by Warner's Distillery Tarquin's Gin School, Cornwall, England
If it weren't for the giant copper stills in their windows, you might mistake the branches of Tarquin's Gin School and Shop in Padstow and St Ives for pretty boutiques. Step inside either, however, and you'll find shelves of Tarquin's world-famous gins leading to a classroom-like space that resembles an old-fashioned laboratory, with mini stills, jars of botanicals and glass beakers. While sipping on a citrusy G&T, you'll learn about Tarquin's history — when it was founded by Tarquin Leadbetter, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, in 2012, it was Cornwall's first distillery in over a century — before creating your own flavour and bottling it, complete with label and waxed bottle top. There's a choice of 50 different botanicals, but you're welcome to BYOB — bring your own botanical — if you have a favourite. £85 per person. Heple Estate's distillery is surrounded by moorland and visitors can venture outdoors to explore the botanicals used for the gin. Photograph by Hepple Estate Hepple Distillery Tour, Northumberland, England
Surrounded by the heather moors and rolling hills bordering Northumberland National Park, the Hepple Spirits Co estate features a stone-built farmhouse-turned-distillery. After a welcome G&T, head distiller Chris Garden gives visitors a tour of the stills before venturing outdoors to explore Hepple's range of botanicals — rows of juniper, lovage, bog myrtle, blackcurrant and Douglas fir. Bring waterproofs with you to enjoy the experience in all weathers and conclude the tour at Hepple's 'hidden bar' — a tiny, outdoor counter built to blend with the surrounding moors and untamed juniper bushes, where you can sample the distillery's sloe gin. Tours from £55 per person. 56 North, Scottish Gin and Cheese Tasting, Edinburgh, Scotland
The South Loch Distillery was added to Edinburgh gin bar, 56 North, in 2017. There are multiple experiences on offer at this boutique set-up near the University of Edinburgh, including a classic gin-making masterclass and a self-guided gin and haggis tasting, but it's the gin and cheese tasting that's won most fans. Learn about the history of South Loch Gin while sampling eight of the brand's craft gins paired with a range of cheeses. Bite into a Scottish blue accompanied by a strawberry gin-based parisian lovers cocktail for a blissful, sweet-meets-savoury moment. And if you need to soak up the excess, the bar serves proper meals — the likes of gourmet burgers, fish and chips and golden haggis bon bons with peppercorn sauce. Walk it off with a stroll through the nearby Meadows, a local park with shady footpaths and vast green pastures. £40.95 per person. Goosnargh Gin Distillery, Foraging and Distilling Days, Preston, England
Bordering the Forest of Bowland's southwest edges, Lancashire's Goosnargh Gin Distillery takes full advantage of its location by hosting Foraging and Distilling Days. You'll meet expert forager, Adrian Rose, for an outdoor excursion where he'll reveal tricks and tips for identifying fresh botanicals. When you've taken your pick from the likes of elderflower, meadowsweet, wimberries (a type of European blueberry) and peonies , return to the distillery for a light lunch before the second half of the experience: crafting your own gin. Set in a cosy cottage, Goosnargh's distillery looks as much like a lounge as it does a laboratory, with small wooden tables and matching shelves and beams. £145 per person. Sipsmith's London Dry Gin, released in 2009, helped ignite England's 'ginaissance'. Sipsmith Gin Distillery, Ultimate Gin Cocktail Masterclass, London, England
After the Sipsmith founders succeeded in their petition to end an 1823 law that limited still sizes, small-batch gin production once again flourished. The brand's London Dry Gin, released in 2009, helped ignite England's 'ginaissance'. Business quickly expanded and the company moved its small Hammersmith distillery to a residential street in Chiswick. With three precious stills named Prudence, Verity and Constance, the distillery gets visits from gin fans who flock for a tour and tutored tastings. Standard tours take place throughout the week, while Tuesdays are reserved for the Masterclass, where visitors shake their own cocktails and learn how to perfect their favourite drinks using Sipsmith's gin varieties, before leaving with a gift bag. £65 per person. Aber Falls Distillery, Gin Lab, Abergwyngregyn, Wales
Neighbouring Eryri National Parl (Snowdonia) and the dramatic Carneddau mountains, Aber Falls Distillery is one of four gin distilleries in North Wales, but it's the only one within hiking distance of the cascading Rhaeadr Fawr or 'Aber Falls' waterfall. Start at the distillery's visitor centre for the Gin Lab Experience, where you'll create custom gins using Welsh botanicals and learn about the brand's history and distilling process, before toasting your beautiful surroundings with some refreshing gin and tonics. Afterwards, grab lunch at the cafe or get a takeaway to fuel the one-hour hike to the waterfall. £80 per person. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).