About this tour
When Em from our team tried this Edinburgh experience, we found ourselves in a proper micro distillery crafting our own rum from scratch. You start with a welcome drink and a rundown of global rum styles, taste through a few samples to dial in your flavour profile, then pick 6–10 botanicals from their library to build your blend. While the copper stills do their thing, you sip a rum cocktail and watch the magic happen. Once distillation finishes, you bottle your creation, label it, seal it with wax, and take home a 500ml bottle that you actually made. The whole thing runs about three hours and feels genuinely hands-on rather than a quick gimmick.
Highlights
- Pick your own botanicals from a proper library to customise your rum blend
- Watch your recipe distil in real copper stills while sipping a rum cocktail
- Bottle, label, and wax-seal your own 500ml bottle to take home
- Tasting section walks you through rum styles from different regions
- Intimate workshop vibe — feels more artisan than factory tour
- Warm welcome and knowledgeable host guides you through each step
- Final product is genuinely yours, not a pre-made souvenir
What to expect
You'll arrive at the main entrance and be greeted properly — no rushing through. Once upstairs in their micro distillery space, you'll get a welcome rum and mixer to ease in, then a chat about distillery history and how the day unfolds. The tasting section is where it gets interesting: you'll sample a few rums from around the world to understand flavour profiles, which helps you choose your botanicals wisely. The botanical selection is the heart of it — you're picking from a curated library to build your own blend, which feels genuinely creative rather than prescriptive.
While your rum distils in the copper stills (which takes a bit of time), you're not left twiddling your thumbs — there's a rum cocktail to enjoy and plenty to chat about. Once distillation's done, you move into the final steps: bottling your batch, designing and sticking on a label with your chosen rum name, then wax-sealing it. It's a satisfying, tactile finish. The whole pace feels unhurried, and you leave with something you've actually made, not just watched someone else make.
What travellers say
- Genuinely hands-on — you're making it, not watching someone else
- Botanical selection feels creative and personalised to your taste
- Small-group, intimate vibe with a knowledgeable, unhurried host
- Three-hour pacing strikes a good balance between engagement and flow
- Wax-sealed bottle is a keepsake, not a throwaway souvenir
- Tasting section teaches you enough to make informed flavour choices
- Not suitable for pregnant travellers due to heat and fume exposure
- Upstairs location — accessibility may be a consideration for some
- Not a budget activity; you're paying for the bespoke experience
- Heat from active distillation can be intense in the workshop space
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This is genuinely hands-on and personal — you're not just observing. The three-hour slot works well; there's enough time to feel invested without it dragging. If you're into spirits, botany, or want a thoughtful Edinburgh experience beyond the usual whisky trail, this hits different. The wax-sealed bottle makes a proper keepsake and a conversation starter at home.
Not suitable if you're pregnant — the heat and fumes from active distillation aren't recommended. The space is upstairs, so mobility could be a consideration. You'll need to declare any allergies in advance so they can adjust your botanical options. It's not cheap, so manage expectations that you're paying for a bespoke experience, not a budget activity. Peak times (weekends, school holidays) may book up fast.
Public transport nearby makes it accessible. Service animals welcome. Wear something you don't mind getting a bit warm in — the distillery space heats up. Bring your enthusiasm for flavour-building; the more thought you give your botanical picks, the better your result.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.