Sip and Savour Edinburgh Gin Meets Mellis Cheese

Gin and cheese at a distillery is the plan. This 1 hour 45 minute experience pairs Edinburgh Gin with IJ Mellis cheeses, then adds the fun part: you shake your own cocktail. I like that you get both a guided distillery tour and a structured tasting, so it feels like you learn something, not just sip your way through. The other big win for me is the built-in pairing format: four mini classic cocktails, each matched with local cheese plus crackers and chutneys. One possible drawback: you will taste enough alcohol that you should plan your afternoon carefully—especially if you’re tempted to drive after.

You start with a welcome drink in the Edinburgh Gin Distillery at The Arches, near public transport in central Edinburgh. From there, the tour focuses on how the spirit is made and how the flavors are built, including time at the Flavour Arch and the Still Room. The guides are a highlight, with people like Rosie, Freddie, Gregor, Sam, Kylie (and others) mentioned as engaging and genuinely invested in explaining what you’re tasting. The main consideration is that it’s a small group setup (up to 12), so if you want total quiet, this isn’t the right kind of experience.

At its heart, Sip and Savour is for people who like craft drinks and want their food pairing to mean something. You’ll leave knowing how the gin’s flavor gets shaped, and you’ll have a clear set of pairings to remember (plus the practical confidence to order similar combos later). If you’re hoping for a super long sit-down meal, you may find the format tighter than expected, since it’s built around tastings rather than a full course dinner.

Key highlights you will actually care about

• Flavour Arch + Still Room stops that connect what you see to what you taste
• Four mini classic gin cocktails with matching cheeses, crackers, and chutneys
• Hands-on shaking time so you’re not just holding a glass
• IJ Mellis pairing focus with Scotland’s celebrated cheesemonger
• Small-group feel with max 12 for more attention and interaction

Starting at The Arches: the welcome drink and gin backstory

Your tour starts at the Edinburgh Gin Distillery, right in The Arches at Arch 16, E Market St (EH8 8FS). You’re aiming to be there for the 2:00 pm start, and it ends back at the same meeting point. The location is handy if you’re already exploring central Edinburgh, and it’s close enough to public transport that you’re not forced into a taxi just to get there.

You begin with a classic Edinburgh Gin welcome drink. This is a smart move in a tasting tour, because it gives you a baseline before you start learning flavor details. Then you get an introduction to the history of gin in Edinburgh, plus the story behind Edinburgh Gin itself. You’re not just hearing dates and facts; the goal is to help you connect the spirit’s identity to the way it tastes now.

This early portion matters because gin is a flavor system. It’s not one note—it’s a stack of botanicals. When someone sets up that idea clearly, the rest of the tour becomes easier. You’ll notice how the same base spirit can read differently once a cocktail is built and once it meets cheese.

One more small plus: the experience runs as a tight 1 hour 45 minute block. That means you’re not waiting around all day, which is great in Edinburgh where your time can disappear fast.

The Flavour Arch and Still Room: seeing how flavor gets shaped

After the intro, you tour the Flavour Arch. This stop is designed to show the flavor side of the story—how the spirit’s character is developed and why it tastes the way it does. The point isn’t to overwhelm you with technical language. It’s more about giving you a visual framework so your tasting makes sense.

Next comes the Still Room. This is where the process side gets real. You’ll see the working environment behind the scenes of distilling, and you’ll hear how the distillery approach connects to what you’ll sip later. The Still Room part is often where people start asking better questions, because now the tasting isn’t abstract. It’s tied to equipment and steps you can picture.

I like that this tour doesn’t separate drink and food. It treats gin like something you can understand through both process and pairing. That’s why this experience works even if you’re not a longtime gin person. You’ll pick up enough context to feel confident tasting.

A practical note: keep your notes in your head, not on your phone. You’re moving through small spaces and tasting along the way. If you try to narrate everything in real time, you’ll miss the best part—tasting, comparing, and letting your brain do the matching.

Four mini gin cocktails paired with IJ Mellis cheeses

Now comes the part most people book for: four mini classic cocktails matched with artisanal cheeses from IJ Mellis. You’ll also get crackers and chutneys with the cheese. This is a food-forward setup, and it’s not an afterthought. The pairings are the engine of the experience.

What I find especially useful is the structure. Each drink isn’t just served and forgotten. You sip a cocktail, then you taste a specific cheese pairing beside it. That lets you learn what harmonizes and what clashes. In plain terms, you start understanding the rules of pairing: fat and salt help tame sharp flavors, acids can lift heavier notes, and sweetness (from chutney) can smooth out the edges.

These cheese choices matter because IJ Mellis is known for quality and for knowing how different cheeses behave with different flavors. Even if you’re new to cheese tasting, you’ll have a short path to good instincts: smell first, taste slowly, and try a bite that includes both cheese and cracker. Then reset and taste again with the drink. The comparison is the lesson.

If you love both food and drinks, this segment is where your “order this later” brain should kick in. Pay attention to the pairing combos that feel seamless. Those are the ones you’ll realistically recreate, either at a pub with a decent gin list or in a bottle-and-cheese night at home.

