Distill a bottle of Gin on mini copper stills

The best part of this Edinburgh experience is that you do not simply taste gin, you make a bottle of your own. At Sip Antics, you sample different styles, choose botanicals, and distill your recipe on an individual mini copper still. You finish by naming, labeling, and wax sealing the bottle.

I like the small scale, with a maximum of two people, and the way the class lets you shape the final flavor instead of following a fixed recipe. I also like the generous mix of tasting, instruction, cocktails, and hands-on work, with a 500ml bottle to take home.

The main consideration is the price: $125.01 per person is not a cheap tasting. It makes better sense if you value a three-hour class, personal guidance, and a substantial souvenir, rather than simply wanting a quick drink.

Key points to know before booking

• You make 500ml of gin: Your finished bottle is distilled, tasted, bottled, labeled, named, and wax sealed during the session.
• The class is extremely small: A maximum of two people means plenty of direct help from the instructor.
• You taste before choosing: Three sample gins help you work out which botanical styles suit your palate.
• Neil and Gary are named instructors: The teaching style is relaxed, funny, and personal, with plenty of room for questions and creative choices.
• The day lasts about three hours: A welcome gin and tonic, cocktail, tasting, distillation, and bottling fill out the session.
• You meet at The Cumberland Bar: The start time is 12:00 p.m., and the activity finishes back at the meeting point.

Making gin instead of merely drinking it

Many gin experiences stop at a distillery tour and a few small samples. This one gives you a more active role. You learn enough about gin to understand the choices in front of you, then make those choices yourself.

The setting is Sip Antics, a bespoke micro distillery room in Edinburgh. The class begins with a gin and tonic while you settle in and hear how the session will work. That opening drink matters because it sets an informal tone. You are not being rushed from one station to the next, and the class has time to explain what you are about to do.

The small format is a major part of the appeal. With no more than two people, the instructor can spend time discussing your preferences and helping you adjust the recipe. That is quite different from a large group tasting where everyone receives the same drink and listens from the back of a room.

You should expect a social class rather than a formal lecture. Neil is specifically praised for being funny, musical, warm, and clear in his teaching. Gary is also named as a helpful host who makes it easy to match the gin to your tastes. Since the instructor may vary, the exact personality of the session can change, but the format remains personal.

Three tastings before you choose your botanicals

The tasting comes early, and that is a smart choice. Before you build a recipe, you try three different gin samples made with different botanical mixes and styles.

This gives you a practical introduction to flavor. You may discover that you prefer a crisp, juniper-led gin, or that citrus, spice, herbs, or floral notes appeal more to you. The point is not to memorize technical terms. It is to notice what you actually enjoy.

I particularly like this part for people who already drink gin but tend to order the same bottle every time. The tasting can show you why two gins that look similar on a bar shelf can taste quite different. It also gives you a better basis for making your own choices later.

If you are new to gin, you will not be expected to arrive with expert knowledge. The instruction is designed to help you understand the ingredients as you go. You can ask for guidance, compare the samples, and use your own palate as the final judge.

The tasting also keeps the experience from becoming a blind craft project. You are not throwing random ingredients into a still and hoping for the best. You first get a sense of how different botanical combinations behave, then use that understanding to create your recipe.

Designing a personal gin recipe

After the tasting, you choose the ingredients for your own gin. This is the most personal part of the class, and it is where the instructor’s advice becomes useful.

You have room for individual interpretation, but you are not left alone with a table of ingredients. Neil is praised for explaining the finer points while still allowing each person to make their own decisions. That balance is important. Too much direction would make every bottle similar, while too little would leave a beginner guessing.

The recipe stage is also a good test of what you want from the experience. If you enjoy experimenting and asking questions, you can take your time comparing options. If you would rather have a clear recommendation, the instructor can help steer you toward a combination that fits your tastes.

You should keep your expectations sensible. This is a 500ml personal batch, not a commercial gin production course. You are learning the basic logic of botanical selection and distillation, while making something you can drink and share afterward.

The final recipe is yours, but the finished taste will depend on the choices you make. That makes the bottle more meaningful than a standard souvenir from a shop. It records a small decision you made in Edinburgh, rather than simply carrying a logo home.

Your mini copper still and the distillation stage

Once you have selected your botanicals, you use an individual mini copper still to produce the gin. The hands-on equipment is one of the clearest reasons this class costs more than a standard tasting.

You are not watching a large commercial still from behind a barrier. You work with your own small still and follow the process with close guidance. The scale makes the distillation easier to understand, because the equipment is directly connected to the bottle you will take home.

The gin needs time to distill, and that pause is built into the session. While the still is working, you enjoy a cocktail. This keeps the three-hour class moving and gives you another chance to compare how gin works in a mixed drink rather than only tasting it neat.

This waiting period is also a practical reminder that gin making is a process, not a single quick action. You choose ingredients, set up the still, allow the liquid to distill, and then assess the result. The class gives you enough time to see those stages without turning the day into a technical production course.

The copper stills are small, so this should appeal to people who enjoy craft demonstrations and practical activities. If you want a fast drink with minimal instruction, the process may feel longer than necessary. The value comes from taking part.

Tasting the bottle you made

When your gin has been distilled, you taste it before bottling. This is a satisfying step because you can compare the finished spirit with the samples from earlier in the class.

You get to see how your choices translated into the final drink. Perhaps the citrus is stronger than expected, or the herbal notes sit quietly behind the juniper. The instructor can help you make sense of what you are tasting, which is especially useful if this is your first attempt at creating gin.

There is also a nice sense of ownership here. You did not simply select a bottle from a shelf after a tasting. You chose the ingredients, worked with the still, and sampled the result before preparing it to take away.

