Sip and Savour Edinburgh Gin Meets Mellis Cheese

Gin and cheese, packaged into 90 minutes. This Edinburgh Gin Distillery experience pairs a guided gin tour with four mini classic cocktails and hand-matched cheese from IJ Mellis. I especially like the hands-on part where you’ll shake your own cocktail, because it turns a tasting into a skill you can repeat at home.

Two other wins: the tour stays small (max 12), so you actually get time to ask questions, and the guides bring the process to life with stories and humor. One thing to consider is that you’re drinking throughout—so plan your transport and don’t assume you’ll be in any shape to drive afterward.

Key highlights you should care about

• Small group vibe (up to 12) so explanations don’t get lost
• Four mini cocktails + cheese pairings with crackers and chutneys included
• Distillery stops at the Flavour Arch and Still Room
• Hands-on cocktail shaking guided for a true participation moment
• Optional Distillery Bar visit if timing and availability work

Gin and cheese in Edinburgh: the pairing that feels made for you

Edinburgh has a special relationship with gin, and this tour is built around a simple idea: learn how the spirit gets made, then taste it in ways that show what different flavors do. You start with a welcome drink, then you move from gin history to the physical guts of the distillery. After that, the focus switches to the fun part—cocktails matched with cheese.

The cheese partner here matters. IJ Mellis is a well-known cheesemonger in Scotland, and the pairing approach isn’t random. You get mini classic cocktails, each one matched with hand-selected IJ Mellis cheeses, plus crackers and chutneys to keep your palate moving. It’s a great format if you like food and you like understanding why flavors work together.

The most praised moments tend to come from the people leading the show. Names you may see vary by day, but you’ll likely meet guides like Gregor, Sam, Rosie, Freddie, Kylie, and others who bring the room to life with clear explanations and cracking jokes. That matters more than you’d think; gin can feel technical, and you’ll want someone who makes it easy to follow.

Price and timing: is $89.97 good value for what you get?

At about 1 hour 45 minutes for $89.97 per person, this isn’t a quick sip-and-run. You’re paying for a package: a welcome drink, a distillery tour, tasting time that includes four gin cocktails, cheese pairings (from a major cheesemonger), and then the extra step of shaking your own cocktail.

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys structured tastings—where you’re guided step by step—this price tends to feel fair. You’re not just buying drinks; you’re getting an explanation of the spirit’s story and a food pairing experience designed to match flavors. And because the group is capped at 12, your money buys more attention than bigger tastings usually do.

Plan your day around the fact that you’ll be tasting multiple drinks. Even if the portions are “mini,” it’s still alcohol. The safest move is to arrange transport in advance and keep the rest of your afternoon flexible.

Also, this experience is non-refundable and can’t be changed, so book only if your schedule is solid.

The Arches meeting point: finding your way before the first sip

You meet at the Edinburgh Gin Distillery at The Arches, Arch 16, The Arches, E Market St, Edinburgh EH8 8FS. It’s a good location if you’re already exploring the city center because it’s near public transportation, and the tour ends back at the same meeting point.

The start time listed is 2:00 pm, so you don’t have to build the day around an early-morning departure. Still, arrive a few minutes early so you’re not rushing when you should be settling in for your welcome drink and intro.

If you’re traveling with a service animal, service animals are allowed. That’s one less worry on the day.

Welcome drink and Edinburgh gin history: what you’ll learn first

Right away, you get a welcome drink and an introduction to gin in Edinburgh. This is where the tour gives context: not just facts, but the story that explains why Edinburgh gin has become a thing people travel for.

This part matters because it changes how you taste. When you understand where the spirit comes from and why the city became associated with it, later flavor notes in your cocktails feel more meaningful. You’re not memorizing; you’re building a mental map.

You’ll also hear about the story of Edinburgh Gin, which sets you up for the distillery tour. The best guides in this experience—people like Gregor and Kylie, for example—tend to keep the pacing friendly, mixing explanation with humor so you don’t feel stuck listening.

Flavour Arch stop: seeing the distillery through the lens of taste

Next up is a tour of the Flavour Arch. You won’t just walk around passively. The idea is that this stop helps connect the physical place to the flavor outcome you’ll taste later.

What’s great for your brain here is the order. You learn the spirit’s story first, then you see a specific area tied to flavor, then you go further into the production side. That reduces the usual tasting confusion where everything sounds like theory until you spill something into your glass.

Because details beyond that are not the same from day to day, treat this stop as a practical orientation: you’ll get a sense of how the distillery is set up and what parts matter when it comes to flavor. If you like asking questions, this is a good moment to do it, especially in a group of up to 12.

The Still Room tour: where the process feels real

After Flavour Arch, you move to the Still Room. This is the deeper production side of the tour, and it’s the point where the “how” becomes clearer than the “story.”

