Distillery tours
Distillery Tours in London
Plan a distillery tour in London: 6 distilleries to visit, with tastings and experiences you can book directly. Expect Gin, Craft Spirits, Single Malt and more. Highlights include Sipsmith, Bimber Distillery, Beefeater Distillery.
6distilleries
Beefeater Distillery
Historic London Dry gin with Victorian pot stills
About distillery tours in London
London gave its name to a whole style of gin, so it is fitting that the city sits at the heart of a modern distilling revival. The turning point came in 2009, when Sipsmith set up the first new copper-pot gin distillery the capital had seen in the better part of two centuries, helping reopen the door for the wave of craft producers that followed. Today a trail around London takes in both the long-established and the upstart: Beefeater has been distilling in the city since the 1860s and remains one of its great institutions, while names like Sipsmith, the City of London Distillery, Hayman's and East London Liquor Company show how broadly the scene has spread across the boroughs. There is whisky here too, with Bimber crafting single malt in west London. What makes London a genuine trail rather than a single afternoon is its sprawl: distilleries sit in Chiswick, Battersea, the old City, Balham and the east, each with its own character and neighbourhood. Tours range from quick process-and-tasting sessions to deeper behind-the-scenes visits, and most end, very sensibly, with a glass in hand.
Following the London distilling trail
Rather than a fixed route, think of London's distilleries as a series of neighbourhood clusters you can stitch together by Tube. In the west, Sipsmith's Chiswick home and Bimber's single malt operation make a natural pairing for an afternoon, gin followed by whisky. Beefeater anchors the south, near the Oval, where its long history and visitor experience reward a dedicated visit. In the centre, the City of London Distillery sits within the Square Mile itself, an easy add-on to a day of city sightseeing. Head east and you reach East London Liquor Company, very much in tune with its post-industrial surroundings, while Hayman's, a family gin name with deep roots, holds court in the south-west. Because the city is large, two or three stops a day is a comfortable pace; trying to cross London for a fourth tasting usually costs more time than it is worth.
Distilleries worth prioritising
If you want the founding chapter of the modern story, start with Sipsmith, widely credited with sparking the craft gin revival. For heritage on a grander scale, Beefeater offers one of the most polished visitor experiences in the city and a clear window onto traditional London Dry production. Whisky drinkers should make room for Bimber, where the single malt is floor-malted and made on site, and its tours are praised for being hands-on and intimate. For convenience, the City of London Distillery is hard to beat, sitting right in the centre. East London Liquor Company and Hayman's round out the picture with contrasting characters, one contemporary and east-end, the other family-rooted gin. Formats and timings vary considerably, with some tours running only on set evenings, so check schedules and book before you set out.
Getting there & around
London's public transport is the trail's best friend. The Tube and Overground reach every distillery on this page far more reliably than a car, and they remove any question of who is driving after a tasting. Plan clusters by line rather than by map distance: west London stops sit handily for the District and Piccadilly lines, the City Distillery is a short walk from several central stations, and the eastern sites are well served by the Overground. Allow generous gaps between bookings, as cross-city journeys can take longer than expected and most tours run to a fixed start time. A contactless card or Oyster covers the lot, and walking the final stretch is often the quickest option in the busier central districts.
Frequently asked
- Which London distillery started the craft gin revival?
- Sipsmith, which opened in 2009 as the first new copper-pot gin distillery in London for nearly 200 years. It is widely credited with reopening the path for the craft producers that followed.
- Is London only about gin, or is there whisky too?
- Gin dominates, but it is not the whole story. Bimber makes single malt whisky in west London, floor-malting and distilling on site, which adds welcome variety to a trail otherwise rich in juniper.
- How many distilleries can I realistically visit in a day?
- Two, comfortably three if they sit in the same part of the city. London's size and the fixed start times of most tours make crossing town for a fourth stop more trouble than it is worth.
- Do I need to book London distillery tours in advance?
- Yes. Many tours run only on certain days or evenings and sell out, particularly at the better-known names. Booking ahead is essential to secure a slot and plan your route around it.
- What is the best way to travel between distilleries?
- Public transport, without question. The Tube and Overground link every site on this page, and using them means nobody has to drive after tasting. Plan your stops by transport line rather than straight-line distance.
- Which distillery is best for first-time visitors?
- Beefeater offers one of the most accessible and polished introductions to traditional London Dry gin, while Sipsmith is the natural choice for understanding the modern craft movement.
- Do the tours include tastings?
- Almost always. Most London distillery tours conclude with a guided tasting or a signature serve such as a gin and tonic, and Bimber's whisky tour includes sampling its single malts where they are made.