These days, most cities around the world have an array of chic gin bars but there’s nothing quite like the gin scene in London. You’ll find everything from distillery tours and tutored tasting to gin cruises.
Keep reading to discover the very best gin tasting experiences the capital has to offer.
West London
West London has some of great gin tasting opportunities.
If you want to go to see how Gin is made, Sipsmith are based in Chiswick and offer some great tours and even a Supper Club!
If the high life beckons, the swanky bars of Chelsea and Mayfair make great venues too.
Sipsmith Gin Tasting and Distillery Tour in Chiswick
If you are looking to just get to know Sipsmith Distillery and savour some of the best hand-crafted spirits, this is the perfect experience for you.
On this tour, you will get to learn how their award-winning spirits are created. Witness the production of top-quality gins in action and enjoy a tutored gin tasting session.
Sipsmith Gin Tasting and Distillery Tour
If you are looking to just get to know Sipsmith Distillery and savour some of the best hand-crafted spirits, this is the perfect experience for you.
On this tour, you will get to learn how their award-winning spirits are created. Witness the production of top-quality gins in action and enjoy a tutored gin tasting session.
You will also discover the fascinating history of gin. This is one gin tasting journey you’ll never forget.
Sipsmith Supper Club
Sipsmith Gin Tasting and Distillery Tour Plus Supper Club at Charlotte’s Bistro
If an evening of fine dining and gin sipping sounds like your kind of thing, then be sure to check out the Sipsmith Sipper Club.
This starts with a tipple before being escorted through the history of gin and how Sipsmith came to be the first new copper distillery in 1820.
This will be followed by a gin tasting before a gin-inspired three-course meal created by Chiswick’s best-loved local restaurant, Charlotte’s Bistro.
Premium G&T Experience for Two at The Chesterfield in Mayfair
Gin tasting reaches a whole new level at The Chesterfield, Mayfair.
Premium G&T Experience for Two at The Chesterfield
Located in the sumptuous hotel bar, this bespoke experience offers tastings of premium gin ranging from floral to citrus.
The mixologists ensure you sip on only the finest blends of perfectly complementing flavours, with combinations ranging from sweet to savoury, citrus to spiced, smooth to floral.
Gin & Tonic Experience for Two at The Donovan Bar, Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair
If elegance is what you’re after, then look no further than the Donovan Bar at Brown’s hotel.
Gin & Tonic Experience for Two at The Donovan Bar
Guests are taken on the ultimate gin journey featuring herbal, dry, and spiced varieties. Your palate will be educated and expanded with each sip.
Perfect for a romantic date, The Donovan Bar is an intimate, classy and relaxing space in which to chill out to the sounds of jazz wafting through the bar.
Botanical Gin Masterclass for Two at William’s Bar & Bistro in Mayfair
Learn from the expert Bar and Bistro Manager on how to pair gin and tonic and become a master of gin here at William’s Bar and Bistro.
Botanical Gin Masterclass for Two at William’s Bar & Bistro
In this special masterclass, you will get to discover how herbs, seeds and flowers are blended with gin to create the most amazing flavours and aromas.
Beyond the masterclass, you will also get to sample a unique selection of premium botanical gins
The perfect experience for any gin lover!
Gin Tasting with Cocktails and Canapés for Two at The Hyde Bar in Paddington
The Hyde Bar presents its patrons a whole gin Bible showcasing one of the largest collections of gin you’ll find anywhere.
Gin Tasting with Cocktails and Canapés for Two at The Hyde Bar
Curated over a year, the task of building the Hyde Collections is now complete and means they feature some of the most exceptional gins in the world.
This includes the more curious and unusual tastes the world of gin has to offer.
The Hyde Bar is the ideal hideaway from the bustle of London and boasts old British luxury and charm everywhere you look.
East London
East London was the home to London’s docks, giving rise to its long association with gin and gin palaces. While the history might not be too salubrious, the modern equivalent is very well catered for.
Several gin distilleries called the East-End home and offer great tours and tastings. You can even get a blending masterclass in Shoreditch if you really want to get geeky.
Lastly, if dry gin on dry land seems a bit too, well, dry, then you can always head out on the water…
Spirits Tasting Experience and a Bottle of Gin for Two at East London Liquor Company in Bow Wharf
As the very first whisky, gin and vodka distillery in East London, the East London Liquor Company offers a unique distillery tasting experience where you will get to sample an amazing variety of gins, vodka and rum.
Spirits Tasting Experience for Two at East London Liquor Company
At this guided tasting experience, you will also get to discover how spirits are produced and take home a bottle of dry gin at the end of the experience!
This is a must-try gin tasting experience whether you are new to gin tasting or an expert at it.
Gin Blending Masterclass with Serata Hall in Shoreditch
How about creating your own botanical gin blend and then bottling it yourself?
Gin Blending Masterclass with Serata Hall
Get down to Serata Hall in Shoreditch where you’ll blend, bottle and name two of your own gins to take away at this seriously unique masterclass.
Your personalised bottles would make the ideal Christmas gift – if you’re willing to part ways with them, that is.
Gin Cruise with Gin on The River
We admit this one is more of a summer option but a cosy winter gin cruise works too.
Gin Cruise with Gin on The River
Gin on the River invites you to set sail on a picturesque three-hour cruise around the Olympic Park, Hackney Wick and East London Canal Network.
While you enjoy the sights, you’ll be sipping on gorgeous gin creations served in cool souvenir glasses that you get to take home.
