2 hour Gin School Experience in Aberdeen

Aberdeen’s Gin School lets you do more than sample a local spirit. You build a recipe from more than 100 botanicals, distil it in a copper alembic mini-still, and leave with a full-sized 70cl bottle carrying your own name and label. That makes this a hands-on class, not just a tasting with a few clever facts.

I like the generous tasting lineup, which includes a double G&T on arrival, gin samples, another made-to-order G&T, and a berry prosecco cocktail. I also like the useful lesson in aroma and balance, since the Head Distiller helps you choose botanicals and quantities instead of leaving you to guess.

The main thing to consider is the price, $192.23 per person. It is a serious splurge for a two-hour experience, though the drinks, instruction, and take-home bottle make the value stronger for a birthday or special occasion than for a casual afternoon drink.

Key details about Aberdeen’s Gin School

• Choose from more than 100 botanicals: Build a recipe around the flavors and aromas you prefer.
• Use a copper alembic mini-still: You distil your own gin during the class rather than simply watching a demonstration.
• Learn from the Head Distiller: Get help with botanical choices, quantities, gin strength, and the final blend.
• Taste across the Aberdeen Gin range: Samples come with an explanation of each gin’s ingredients and production.
• Take home a 70cl bottle: You choose the strength, bottle, cap, label, and name.
• Expect about two and a half hours: The session begins at 2 p.m. and finishes back at the distillery.

Starting with a double G&T at Palmerston Road

The experience begins at City of Aberdeen Distillery, Arch 10 Palmerston Road, Aberdeen AB11 5RE. The listed start time is 2 p.m., and the activity ends at the same meeting point.

You start with a double G&T welcome drink. That is a generous opening pour, and it sets the tone for the afternoon: this is a practical lesson with plenty to taste, not a dry classroom talk about distilling equipment.

The opening section covers Aberdeen’s distilling heritage and the origins of gin. You also learn about the base gin botanicals and the premium organic alcohol used for the spirit. Those details matter because they explain what you are changing when you add your own ingredients.

I like that the class begins with the basics before you face the botanical shelves. Gin can seem simple in a glass, but its flavor comes from several separate decisions. The base spirit, the core botanicals, the aromatic additions, and the final strength all affect the result.

The exact group size can reach 20 people. That is small enough for a shared class atmosphere, but it is not a private lesson. If you want a quiet, highly personal session, ask about the group arrangement before booking. The Head Distiller is on hand to offer guidance, but individual attention will naturally vary in a full group.

Choosing botanicals from more than 100 options

The most creative part of the class is selecting the botanicals for your own recipe. After the introduction, you choose from more than 100 options and decide how those ingredients should shape your gin.

You are not simply adding random flavors to a neutral spirit. The Head Distiller helps you select suitable botanicals and decide how much of each to use. This guidance is important because a strong ingredient can quickly take over a recipe.

The class gives you a chance to develop your nose as well as your palate. Smelling individual botanicals helps you understand the difference between a sharp, herbal note and a softer, sweeter or fruit-led aroma. You can start noticing how a small change in quantity may affect the finished drink.

A useful tip is to think about balance rather than choosing every ingredient you like. More botanicals do not automatically make a better gin. The strongest recipes often depend on a clear main flavor with supporting notes around it, and the Head Distiller can help you avoid an overcrowded mix.

This is also where the experience feels personal. You choose the direction of the bottle rather than receiving a standard spirit with a prewritten tasting card. For a birthday group, each person can create a different recipe, then compare the results over the rest of the afternoon.

The activity is offered in English. If you are comfortable following a detailed explanation of ingredients and distilling in English, the format should be easy to follow. The class is not described as a private event, so expect to share the process with other people.

Distilling your recipe in a copper alembic mini-still

Once your ingredients are selected, you distil your gin using a copper alembic mini-still. This is the point where the class moves from tasting and planning into actual production.

The small still gives you a clear sense of how a distiller works on a reduced scale. You can see that gin is not simply a flavored vodka poured into a decorative bottle. The botanical choices must work with the spirit, and the distillation process brings those aromas together.

The distillation itself takes time, which creates a natural pause in the class. Instead of waiting around with nothing to do, you move into a guided tasting of Aberdeen Gins. That pacing is one of the better features of the experience because the practical work and the tasting support each other.

You may arrive with a favorite gin style in mind, but the class helps you understand why different recipes taste different. A sample can show how a particular ingredient changes the nose, finish, or overall balance. You are learning by comparing glasses rather than memorizing a long list of technical terms.

The phrase your own Scottish gin should be taken in the right sense. You create the recipe and distil it during the session, but the class is still guided by the distillery team. That is a benefit for beginners, since you get creative freedom without having to learn every technical step alone.

Tasting the Aberdeen Gin range

While your gin distils, you taste samples from the Aberdeen Gin range. Each sample comes with background information about the gin and the ingredients used in it, along with an explanation of how the different spirits are authentically distilled in Aberdeen.

This part gives the class local character. You are not tasting anonymous brands chosen only to fill a flight. The samples connect the ingredients in your own recipe with the distillery’s wider approach to gin.

The menu includes a G&T while you learn about botanicals, several gin samples, and a G&T made to order from the range. You can choose the gin for that drink based on the sample you prefer.

That made-to-order G&T is a helpful touch. It lets you test the difference between tasting a gin neat or in a longer drink. Some flavors that seem bold in a sample may work well with tonic, while others may become too subtle or too sharp.

The overall tasting is generous. You should pace yourself, especially because the welcome drink is a double G&T and the class includes more than one further drink. This is an alcohol-focused experience from start to finish, so it suits people who want to spend an afternoon tasting carefully rather than rushing through a single cocktail.

