The Best Drinks Tours to Try This Summer

From breweries and distilleries to vineyards, we’ve rounded up some of the best drinks tours to help you get started. 

Brewery Tours

The perfect pour for anyone who loves a top-quality pint, meet the expert producers behind the bottle and go on a journey from hop to tankard. Here’s some must-visit breweries: 

Brewhouse & Kitchen

📍 Multiple locations

Starting in 2013 with a Brewpub in Portsmouth, Brewhouse & Kitchen strive to create a place where people can be inspired by the world of beer. Led by one of the talented Head Brewers, embark on a fascinating deep dive into the fine art of beer brewing. Get involved with all stages of the brewing process, whilst sampling some of the Brewhouse’s finest brews through the day, and stopping to refuel with breakfast and a hearty lunch. 

Fuller’s Brewery

📍 Chiswick, London

1845 was a pivotal year for London’s beer scene with the official signing of Fuller’s Brewery. Now a cornerstone of the capital’s brewery culture, head behind the scenes on one of the Top 10 Brewery Tours in the World. Find out how brewing has evolved, how Fuller’s continues to thrive and unveil Britain’s rich beer history. Naturally, the tour culminates with a tasting of some of Fuller’s finest ales. 

Camden Town Brewery

📍 Camden, London

Founded by Jasper Cuppaidge, Camden Town Brewery is all about making people fall in love with beer again. Embarking on a guided tour of the shiny brew house, gain an insight into Camden Town’s brewing practices and sample plenty of crisp and fresh beer.

Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co

📍 Liverpool, Merseyside

The gateway to craft beer, Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co was created by a family in Manchester and has gone on to become one of the biggest beer families in the world. A tasting session here will involve sampling six of their finest craft beers, that have already hit some major bars and restaurants across the UK. Led by incredibly knowledgeable and passionate beer experts, learn all about their brewing process and taste profile.   

Cotswold Brew Co

📍 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Going back to 2005, Cotswold Brew Co was created with a clear mission: be a brewery that would produce a high-quality British lager packed with flavour. One of the UK’s first independent lager breweries, learn the fascinating history of Cotswold Brew, uncover the processes that go into each lager and build a flavour profile with generous samples along the way. 

Distillery Tours

Spanning the UK, you’ll find distillery tours far and wide - from gin to whisky and beyond. Wherever your connoisseur passions lie, discover some of the best distillery tours right here: 

Bombay Sapphire Distillery

📍 Whitchurch, Hampshire 

Although only opening its doors to the public in 2014, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery has a long and intriguing history spanning over 1,000 years. Guided by a distillery host, learn all about the world-famous gin with a tour. See the 10 exotic botanicals at work, hear about the Vapour Infusion process and of course, treat yourselves to plenty of G&TS. 

Sipsmith Gin

📍 Chiswick, London 

Sipsmith’s tale begins with two childhood friends and a life-long affection for things well-made. On a mission to create the world’s best London Dry Gin, the distillery has played an integral part in the recent ‘Ginaissance’. Tipple in hand, head behind-the-scenes of the first copper distillery in almost 200 years. Discover how Sipsmith’s award-winning gins are carefully hand-crafted with copper pot stills Prudence, Verity and Constance. Finish things off with a tutored tasting. 

Shakespeare Distillery

📍 Warwickshire, Stratford-upon-Avon

Priding itself on its prime location in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare Distillery is all about bringing the essence of the Tudor period in which William Shakespeare lived into their spirits. Embark on a fascinating tour of the distillery, settling down to enjoy an entertaining talk on the history of the popular tipple and the process of creating craft gin. Fusing forgotten ingredients with modern techniques, try a unique selection of gins with tasting notes.

Dewar’s Aberfeldy

📍 Aberfeldy, Scotland

The pursuit of Scotch Whisky perfection for the family-owned Aberfeldy Distillery began in 1898. Since then, they’ve continued to keep beautifully balanced single malt whisky at the heart of every blend. Voted Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction in 2018, head on a guided tour of Dewar’s distillery and warehouse to learn more about the distinctive honeyed richness of  Aberfeldy spirit. Taste a totally unique, aged single cask edition of Aberfeldy, not on public sale, and experience the various nuances with a tutored whisky tasting in the lounge. 

English Spirit Distillery

📍 Halstead, Essex

With a background in biochemistry and pharmacology, Dr John Walters set out to try his hand at distilling, which led to the establishment of the English Spirit Distillery. One of the UK’s original small batch distilleries, the English Spirit boasts the widest range of spirits and liqueurs distilled in the UK alone and proudly holds the title as the first rum distillery too. Begin by touring the Grade II listed distilling hall to see the operation in action, before treating the taste buds to a guided tasting of scratch distilled, artisanal products including exclusive limited editions. 

Vineyard Tours

From crisp whites to velvety reds, England is home to an array of award-winning vineyards. To celebrate some of the very best wine produced on home soil, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite vineyard tours. 

Chapel Down

📍 Tenterden, Kent

England’s leading wine producer, Chapel Down’s mission has always been to change the way the world thinks about English wine. Led by a knowledgeable guide, head on an entertaining tour of the vineyards and the state-of-the-art winery, discovering the essential role of the English climate in cultivating a distinct and flavour-packed fruit. See the ins and outs of the winemaking process from grape to bottle and of course, a tutored tasting of Chapel Down’s acclaimed range of wines. 

Aldwick Estate

📍 Avon, Bristol

Over five generations, Aldwick Estate has upheld a family custom of innovation and despite being a young vineyard, it’s this tradition that has helped them produce award-winning wines since 2013. Led by a knowledgeable guide, delve into the rich history of Somerset’s largest vineyard, cultivate an understanding of English viticulture, explore the 11 acres of grape vines - and assess the fruits of Aldwick’s labour by sampling all of their available vintages. 

Bolney Wine Estate

📍 Haywards Heath, West Sussex 

With a story beginning five decades ago, family business Bolney Estate has continually thrived, specialising in producing premium red, white, rosé and sparkling English wines. Start as you mean to go on with a glass of sparkling wine before embarking on a tour of the 18-acre vineyard, learning the history of English wine and how it’s made. Go behind the scenes, take part in a tutored tasting of five award-winning wines with a tasting plate, rounding things off with a two-course seasonal buffet lunch.

Woodchester Valley

📍 Stroud, Gloucestershire

Established in 2007, Woodchester Valley is a family-owned boutique vineyard on the limestone soils of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Soak up the stunning views across the Stroud Valley with an aperitif on arrival, before exploring the vineyard site and the winery. Discover what goes on behind the scenes and finish off with a tutored tasting of five wines.

Kerry Vale Vineyard

📍 Montgomery, Shropshire

Owned by a dynamic husband and wife team, Kerry Vale Vineyard was fittingly conceived back in 2010 over a glass or two of wine. Since then, the six acre vineyard has grown to include over 6,000 vines. Get to grips with the site’s rich history, which dates back to Roman times, before perfecting the art of wine tasting across four tasty English wines.