Edinburgh: Gin Tasting at Underground Venue

Edinburgh’s Lost Close gives this gin tasting something most hotel bars cannot: atmosphere. You meet outside John’s Coffee House & Tavern, just behind St Giles Cathedral, then head underground for a one-hour journey through gin’s past, from Jenever to Old Tom, Navy Strength, and London Dry.

I like the four very different gins and the freedom to mix each with your choice of tonic and garnish. I also like the storytelling, especially the link between gin, tonic water, and Scottish history. The main drawback is the short running time. One hour passes quickly, so this is a focused tasting rather than a long evening of drinks and conversation.

Key points at a glance

• The Lost Close: Taste gin in one of Edinburgh’s atmospheric underground spaces, with the setting adding a theatrical touch.
• Four distinct samples: Compare different styles of gin rather than drinking four near-identical pours.
• Make your own serve: Choose from several tonics and garnishes to find the combinations you prefer.
• Gin through the ages: Follow the spirit from Jenever to Old Tom, Navy Strength, and London Dry.
• Strong storytelling: Guides including Sarah, Sara, Nicky, and Dan have been praised for humor, warmth, and clear explanations.
• A quick Royal Mile activity: The one-hour format fits neatly before dinner, after sightseeing, or at the start of an evening.

Meeting Gin Beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

The experience begins outside John’s Coffee House & Tavern on Parliament Square, just off the Royal Mile and behind St Giles Cathedral. This is a useful meeting point because it is central, easy to pair with sightseeing, and close to several restaurants and pubs for later.

From there, your guide leads the group underground into The Lost Close. The setting matters here. You are not simply seated at a modern tasting counter with a row of branded bottles. The old underground venue gives the session a sense of place, and one account describes sitting in an old jail cell while sipping gin and hearing about its past.

That detail captures the mood well. The setting is quirky and theatrical without turning the whole thing into a costume show. The venue helps the history feel connected to Edinburgh rather than pasted onto a standard drinks lesson.

You should arrive knowing that the experience takes place underground, but the supplied information does not give details about steps, lifts, or other access arrangements. If those points matter to you, ask the operator before booking.

The First Pour: Gin Before It Became a Trend

The tasting is built around the evolution of gin, not just a quick flight of samples. Your guide begins with the spirit’s early roots and explains how gin changed over the centuries.

You will hear about Jenever, the older style linked to gin’s beginnings, then move through Old Tom, Navy Strength, and London Dry. These names can sound like bar-menu decoration until someone explains what they mean. Here, the point is to show that gin is not one fixed flavor.

The four samples are chosen to be different, allowing you to compare styles as you go. One may lean toward juniper, another toward citrus, herbs, spice, or other botanical notes. The exact brands and pours can vary, so you should think of the session as a guided comparison rather than a promise of four named bottles.

This is one of the best reasons to book the experience even if you already drink gin. A familiar gin and tonic can blur together after a while. Tasting several styles in sequence helps you notice what you actually like: a dry finish, a sweeter profile, a bold juniper taste, or something lighter and more fragrant.

The guides are central to the experience. Sarah has been singled out for her humor, historical detail, and ability to keep the group involved. Other sessions have been led by Sara, Nicky, and Dan. Names and hosts can change, but the pattern is clear: the guide is expected to do more than read bottle notes.

Tonic Water Has Its Own Story

The tonic section adds a useful twist. Most people treat tonic as a mixer that comes in regular, light, or flavored versions. The session explains how tonic water began as a medicinal drink and later became gin’s familiar partner.

That story gives you a better reason to pay attention to the mixer. Tonic is not just there to make the drink longer. Its sweetness, bitterness, bubbles, and flavor can change how the gin tastes.

You are given different tonics and garnishes, then left to mix your own drinks. This makes the tasting more practical than a formal flight where every drink arrives already prepared. You get to test the guide’s suggestions and decide for yourself.

Try to keep track of what you add. If you change the gin, tonic, and garnish all at once, it can be hard to tell which ingredient made the difference. A simple approach is to begin with the suggested pairing, taste it, and then adjust the balance.

If you prefer a strong drink, you can keep the tonic light. If you like something crisp and refreshing, a larger measure of tonic may suit you better. The point is not to find one official recipe. It is to find the style that fits your own palate.

Four Gins, Several Ways to Mix Them

The four-gin format works because it gives you enough variety without turning the hour into a blur of samples. Each pour has a job: show a different stage or style in gin’s development, then give you a chance to pair it with a tonic and garnish.

You may want to notice these points as you taste:

• How strongly does juniper come through?
• Does the gin taste dry, sweet, floral, citrusy, herbal, or spicy?
• Does the tonic sharpen the drink or cover the gin?
• Does the garnish add a useful scent, or is it mostly decoration?
• Which serve would you actually order again?

This is not a professional spirits course, and it does not claim to turn you into a distiller. It does give you a better vocabulary for choosing gin later. That has real value if you often stare at a long back-bar list and pick at random.

The hands-on mixing also helps couples and friends compare preferences. One person may like a strong, dry drink while another prefers a lighter mix. Since everyone can adjust the serve, the tasting does not force one flavor profile on the whole group.

The tradeoff is that personal mixing takes time. With only an hour, the session cannot spend ages on each bottle. If you want a slow, technical tasting with detailed production notes for every gin, you may find this format brisk.

From Botanical Spirit to Scottish Story

The activity connects gin to Scotland rather than treating the country as a backdrop. The guide explains how the spirit developed and how it fits into Scottish history, while also using the venue itself as part of the story.