One especially useful aim is learning to identify aromas. The experience is not just about drinking several gins. It encourages you to use your nose, compare ingredients, and understand why one recipe tastes different from another. That gives the class more lasting value than a simple bar tasting.

Finishing your 70cl bottle with a name and label

At the end, you decide the strength of your gin and choose the bottle, cap, and label. You also need to give your creation a name.

The full-sized 70cl bottle is a substantial souvenir. It is much more useful than a tiny sample bottle, especially if you want to share the result with friends or save it for a later occasion. It also gives the experience a clear finish: you leave with a drink you helped design, not just a certificate or a memory.

Choosing the final strength adds another practical lesson. Gin can taste very different depending on how it is diluted and served, and setting the strength lets you shape the bottle to your preference. The Head Distiller can guide you through that decision.

The label and name make this a natural present for a birthday, anniversary, or group celebration. You might choose a serious name based on the botanicals, or something more playful that recalls the day. The personalization is simple, but it makes the bottle feel like your own work.

Do remember that the 70cl bottle is part of the experience’s value, not an extra bottle of gin purchased separately at a low shop price. If you are comparing the cost with buying a standard bottle, the price may look high. If you are comparing it with a guided class, multiple tastings, a cocktail, and a personalized bottle, the package makes more sense.

The berry prosecco cocktail and the final toast

The class ends with a surprise berry prosecco cocktail to celebrate becoming a distiller. After the technical work and gin samples, this gives the afternoon a lighter finish.

The cocktail also adds variety to a menu that otherwise centers on G&Ts and neat gin samples. You get to see how gin can work in a sweeter, fruit-led drink rather than only with tonic.

The listed sample menu is:

• Double G&T on arrival
• G&T while learning about botanicals
• Samples from the Aberdeen Gin range
• A G&T made with your chosen gin from the range
• Berry prosecco cocktail

That is a lot of alcohol for a two-hour class, especially if the session runs closer to two and a half hours. I would treat the tasting as the main event and avoid planning another serious drinking activity immediately afterward.

Price, timing, and practical value

The price is $192.23 per person. That is not a bargain, and the cost may be difficult to justify if you mainly want a drink in a distillery setting.

The calculation changes if you value the full package. You receive instruction from the Head Distiller, a lesson in gin production, a broad tasting selection, multiple mixed drinks, a cocktail, hands-on use of a mini-still, and a full 70cl bottle that you personalize.

The experience lasts approximately two hours and 30 minutes, although it is presented as a two-hour Gin School session. I would keep the afternoon open for at least two and a half hours so you are not checking the clock near the end.

The activity is usually booked about 53 days ahead. That suggests you should plan ahead for a birthday, weekend visit, or a particular Aberdeen date. It is not the sort of plan I would leave until the day before, especially if your schedule is fixed.

Your mobile ticket is accepted, and confirmation is provided at booking. The distillery is near public transportation, which helps if you do not want to drive after several tastings. Service animals are allowed.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made inside that window are not accepted and are not refunded. The activity also requires good weather and a minimum number of people, so a cancellation by the provider can lead to another date or a full refund.

Who will get the most from this class

I would recommend the Gin School to adults who enjoy tasting slowly and want to understand how a spirit is made. It is particularly well suited to a birthday, special occasion, or small group celebration where the bottle can become part of the event.

It also works for a gin drinker who has tried plenty of brands but has never considered how botanicals affect a recipe. The lesson gives you a practical way to connect aroma, distillation, tonic, and final strength.

The class may be less suitable if you do not drink alcohol, dislike strong spirits, or want a quick sightseeing stop. The experience is built around repeated tastings, and the price is high for anyone who does not care about the take-home bottle.

A group of up to 20 people means the mood may be sociable rather than intimate. That can be a plus for a celebration, but it is worth keeping in mind if you are hoping for a private consultation with the distiller.

Should you book Aberdeen’s Gin School?

Book it if you want a hands-on distillery experience and will enjoy taking your own recipe home. The strongest features are the broad botanical choice, the help from the Head Distiller, the generous tasting menu, and the personalized 70cl bottle.

Skip it if your priority is the cheapest possible gin tasting or a short stop between other Aberdeen sights. At $192.23, this is an activity purchase, not simply a drinks purchase.

For the right person, the value comes from the whole afternoon: learning the basics, testing your nose, making decisions about a recipe, tasting Aberdeen Gins, and putting your name on the finished bottle. That combination gives the experience a clear purpose and makes it a good choice for a special occasion.

FAQ

Where does the Gin School experience take place?

It takes place at City of Aberdeen Distillery, Arch 10 Palmerston Road, Aberdeen AB11 5RE, United Kingdom.

What time does the experience start?

The listed start time is 2 p.m.

How long does the experience last?

The session is described as a two-hour Gin School experience, with an approximate total duration of two hours and 30 minutes.

How much does the experience cost?

The listed price is $192.23 per person.

How many people can join the class?

The activity allows a maximum of 20 travelers.

Is the experience offered in English?

Yes. The experience is offered in English.

What do I make during the class?

You create your own Scottish gin by choosing botanicals and distilling the recipe in a copper alembic mini-still.

How many botanicals can I choose from?

You can choose from more than 100 botanicals.

What do I take home?

You take home a full-sized 70cl bottle of your own gin. You choose its strength, bottle, cap, label, and name.

What drinks are included?

The experience includes a double G&T on arrival, a G&T while learning about botanicals, samples from the Aberdeen Gin range, a G&T of your choice from that range, and a berry prosecco cocktail.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded or accepted.