Central London
Central London offers some slightly more esoteric gin tasting experiences.
If you like the idea of discovering more of the history of Gin in the Capital, then a walking tour is a great way to do it…plus the fresh air may help clear your head!
The Southbank is a favourite spot with culture lovers and the Skylon offers a great opportunity for a bit of gin to go with your culture
Golden Age of Gin Private Walking Tour for Two
Rather than staying put at a single location, this private walking tour is perfect for any gin lover looking to discover the best gins around London.
Golden Age of Gin Private Walking Tour for Two
This private 2.5 hour tour explores the gin-soaked areas around Fleet Street and Covent Garden as well as the origins of the nation’s favourite spirit.
Learn about the history of gin, sip on some refreshing G&T and learn from gin specialists themselves – the perfect gin tasting package!
Gin & Tonic Masterclass with Three-Course Lunch for Two at Skylon on London’s Southbank
Skylon in Southbank is the quintessential chic gin tasting experience.
Gin & Tonic Masterclass with Three-Course Lunch for Two at Skylon
Skylon’s mixologists curate a true epicurean experience; a tasting of three exclusive gins each paired with an appropriate tonic.
The team will explain the nuances of each gin and the delicacy of the tonic it’s paired with to you.
After sampling the gins at the bar, savour a three-course lunch from their set menu.
City of London
Long the beating financial heart of London’s trading empire, there are plenty of amazing places around the City to enjoy a tipple and as you would expect for such a well-heeled clientele, the selections are second to none.
Premium Gin Tasting Masterclass for Two at Merchant House in the City of London
Right in the historical heart of London, you’ll find this hidden bar with one of the largest spirit collections in the world.
Premium Gin Tasting Masterclass for Two at Merchant House
This is an award-winning bar and their in-house experts are ready to take you through a gin tasting that celebrates their collection of fine and rare bottlings.
In this experience, you will get to savour five different premium gins from around the world as presented by an in-house gin expert.
Informative, relaxed and fun – this gin tasting experience at Merchant House is sure to be an enjoyable experience for you.
Ultra-Premium Gin Tasting for Two at Merchant House
What’s even better than premium? An ultra-premium and intimate gin tasting experience at Merchant House!
Ultra-Premium Gin Tasting for Two at Merchant House
In this private gin tasting masterclass for two, you will get to explore gin in-depth with a detailed walkthrough of how gin is produced as well as its history and development over the years.
Learn from gin experts at Merchant House in this exclusive two hour session as you savour signature G&Ts, including a rare gin from ‘The Private Collection’.
This is an exceptional experience you will not want to miss!
Gin Tasting Masterclass for Two at The Trading House
The Trading House makes for the perfect gin masterclass to celebrate a special occasion.
Set in the extraordinarily transformed Grade II building, the Gresham Street restaurant and bar, this is a gin tasting experience like no other.
You’ll get to sample some of the world’s very best gin while surrounded by historical splendour.
Further Out
If you don’t fancy the hustle and bustle of central London, there are some great opportunities to indulge in a bit of ginnery in other ways
Hayman’s Hot Gin Masterclass at The Windmill in Clapham
When the festive season is in full swing there’s no better way to celebrate it than with a hot, spiced drink.
Hayman’s Hot Gin Masterclass at The Windmill
Join the Hayman’s team at The Windmill Clapham and be transported back to a time when gin was served warm.
The gin tasting experience walks you through the history of gin before showing you how to infuse your own hot spiced apple gin.
You’ll enjoy your drink with mince pies for maximum festive spirit!
Bombay Sapphire Distillery Guided Tour for Two in Hampshire
If you want to escape London, this experience at a quintessentially British heritage site in beautiful Hampshire is a must.
Bombay Sapphire Distillery Guided Tour for Two
These beautiful buildings house the headquarters of the most famous gin in the world. Groups are offered a guided tour of this state-of-the-art distillery and get to sample the beautiful botanicals in Bombay Sapphire gin.
Throughout the day, you’re encouraged to build your own aroma profile before sipping on a personalised complimentary cocktail in the Mill Bar at the end of the tour.
Covid Friendly Private Online Group Gin Tasting with Nautilus Smugglers Club
Want to stay at home and enjoy some gin? This interactive virtual gin tasting experience with gin expert and Nautilus Bar owner, Simon Sharp, is just the experience you are looking for!
Private Online Group Gin Tasting with Nautilus Smugglers Club
In this one-of-a-kind masterclass, you will get to taste various premium craft gins along with garnishes and mixers.
You will be taught how to taste gin in the proper manner and appreciate this fine spirit in all its glory!
This is the perfect gin tasting experience for any gin lover stuck at home, or the perfect party idea for gin lovers to come together online!
Uncover London’s Gin Tasting Experiences
Known as the quintessential explorers’ tipple, G&T’s have been the beverage of choice for discerning drinkers in Britain for centuries, and there’s no denying that London is by far the UK’s most gin-soaked city.
It seems the drink’s refreshing and delicate flavour has cemented it as a firm favourite. Not to mention the variety of tonics and garnishes now available, which means it’s the perfect beverage to have fun and experiment with.
From pink gin to exotic garnishes and everything in between, we’re witnessing a distilling renaissance, and the best news is that there’s an experience to suit everyone’s lifestyle, taste and budget.
More of a whisky drinker? Choose from a selection of London’s best
whisky tastings, from premium Irish whiskey to bourbon and scotch.