London
10 Best Distilleries in London
London’s distilleries offer different ways to explore spirits, from guided tastings and production stories to sessions where you select botanicals and make a personalised bottle. This guide helps you match the experience to your interests, group and preferred level of participation.
How we rank this list
To put together this guide to distilleries in London, we looked at what each business really focuses on, how its customers rate it over time and what it shows about its work on its own channels. The order is ours and we review it regularly.
A few businesses pay to stand out, always after passing our editorial review and with a label that says so.
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10 Distilleries in London Compared
Square Mile Distillery
Square Mile Distillery produces gin and operates a bar with on-site distilling. It suits gin enthusiasts, visitors seeking tastings and groups looking for an interactive experience, including making a bottle of gin and learning about production through a mini tour.
Strengths: Gin is distilled on site
Gin tastings and distillery visitsGroups seeking an interactive drinks experienceVisitors interested in making their own bottle of gin22 Bride Ln, London EC4Y 8DT, United Kingdom58 and CO
58 and CO is a London distillery offering gin experiences, tastings and make-your-own-gin sessions. The experience combines gin history and production guidance with botanical selection, distilling on mini alambics and bottling a personalised gin to take away. Sessions can last over three hours and include cocktails or snacks, depending on the experience.
Strengths: Guests select botanicals and distil their own gin
Gin enthusiasts seeking a hands-on tasting or distilling experienceGift recipients and small groups wanting an interactive activity329 Acton Mews, London E8 4EF, United KingdomHayman's Gin Distillery
Hayman’s Gin Distillery offers informative gin tours and a martini masterclass, using the production process and botanicals to explain the spirit.
Strengths: Tours explore the botanicals used in Hayman’s gin
Gin-focused tours and tastingsVisitors interested in botanicals and production8A Weir Rd, London SW12 0GT, United KingdomHALF HITCH Gin Micro-Distillery & Gin Store
HALF HITCH Gin Micro-Distillery & Gin Store combines an on-site micro-distillery with a shop selling its gin. It suits gin enthusiasts and visitors looking for an informal tasting-led experience in Camden Market. Visitors can learn about the distillation process, sample gin and take bottles home, while some experiences involve creating a flavour.
Strengths: An on-site micro-distillery where visitors can see and discuss the process
Gin lovers wanting to taste, learn about and buy ginUnit 53, West Yard, Camden Lock Pl, London NW1 8AF, United KingdomBone Idyll
Bone Idyll is a Kingston upon Thames distillery offering spirits, cocktails and hands-on gin-making experiences. Participants learn about gin production, select ingredients for a bespoke spirit and take a bottle home, while the venue also serves cocktails, rum, vodka and gin. Its relaxed industrial setting suits celebratory outings and group afternoons built around tasting and making.
Strengths: Gin-making sessions include creating a bespoke spirit to take home
Groups seeking an interactive gin-making experienceCelebrations combining cocktails, tastings and foodBone Idyll Distillery, Elder House, 4 Water Ln, Thames Side, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1AE, United KingdomSipsmith Gin Distillery
Sipsmith Gin Distillery is a London distillery producing gins including London Dry, Lemon Drizzle, Very Berry, Zesty Orange and Sloe Gin. Its distillery tours combine the history of gin and Sipsmith with a tutored tasting, while placing visitors beside the copper stills and explaining production through different stages of distillation. Private and corporate bookings are also available.
Strengths: Tours take place beside the copper stills
Gin drinkers wanting a guided tasting and production storyGroups seeking a distillery experience or private booking83 Cranbrook Rd, Chiswick, London W4 2LJ, United KingdomBimber Distillery
Bimber Distillery is a small-scale London distillery offering tours and tastings. It suits visitors interested in locally sourced production and whisky, with an intimate format that combines an informative tour, hosted presentation and tastings of a varied whisky range.
Strengths: Intimate visits with personal hosting
Visitors wanting a distillery tour and tastingWhisky enthusiasts interested in small-scale production56 Sunbeam Rd, London NW10 6JQ, United KingdomCity of London Distillery & Bar
City of London Distillery & Bar combines a gin bar with distillery experiences. Visitors can book gin and whisky flights, tasting sessions and tours that explain gin-making and its history, while gin-making classes allow participants to create individual gins to their own tastes. The bar offers a broad range of flavoured gins with guidance from knowledgeable staff, making it suited to curious drinkers and hands-on groups.
Strengths: Gin-making classes let participants produce their own styles
Gin tastings and guided flightsGroups wanting a hands-on gin-making class22-24 Bride Ln, London EC4Y 8DT, United KingdomMother's Ruin
Mother’s Ruin is a distillery with a simple cocktail bar in an industrial unit featuring a skylight and modern art. Its drinks focus on fruit liqueur-based cocktails, with unusual gins, martinis and space for celebrations. The venue has hosted birthday parties with a dance floor and outdoor area, and staff can help organise private events.
Strengths: A distillery setting combined with a cocktail bar
Cocktail drinkers interested in fruit liqueur-based drinks or unusual ginsPrivate celebrations and birthday parties18, Mother's Ruin, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, London E17 9HQ, United KingdomBeefeater Gin Distillery South London
Beefeater Gin Distillery South London is a visitor centre with gin-history exhibits, distillery tours and tastings. It suits visitors interested in London’s gin heritage and the culture and craft surrounding the spirit. The experience includes a self-guided historical section, a guided tour of the stills, botanicals and a gin and tonic tasting, with guides providing an accessible introduction to the subject.
Strengths: The visit combines historical exhibits, stills and botanicals
Visitors interested in gin history and London heritagePeople looking for a guided tasting experienceThose who enjoy museum-style attractions with a drinks element20 Montford Pl, London SE11 5DE, United Kingdom
Each map number points to a business in the list.
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Distillery experiences to look for
- Guided gin toursLearn about gin history, botanicals and production through a hosted visit at venues such as Hayman’s, Sipsmith and Beefeater.
- Hands-on gin makingChoose botanicals, distil your own recipe and, at some venues, bottle a personalised gin to take away.
- Tastings and flightsCompare gin, whisky or other spirits through guided tastings and flights, with staff explaining the different styles.
- Cocktail-led visitsChoose an experience that adds cocktails, a martini masterclass or a distillery bar to the learning and tasting.
How to choose a London distillery
- Decide how active you want to beFor making your own spirit, consider 58 and CO, Square Mile Distillery, City of London Distillery & Bar or Bone Idyll. Choose a tour if you prefer to watch, learn and taste.
- Match the drink focusGin specialists include Hayman’s, Sipsmith and Beefeater, while Bimber adds a whisky-focused tasting. Mother’s Ruin centres on cocktails and unusual gins.
- Check the session formatSome visits are short tastings, while 58 and CO describes sessions lasting over three hours. Review what is included in the specific experience.
- Plan for your groupInteractive formats suit small groups and celebrations, while private and corporate bookings are specifically described for Sipsmith.
Questions people often ask
Which London distilleries offer gin-making?
58 and CO, Square Mile Distillery, City of London Distillery & Bar and Bone Idyll describe hands-on gin-making, with personalised or bespoke bottles available in the supplied material.
Can I take home a bottle I make?
Yes, the descriptions for 58 and CO, Square Mile Distillery and Bone Idyll mention bottling or taking home a personalised or bespoke gin.
Are London distillery visits only about gin?
No. Bimber focuses on whisky as well as production insight and tastings, while several other venues combine gin with cocktails or broader drinks experiences.
Do distillery experiences vary in length?
They do. The supplied information says that length and inclusions vary by experience, and one 58 and CO session can last over three hours.