Even without a technical background, you’ll get something valuable out of it: a stronger feel for what it means to turn ingredients into a finished gin. The guides leading these tours (you might hear names like Sam alongside Gregor on some days) often focus on explaining the steps in plain language.

This stop also helps you understand why gin behaves differently across cocktails. When you’ve seen the Still Room as part of the tour, it’s easier to notice how botanicals and mixing styles change the taste in your glass later.

Four mini classic cocktails paired with IJ Mellis cheeses

Now we hit the part most people remember: you’ll sip four Edinburgh Gin cocktails, and each one is paired with hand-selected IJ Mellis cheeses. You also get crackers and chutneys, which are more important than they sound. They help you reset your palate between pairings and keep your tasting from turning into one long flavor blur.

The structure is the magic trick. You don’t just taste random cheese and hope for the best. You get specific pairings designed to show contrast and harmony—how a cheese’s texture and saltiness can make a gin cocktail feel brighter, softer, or more aromatic depending on the drink.

This is where the pairing focus pays off for you as a visitor:

• If you love food, you get a guided taste experience with a real partner (IJ Mellis), not a vague cheese platter.
• If you love gin, you get cocktail examples in a sequence, so your tasting notes get clearer over time.
• If you’re new to either, the crackers and chutneys make it forgiving, so you don’t have to be “good at cheese” to enjoy it.

It’s also a great format for couples. The pace is social without being chaotic, and the guided pairing helps you talk to each other about what you’re tasting rather than trying to decode it alone.

Shake your own cocktail: the hands-on moment that makes it stick

After the paired sips, you’ll shake your own cocktail. This is the part that turns the experience from passive to active.

Here’s why it’s valuable: you stop thinking of gin as something you order and start understanding it as something you can build. Shaking also forces you to slow down just long enough to notice smell and temperature changes—tiny details that you’ll recognize next time you drink something similar.

The guides in this experience are clearly strong at keeping it fun while still being organized. If you want a couple of minutes where the tour feels personalized—even in a small group—this shaking section is it.

Practical tip: since you’ll be drinking during the tasting and then shaking your own, plan to keep the rest of the day low-stress. Your reward is worth it, just don’t stack it with anything requiring quick reactions.

Optional Distillery Bar and shop promotions: how to use the extra time wisely

There’s an option to visit the Distillery Bar, but it depends on availability. If it’s offered when you’re there, it’s a nice way to extend the experience beyond the structured pairing portion.

You’ll also have a chance to visit the distillery shop, with special experience promotions. Even if you’re not buying souvenirs, this can be a useful stop because it gives you a chance to pick up a bottle or tasting-related items while the experience is still fresh in your mind.

This is best handled as a bonus, not the core plan. The main value is already built into the tour: distillery story, pairings, and your own cocktail.

Who this Sip and Savour experience fits best

This is a strong match if you’re:

• A gin fan who wants more than a generic tasting
• A foodie who enjoys pairing flavors with intention
• A couple or small group that likes structured activities
• Someone who learns well by tasting through a guided sequence

It’s also a good pick if you’re visiting Edinburgh and want a craft experience that feels tied to place. Edinburgh Gin Distillery at The Arches is part of the city’s craft identity, and the pairing with IJ Mellis gives you the food-side connection that makes gin taste feel like culture, not just alcohol.

Should you book this gin and cheese tour?

Book it if you want an experience that mixes craft, food, and participation. The four cocktail tastings paired with IJ Mellis cheeses (plus crackers and chutneys) give you variety, while the Flavour Arch and Still Room stops give you context that makes the tasting feel smarter. The shaking your own cocktail portion is the kind of add-on that turns a good tour into a memorable one.

Don’t book it if you’re looking for a quiet, alcohol-free museum-style visit. You’ll be tasting throughout, and the experience is built around sipping, pairing, and hands-on drinking.

If your schedule fits and you’re okay planning transport for the day, this is one of the more well-balanced food-and-drink tours in Edinburgh: a fixed format, small group size, and a clear “taste the idea” payoff.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

It starts at the Edinburgh Gin Distillery at The Arches, Arch 16, The Arches, E Market St, Edinburgh EH8 8FS, UK.

What time does the tour begin?

The start time listed is 2:00 pm.

How long is the experience?

It runs for approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

Is the group size limited?

Yes. The maximum group size is 12 travelers.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $89.97 per person.

What’s included in the Sip and Savour experience?

You’ll get a welcome drink, an introduction and history of gin in Edinburgh, a tour of the Flavour Arch and Still Room, four Edinburgh Gin mini classic cocktails paired with IJ Mellis cheeses (with crackers and chutneys), and time to shake your own cocktail.

Do I need a printout ticket?

No. It’s a mobile ticket.

Will I get confirmation after booking?

Confirmation is received at the time of booking.

Is there an optional stop after the main tasting?

You may have the option to visit the Distillery Bar, depending on availability.

Is the experience refundable?

No. It is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason.