Two hours to make your own gin in Aberdeen. This 2 hour Gin School at City of Aberdeen Distillery pairs guided gin education with hands-on making, led by the head distiller and capped with a custom 70cl bottle. You get a welcome double G&T, a proper botanical selection session with a copper mini-still, and plenty of sips while your gin is distilling.

I especially like how practical it feels: you’re choosing from more than 100 botanicals, then setting your recipe up with help from the person who runs the operation. I also like the value of the tasting format, because you’re not just learning theory, you’re sampling Aberdeen Gins and building flavor confidence as you go.

One thing to consider: it’s capped at a maximum of 20 people, so if you want one on one coaching the whole time, you will still be sharing attention in a small group setting.

Key highlights you will actually feel during the class

• Head distiller-led masterclass that guides your recipe choices
• 100+ botanicals to help you build a gin that matches your taste
• Copper alembic mini-still where your gin is actually distilled
• Generous sampling, including multiple G&Ts and gin tastings
• Design your own 70cl bottle, including strength, cap, and label
• Cocktail moments at the start and finish, plus a surprise cocktail

Making Scottish Gin in Aberdeen, step by step

This class is built around one core idea: you do not just taste gin, you learn how gin becomes gin. The flow is clear, starting with a double G&T welcome drink, then moving into the distilling story behind gin and Aberdeen’s distilling scene. After that foundation, you shift into hands-on work, choosing botanicals and setting up your mini-still run.

The “2 hours” label is a little optimistic on expectation. The experience runs about 2 hours 30 minutes, which is a good amount of time for education, tasting, and real making. You get a steady pace: enough structure to keep you from getting lost, with enough variety to keep it fun.

And yes, you leave with something tangible, not just a few photos. Your finished bottle is full sized, 70cl, with your own bottle choices and a bottle name you decide on.

Meet at City of Aberdeen Distillery and start with a double G&T

You meet at City of Aberdeen Distillery, Arch 10 Palmerston Rd, Aberdeen AB11 5RE. The start time listed is 2:00 pm, and the activity ends back at the meeting point.

From a “will this feel like an experience or a sales pitch” point of view, the welcome drink matters. You start with a double G&T on arrival, which sets a relaxed tone immediately. Then, as the class continues, you keep getting sips during key moments, including a G&T while you learn about botanicals and a made-to-order G&T later based on your preferred samples.

If you’re planning this for a birthday or special occasion, the opening drink and the later celebration cocktail make it feel like an event. The structure is built to keep the group upbeat, even while you shift into concentration mode for recipe building.

How the Head Distiller guides your botanicals and recipe choices

This is not a generic tasting talk. Your group is led by the head distiller, who helps you select the botanicals and quantities for your unique gin recipe. That matters because gin character is all about small decisions, like which aromatics you lean into and how strongly.

The class introduces the base gin botanicals first, then covers the premium organic alcohol used for your build. From there, you get a short introduction to the botanicals available. This gives you the key mental framework before you start choosing your own blend.

In plain terms, you are learning to think like a distiller for a short window of time. You do not need to know chemistry. You just need curiosity and a sense of what you enjoy in a gin, whether that’s bright citrus notes, warm spice notes, or something more herbal and grounded.

Choosing from 100+ botanicals for your copper mini-still batch

The hands-on highlight is choosing from over 100 botanicals. That number is big enough that you should expect the process to feel guided, not overwhelming. The class format is designed so you start with a foundation, then make selections for your perfect bottle.

Once your recipe is set, you distil your gin using a copper alembic mini-still. Seeing the equipment and running the process is where this stops being a “sip and listen” experience. You get the satisfaction of watching your choices turn into liquid.

While it’s practical, it also teaches patience. You will wait for your gin to distil, and that wait is not wasted time. Instead, it becomes part of the tasting program, where you sample Aberdeen gins and learn what makes each one distinct.

While it distils, build your nose with Aberdeen gin samples and tasting flights

While your bottle is running, you enjoy samples from the range of Aberdeen Gins. You’re introduced to the background of each gin and the ingredients used, so the tasting has context instead of being random sips.

This is where I’d expect the class to win over people who think they do not know anything about gin. You get a chance to develop your nose, which is a skill you can use back home when you compare brands. The reviews emphasize generous tasting and a true education about gin, and the structure backs that up with repeated tastings and multiple G&T moments.

You also get a G&T made to order based on your preferred sample. That’s a smart teaching tool. It connects your personal taste to a finished drink, so your choices feel immediate, not theoretical.

If you like learning through comparison, this part will work well. You can pay attention to what changes from one gin to the next, and you’ll start to understand why botanicals are the heart of the flavor.

Your made-to-order G&T, then berry prosecco celebration

The tasting doesn’t end with samples. After the distilling wait, you enjoy a G&T of your choice from the range of Aberdeen Gins. You also have the chance to order a G&T based on your preferred sample, which makes the program feel tailored even though it’s shared with a group.

At the end, there’s a celebration cocktail. The menu lists a berry prosecco cocktail as the dessert course. And there’s also mention of a surprise cocktail to mark becoming a distiller.

Practically, this means you are fueled for the final steps, especially the bottle decision portion where you pick strength, bottle, cap, and label, plus the bottle name. It’s a nice finale because you get the social part of the experience after you’ve done the focused work.

If you’re the type who likes a fun finish after a skill-based activity, this pacing is a good match.

Designing your bottle: strength, cap, label, and your gin name

The final segment is where the experience becomes personal. You decide the strength of your gin, along with the bottle, cap, and label. You also name your creation.

This is more than a gimmick. Naming and labeling turns your recipe from something you made temporarily into something that feels finished. It also makes it easier to remember what you chose, so when you taste it later, you can connect flavor back to decisions you made during class.

And since the bottle you take home is full sized at 70cl, it is not a tiny souvenir. It’s the kind of bottle you can actually use, share, and compare. If you’re buying for someone, it’s also the kind of gift that feels specific rather than generic.

What you take home, and why it changes the value

At $192.23 per person, the price is not low. But the value case is strong because you are not paying only for instruction. You also leave with a full sized bottle of gin, 70cl, customized with your choices.

You also get multiple drink moments built into the schedule: a double G&T on arrival, a G&T while learning about botanicals, gin samples from the Aberdeen gin range, a G&T of your choice, and a berry prosecco cocktail. That’s a lot of tasting included in the same time block.

For me, this is the difference between a gin school that feels like education and one that feels like a party with a short lesson. Here, the learning is tied to your own distillation batch, and the tasting is used to teach you what choices mean.

If you’re someone who likes structured experiences, the class format is clear and repeatable: you learn, you choose, you distil, you taste, you bottle. That makes the money easier to justify.

Group size, pacing, and who this gin masterclass suits

The group size maximum is 20 travelers. That’s small enough to feel interactive, especially because the head distiller helps with your botanical selections and quantities. You are not in a massive crowd, so questions and support should be manageable.

The pacing is designed around two phases. First, education and recipe setup. Second, distilling wait plus tasting and final bottling choices. That helps you stay engaged, because you always have something to do.

This is a strong fit for:

• Birthday and special occasions where you want something more personal than a dinner
• Gin lovers who want real practice choosing botanicals and thinking about ratios
• People who enjoy guided tastings and learning through comparison

If you’re looking for a silent, low participation experience, this might feel too hands-on. But if you like conversation, taste, and a guided path, you’ll likely enjoy the momentum.

Price and logistics for your planning sanity

The listed price is $192.23 per person, and the experience is about 2 hours 30 minutes. On average, it’s booked around 53 days in advance, which suggests it’s popular enough to plan ahead.

The location is straightforward if you’re already moving around central Aberdeen. You start at City of Aberdeen Distillery and you return there, so you’re not doing a long hop across town.

Two logistics notes to keep in your planning:

• The class is offered in English.
• The experience requires good weather, and if it’s canceled due to poor weather you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Overall, if you want a compact, high-impact experience that fits into an afternoon schedule, this works. A 2:00 pm start gives you flexibility for a morning activity, then leaves you time after for dinner.

Tips to get the most out of your gin school experience

You’ll get the best results if you treat this like a flavor workshop, not only a tasting event. Before the botanical selection starts, think about the G&Ts you actually enjoy. If you like something crisp and bright, you might aim your recipe in that direction. If you like something warm and spicy, you can focus your botanical quantities accordingly.

During the tasting phase, pay attention to differences rather than just picking a favorite. The tasting program includes multiple Aberdeen Gins and G&Ts made to order, so it’s easy to compare as you go. That’s the fastest way to build the nose the class is meant to teach.

When it comes time to bottle choices, decide with intention. Your strength choice and label decisions affect how you’ll remember the process. If you’re gifting this, think about a bottle name that matches the person. It makes the take-home item feel like a true keepsake, not just alcohol in a nice bottle.

Should you book this 2 hour gin school in Aberdeen?

Book it if you want a hands-on gin experience that ends with a full sized bottle you helped create. The big selling points are the head distiller-led recipe guidance, the chance to choose from over 100 botanicals, and the generous sampling that trains your nose as you learn.

Skip it only if the price feels too high for you, or if you prefer a purely passive activity. With a group size cap of 20, it’s friendly and interactive, but it’s not private.

If you’re in Aberdeen for a short visit and want one memorable afternoon that blends education with tasting and a celebration finish, this gin masterclass is a strong match.