That combination is what makes the session feel different from a standard bar tasting. You are learning about a drink, but you are also hearing about the place beneath the Royal Mile and the way drinks change as their social and medicinal uses change.

The best guides use anecdotes and jokes to keep the subject moving. Sarah has been praised for making the history entertaining, and one session was described as feeling like a bit of theater. That does not mean the experience becomes a staged performance. It means the information is delivered with character rather than as a list of dates and definitions.

You should expect a social setting. The group size can be small, with one session involving six people, though the exact number may vary. A smaller group gives you more room to ask questions and compare drinks with the people around you.

The mood may suit a pair, a small group of friends, or solo visitors who enjoy meeting people over a shared interest. It is less suited to anyone seeking a quiet private tasting, since the storytelling and group discussion are part of the format.

Why The Lost Close Changes the Experience

The underground setting is not a minor detail. Edinburgh has plenty of places to drink gin, but far fewer where the room itself helps set the tone.

An old close and jail-cell setting can make the evening feel slightly strange in a good way. You are not just moving from sightseeing to another polished bar. You are stepping into a piece of the city’s built environment, then hearing how gin moved through different periods and styles.

That atmosphere also gives the activity a strong sense of occasion. It works well as a first stop before dinner because the tour ends after an hour, and it can add character to an evening that might otherwise consist of the usual Royal Mile walk and pub visit.

There is a limit, though. The venue is atmospheric rather than luxurious. If your ideal gin tasting means bright windows, sleek furniture, and a quiet counter, this underground space may not be your style. Here, the old surroundings are part of the appeal.

Is $36 Good Value for One Hour?

At $36 per person, the cost is reasonable if you value the setting and the instruction as much as the alcohol. You receive four gin samples, several tonics, garnishes, a live English-speaking guide, and access to The Lost Close.

The value is strongest for people who want context. You are paying for more than four small drinks. The guide explains the development of gin, the role of tonic, and the differences between styles. The venue also gives you an experience that is hard to recreate with a bottle at home.

If you only want to drink four gins, the price may feel high compared with buying a few bottles or ordering separate drinks at a bar. You also need to remember that the event lasts one hour. It is not a full dinner, a long distillery visit, or a night-long tasting.

I see it as good value for a central Edinburgh activity that combines history, storytelling, and drinks. It is especially useful when you want something organized but not overly formal. The ability to reserve now and pay later also gives you some flexibility, while cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time.

Transportation is not included. That is not much of a problem because the meeting point is central, but you need to make your own way to Parliament Square.

Who Will Enjoy This Gin Tasting?

I would recommend it to you if you fit one or more of these descriptions:

• You enjoy gin but want to understand the differences between styles.
• You like local history presented through food or drink.
• You want an unusual setting near the Royal Mile.
• You are planning an evening activity that takes only an hour.
• You enjoy lively guides, jokes, and group conversation.
• You are visiting Edinburgh with friends and want something beyond the standard pub stop.

It is also a good choice for couples. The self-mixing format gives you something to discuss, and you can compare which tonic and garnish work best for each gin.

I would be more cautious if you dislike underground venues, want a long tasting, or prefer a completely quiet and private setting. The activity also is not suitable for anyone under 18, pregnant women, or babies under one year. Smoking is not allowed indoors.

The language for the tour is English, so you should be comfortable following a spoken explanation in English. The guides carry much of the experience, and the historical storytelling is as important as the tasting itself.

Practical Timing for Your Edinburgh Day

The one-hour length makes this easy to fit into a busy schedule. You can book it before dinner, use it as an early evening activity, or place it between Royal Mile sightseeing and another central stop.

Give yourself enough time to find John’s Coffee House & Tavern. The meeting point is outside, not inside The Lost Close, and the tour heads underground from there. Clear directions and reminders are part of the booking process, but you should still avoid arriving at the last second.

The session has a fixed starting time, so check availability for the day you want. Since the tasting includes four pours, avoid treating it as a quick coffee break. You do not need to plan a full evening around it, but you should allow the hour to unfold without rushing.

Afterward, you will be well placed for dinner or another drink near the Royal Mile. The tasting itself does not include transportation or food, so plan those separately.

My Take: Book It If You Want More Than a Drink

I like this experience because it gives a simple idea, gin tasting, a strong Edinburgh setting and a clear story. The Lost Close supplies the atmosphere, while the four gins, tonics, and garnishes keep you involved rather than leaving you to listen passively.

The strongest part is the guide. Sarah, Sara, Nicky, and Dan have all been praised for warmth, humor, and clear explanations, though your guide will depend on the date. The session seems to work best when you treat it as a conversation with drinks, not as a technical lecture.

Book it if you want a compact, characterful activity near the Royal Mile and enjoy learning while you taste. Skip it if you want a long evening, a full meal, or a private high-end tasting. At $36, it is a fair buy for four varied samples, expert guidance, and access to an unusual underground venue.

FAQ

Where does the gin tasting meet?

Meet outside John’s Coffee House & Tavern, just off the Royal Mile behind St Giles Cathedral on Parliament Square. The group goes underground to The Lost Close from there.

How long does the experience last?

The tasting lasts one hour. Starting times vary, so check availability for your chosen date.

How many gins will I taste?

You will sample four different gins, paired with a variety of tonics and garnishes.

Can I choose my own tonic and garnish?

Yes. The guide explains flavor profiles and suggested pairings, but you mix the drinks yourself and can adjust them to your taste.

Is the tour available in languages other than English?

No. The live tour guide and activity language are English.

Who cannot take part?

The experience is not suitable for pregnant women, children under 18, or babies under one year. Smoking is not allowed indoors.