The bottle holds 500ml, or 50cl. That is enough to share with family or friends at home, though you may prefer to keep some for yourself. The finished drink is a souvenir with a practical use, not something that sits forgotten in a drawer.

Naming, labeling, and wax sealing the final bottle

The final presentation is handled as part of the class. You bottle the gin, create a label, give it a name, and finish it with a wax seal.

Those details may sound small, but they turn the drink into a proper keepsake. You can make the name personal, tie it to Edinburgh, or simply choose something amusing from the day. The label helps you remember the recipe and the occasion when you open it later.

I also like that the session does not end as soon as the liquid is ready. The bottling stage gives the experience a clear finish. You leave with something that looks prepared rather than half-finished.

For a birthday, anniversary, or special holiday, this makes the activity more memorable than a routine bar visit. It can also work well for two people who want a shared project. Since the maximum group size is two, you should have a relaxed setting for comparing your bottles and choices.

Is $125.01 per person good value?

At $125.01 per person, the cost is high for a drink-based activity. You should not book it if your main goal is simply to taste gin in Edinburgh. A bar crawl or short tasting would cost less.

The calculation changes when you include the full format. You receive a welcome gin and tonic, three tasting samples, a cocktail, roughly three hours of instruction and activity, access to a personal mini copper still, and a 500ml bottle to take home. You also receive help choosing a recipe and finish the bottle with a label and wax seal.

The small class size is especially important. A maximum of two people gives you far more direct attention than a typical group workshop. If you are curious but unsure how to choose botanicals, that personal help is part of what you are paying for.

I would call it good value for gin fans who want an experience rather than a simple purchase. It is less compelling for anyone who does not drink gin, dislikes cocktails, or has no interest in learning how spirits are made.

The experience is also listed as being booked about 48 days ahead on average. That suggests you should plan early if it is important to your Edinburgh schedule, especially if you want the 12:00 p.m. start.

Meeting at The Cumberland Bar

The meeting point is The Cumberland Bar, at 1-3 Cumberland Street, Edinburgh EH3 6RT. The stated start time is 12:00 p.m., and the activity ends back at the meeting point.

You should allow time to arrive before noon and have the meeting details ready on your phone, since the ticket is mobile. The experience is offered in English.

The activity is near public transportation, and service animals are allowed. Those details make it easier to fit into a day of sightseeing, though the supplied information does not give a precise walking route or travel time from central Edinburgh.

Because the start and end point are the same, you do not need to arrange a separate return transfer after the class. Keep in mind that the actual gin-making takes place at Sip Antics, described as the micro distillery room, so pay attention to the meeting instructions when you arrive.

Who will enjoy this most?

I would recommend this for:

• Gin drinkers who want to understand what they are tasting
• Couples or pairs looking for a private-feeling activity
• Visitors who prefer making something over watching a demonstration
• People who enjoy cocktails, spirits, and food-and-drink classes
• Anyone wanting a Scottish souvenir that can be shared at home
• Repeat Edinburgh visitors looking for an activity beyond standard sightseeing

It is also suitable for someone who thinks they know gin but wants to test that assumption. The class covers gin styles, flavor choices, botanical mixes, and the basic process of creating a bottle.

I would be more cautious about booking it for a large group. The maximum is two people, so it is not designed for a family reunion, corporate outing, or big birthday party. It may also be a poor fit if you want an entirely alcohol-free activity or prefer not to make decisions about flavor.

Practical details that matter

The experience lasts about three hours, which is long enough to feel substantial without taking an entire day. The 12:00 p.m. start makes it easy to pair with dinner or another Edinburgh activity afterward.

Confirmation is provided at booking, and the ticket is mobile. The activity is offered in English, so you should be comfortable following spoken instruction in that language.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. If you cancel less than 24 hours ahead, the amount paid is not refunded, and changes made inside that window are not accepted. The cut-off follows local Edinburgh time.

The experience is rated five out of five from 185 ratings, and it is currently recommended by 100 percent of people who submitted feedback. The praise focuses most strongly on the instructors, the relaxed small-group format, the clear teaching, and the pleasure of taking home a bottle made from your own recipe.

Should you book this Edinburgh gin class?

Book it if you like gin and want more than a tasting. The strongest reasons are the two-person format, the chance to design your own recipe, the mini copper still, and the 500ml bottle you finish and seal yourself.

I would also choose it for a special occasion or a pair of friends who want an activity they can talk about afterward. Neil and Gary are both described as warm, funny, and helpful, and the class leaves room for personal choices without abandoning you to guesswork.

Skip it if $125.01 feels too steep for a drink activity, if you need space for more than two people, or if you prefer a short introduction rather than a three-hour workshop. For the right audience, though, this is a clever Edinburgh souvenir: you leave with a better sense of your own taste and a bottle that began as your recipe.

FAQ

Where does the gin-making experience meet?

You meet at The Cumberland Bar, 1-3 Cumberland Street, Edinburgh EH3 6RT, UK.

What time does the activity start?

The stated start time is 12:00 p.m.

Where does the activity finish?

The activity ends back at the meeting point.

How long does the experience last?

It lasts approximately three hours.

How much does the experience cost?

The listed price is $125.01 per person.

How much gin do I take home?

You take home a 500ml, or 50cl, bottle of the gin you distill.

Do I get to choose the gin recipe?

Yes. You taste three gin samples, choose from the available ingredients, and create your own recipe with guidance.

How many people can join the class?

The activity has a maximum of two participants.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours ahead are not refunded, and changes inside that period are not accepted.