Also, there’s a built-in realism here: mini classic cocktails let you sample variety without turning the whole tour into a single, heavy drink session. Four is enough to notice patterns. It’s also enough to keep things interesting.

Shake your own cocktail: the hands-on payoff

Then you get to do the thing: shake your own cocktail. This is where the tour becomes more than a tasting. You’re actively making a drink, which changes how you experience it. When you build a cocktail yourself, you pay attention to balance—coldness, dilution, and mixing.

This hands-on moment is likely to be your favorite if you enjoy cooking, bartending, or just proving to yourself you can follow a recipe. It also adds a little performance energy to the room, since everyone is doing the same core action while tasting their results.

One important practical consideration: after alcohol tasting and shaking time, plan not to drive. A clean rule of thumb is to treat the tour like it will take you out of decision-making for a while. If you’re using public transport, you’re already set up well for an easy exit back to the meeting point.

The tour also sometimes gives the chance to go to the Distillery Bar if availability allows. This is a bonus if you want one more round after your tastings, but it’s not the main event—think of it as an optional icing layer.

Who the guides are, and why that matters

A tasting tour lives or dies on the guide. In this case, the experience is repeatedly described through the people leading it—names like Rosie and Freddie, and also Gregor and Sam, plus Kylie and Gregor. The common theme is that the hosts are engaging and able to explain what you’re tasting in a way that makes you feel included rather than lectured.

Gregor is mentioned as leading the initial tour with passion for the history and process of Edinburgh Gin. Sam is mentioned joining in later for the making and tasting portion, which makes the whole experience feel connected—tour leads into action. Rosie and Freddie are described as engaging and funny, which matters because it keeps the room relaxed while you’re learning.

This matters to you because a good guide makes the pairing more meaningful. Instead of just naming cheeses and calling it done, they help you notice why a match works. That turns the whole event into something you can use again later.

Price and value: what $89.97 buys you in real terms

At $89.97 per person, this isn’t a casual pint-and-snack situation. It’s priced like a guided, structured tasting with multiple components. So the value question is: do you get enough distinct experiences to justify the cost?

Here’s what you’re getting, in tour terms:

• A welcome gin drink to start you off with a baseline
• A guided distillery tour with stops at the Flavour Arch and Still Room
• Four mini classic gin cocktails
• Cheese pairing with IJ Mellis cheeses plus crackers and chutneys
• The hands-on part: shaking your own cocktail
• Optional add-ons like the distillery bar (subject to availability)

When you line it up like that, it starts to make sense. You’re not paying for one tasting. You’re paying for a full experience: education, guided drinking, food pairing, and a participatory moment. If you like gin and you care about pairing flavors, this tends to be money well spent because you’re leaving with more than taste—you’re leaving with comparisons you can remember.

If you’re purely price-sensitive and you just want a quick drink, there are cheaper ways to enjoy Edinburgh Gin. But for a couple of hours that combines craft spirits, cheese expertise, and active making, the format feels fair.

Timing, group size, and how to plan your afternoon

The tour runs from 2:00 pm and lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes. It ends back at the start point, so you’re not stuck navigating across town afterward. With a maximum of 12 travelers, you should expect a more conversational pace. That small size is also helpful for the hands-on shaking segment, since you’ll likely get more direct attention than you would in a huge group.

Since it’s alcohol-focused, I suggest building your day around it. Eat something earlier if you can, but don’t arrive stuffed. You want room for the cheese and crackers. Also, plan something low-key afterward—Edinburgh evenings are better when you’re not thinking about catching a ride or negotiating where to go next.

You’ll have a mobile ticket, and confirmation comes at booking. The meeting point is specific and in a central area, so a quick check of your directions before you head out is smart.

Should you book? The best fit and the biggest mismatch

Book this tour if you:

• love gin and want a guided explanation of how Edinburgh Gin’s process connects to flavor
• care about pairing (cheese + cocktails), not just drinking
• want a small-group experience where the guide can actually talk with you
• enjoy hands-on activities like shaking a cocktail

Skip it or think twice if you:

• want a meal-style experience with lots of food beyond tastings
• hate any sort of alcohol-forward schedule
• need to drive immediately after (plan for transport instead)

If you land somewhere in the middle—like you like gin but don’t want a huge commitment—this still works because the cocktails are mini classic versions and the pace is set for learning through tasting.

My bottom line: if craft drinks and cheese pairing make you curious, this is one of the more satisfying ways to spend an afternoon in Edinburgh. You leave with a clearer sense of what you like, why you like it, and how to recreate the ideas later.

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 is 2:00 pm.

How long is the experience?

The duration is about 1 hour 45 minutes.

How much does it cost?

The price is $89.97 per person.

What happens on the tour?

You get a welcome drink and a gin history introduction, visit the Flavour Arch and Still Room, taste four mini classic gin cocktails paired with IJ Mellis cheeses, and you shake your own cocktail.

Are there limits on group size?

Yes. This experience has a maximum of 12 travelers.

Is there an option to visit the Distillery Bar?

There is an option to visit the Distillery Bar, subject to availability.

Is the tour ticket digital?

Yes, it uses a mobile ticket.

Is it refundable if plans change?

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