About this tour
When Alex from our team ran Pickering's Gin Jolly Distillery Tasting Tour in Edinburgh, we got the full craft-gin experience in just an hour. This is a proper working distillery tucked into the heart of the city — small, hands-on, and refreshingly unpretentious. You'll walk through the production space, see the custom-built gear they use to make their small-batch spirits, and taste your way through their core range with a historical cocktail and a final G&T thrown in. It's the kind of place that feels like you've stumbled on a secret, even though it sits right in the middle of Edinburgh's busier quarters.
Highlights
- Hand-built distillery equipment and quirky production space with real character
- Four proper neat gin samples showing the full core range differences
- Historical cocktail mixed in during the tasting — not just straight spirits
- Finished with a properly poured G&T at the Royal Dick Pub next door
- Compact enough to fit in an hour without feeling rushed or gimmicky
- Wheelchair accessible throughout — lifts, accessible surfaces, no surprises
- Small-batch focus means guides talk about actual process, not factory output
What to expect
The tour kicks off with a walk through the distillery floor itself. You'll see the custom-built copper stills and the machinery they've designed specifically for their gin production — it's genuinely interesting if you care how things are made, and the guides don't oversell it. The tasting flows naturally: you'll nose and taste four different gins from their core range neat, with proper notes on botanicals and what sets each one apart. Midway through, there's a historical cocktail — something like a Gimlet or classic gin serve — which breaks up the neat spirits nicely and shows how the gin plays in a drink. The whole thing wraps at the adjacent pub with a final G&T, properly measured and garnished. The pace is relaxed; there's no rushing between stops, and the distillery itself is small enough that you're never crammed in.
What travellers say
- Actual working distillery with transparent, hands-on process — not a tourist facade
- Compact tasting covering range with cocktail and final G&T included throughout
- Fully wheelchair accessible with no accessibility gotchas or workarounds needed
- Small-group feel means guides engage properly, not rote recitation
- Central Edinburgh location with public transport close by and nearby pub finish
- Neat spirit tasting may overwhelm if you prefer lighter or mixed drinks
- Tight spaces during peak times; weekday booking recommended for comfort
- Gin-only focus — not suited to non-gin drinkers or spirit-averse guests
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This genuinely rewards gin enthusiasts and curious drinkers alike. If you're into how spirits are actually made (not just the drink itself), the distillery setup and small-batch approach make this worth your time. The historical cocktail mid-tasting is a nice touch — keeps things engaging and shows context. The hour length is perfect for a weekday slot or a quick Saturday activity. The pub finish feels natural, not shoehorned in.
It's gin-focused, so if that's not your thing, skip it. The compact space means groups can feel snug during busy periods — booking off-peak (weekday mornings) is wise. You'll be tasting neat spirits, so it's spirits-forward; if you prefer mixed drinks or lighter tastes, the early samples might be intense. The minimum age is 18 (under-18s get soft drinks), so it's not a family activity unless your kids are adults. All surfaces and access are wheelchair-friendly, which is a genuine plus. Bring cash or card for extras at the pub if you want another round. Weather won't affect you — it's indoors. Expect 1 hour start to finish.
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.