Plymouth Gin

About

The home of Plymouth Gin offers gin fans a chance to visit an English distillery at any time of year.

The Plymouth Gin Distillery is the oldest working distillery in England. It has been making Plymouth Gin according to the original recipe since 1793 so arguably one of the best places to learn about the process and heritage of gin!

The medieval building dates back to 1431 and the Distillery’s historic bar, ‘The Refectory’, is believed to be the room where the Pilgrim Fathers spent their last night before setting sail for the New World.

Thanks to being the British Royal Navy’s favoured gin for more than 200 years, Plymouth Gin was distributed across the globe.

We offer three distillery tours to visitors at the Plymouth Distillery. These tours are friendly and structured, with visitors firstly taken through a Historical Journey starting back in the 15th century with the history of our building, allowing them an insight into the Barbican area of Plymouth along with the company changes. You are then taken into the most important room of the distillery, the Still House, where we talk about the distillation process. Every drop of Plymouth Gin has been made in this room since 1793! After this you move to the Tasting Room, where you can touch and smell the botanicals (juniper berries, lemon peel, orange peel, orris root, angelica root, cardamom and coriander seeds) used to make our gin, followed by a tasting of Plymouth Gin and Plymouth Sloe Gin. This Plymouth Gin Distillery tour lasts approximately 40 minutes.

The Connoisseur’s tour, which lasts approximately an hour and a half, includes the above plus you receive a unique opportunity to compare the differences between five well-known brands of gins including Plymouth, as part of a tutored tasting.

The Master Distiller’s tour, the ultimate tour, which lasts approximately two and a half hours, combines the above Connoisseur’s tour plus you discover how to create your own hand crafted gin, watch it distil and then are able to take home your own small bottle as a unique memento of your visit.

Last stop is The Refectory Bar for your free G&T or miniature to take home.

The Connoisseur’s and Master Distiller’s tour are required to be booked in advance on 01752 665292. It is also advisable to pre-book for our Plymouth Gin Distillery tour, to avoid disappointment. All tours are subject to availability.

The Plymouth Gin Distillery is one of the South West’s best-kept secrets – offering a unique range of food and drink experiences under one roof.

You can enjoy some of the country’s finest cocktails in ‘The Refectory’ Bar.

The Distillery is also home to one of Plymouth’s top restaurants – the Tanner Brothers’ Barbican Kitchen Brasserie which offers award winning contemporary food together with a lively and informal atmosphere.