Distill a Bottle of Rum on mini copper stills

The best part of this Edinburgh experience is simple: you do not just taste rum, you make a bottle of your own. With a mini copper still in front of you, a choice of up to 10 botanicals, and guidance from hosts such as Gary and Neil, the afternoon feels hands-on from start to finish.

I like the tiny group size, capped at three, because you get room to ask basic questions without feeling rushed. I also like the full keepsake: your 500ml bottle is bottled, labelled, named, and finished with a wax seal.

The main consideration is the price, $123.40 per person. That is a serious sum for a three-hour activity, and the experience suits people who enjoy tasting, making, and drinking spirits. If rum is not your thing, Edinburgh has cheaper ways to spend an afternoon.

Key details before you book

• You distill a full 500ml bottle: Your finished rum goes home with you after tasting and bottling.
• You choose up to 10 botanicals: Build a recipe from fruits, herbs, spices, and other available ingredients.
• The class takes place in a cosy room: Sip Antics operates from a bespoke micro-distillery room in the basement of The Cumberland Bar.
• The group is very small: The stated maximum is three people, which gives the session a personal feel.
• Gary and Neil lead the sessions: Both hosts are known for clear explanations, easy conversation, and a relaxed approach.
• Allow about three hours: You receive tastings, a cocktail, instruction, distillation time, and time to finish your bottle.

Starting beneath The Cumberland Bar

Your meeting point is The Cumberland Bar at 1-3 Cumberland Street, in Edinburgh’s EH3 6RT area. The class begins at noon and ends back at the same meeting point, so you do not need to arrange a second pickup location.

The bar is an old-fashioned Edinburgh setting, while the distilling takes place in a cosy room below. That contrast works well. You get the character of a traditional pub, then move into a smaller working space where the equipment and ingredients become the focus.

The location is near public transportation, which makes the noon start fairly easy to fit into an Edinburgh day. You can visit the class before an afternoon of sightseeing, or use it as the main event on a slower day. Since the activity lasts roughly three hours, do not schedule a tightly timed museum visit or train immediately afterward.

On arrival, you receive a rum and mixer. This gives you time to settle in before the technical part begins. The host explains how the session will work, so you know what is coming before you start choosing ingredients.

Three rum samples set the stage

The tasting begins with three different rum samples. This is more useful than simply having a drink placed in front of you. It gives you a chance to compare styles, aromas, and flavour direction before you design your own bottle.

Pay attention to what you enjoy rather than trying to impress anyone. You may prefer warm spice, fruit, herbs, or a softer and sweeter profile. The point is not to identify every note like a professional taster. It is to notice what you want more of in your own recipe.

The hosts explain rum, gin, flavour profiles, and the role of different ingredients in a clear, friendly way. Gary is praised for making even simple questions feel welcome, while Neil brings strong enthusiasm to the tasting and distilling process. That matters in a small class, since the quality of the conversation shapes much of the afternoon.

You should expect alcohol throughout the session. The arrival drink, three samples, and later cocktail make this more than a dry technical workshop. Eat beforehand and pace yourself, especially if you plan to enjoy your bottle later in the day.

Designing your own recipe with botanicals

The creative heart of the class is choosing your botanicals. You can select up to 10 ingredients from the available range, including fruits, herbs, and spices. The exact mix available on the day is not specified, but the experience gives you a broad selection to smell and compare before making your choices.

This is where the host’s advice becomes useful. A large ingredient list can sound exciting, but too many strong flavours may compete with one another. Gary is praised for having a good sense of what combinations work, and you can use his guidance without giving up control of the final recipe.

I recommend choosing a clear theme before you begin. A Christmas-style rum, for example, may lead you toward warming spices and seasonal notes. Another person might prefer fruit and herbs. The important thing is that the bottle reflects your taste, not a fixed house recipe.

The limit of 10 botanicals keeps the choice manageable. You have enough freedom to create something personal, but not so much that the process becomes a long exercise in guesswork. If you are making the experience as a gift, this custom element is especially strong. The final bottle is not just a standard souvenir from Edinburgh.

Running a mini copper still

Once you have settled on your recipe, you use an individual mini copper still. This is the point where the activity shifts from tasting to making. You are not watching a large commercial machine from across a room. You take part in a small-scale version of the process with your own selected ingredients.

The host guides you through distillation and explains what is happening as your rum is produced. The class is designed for ordinary people rather than trained distillers, so you can ask about each step without needing technical knowledge in advance.

The copper still also gives the experience a strong sense of place. Edinburgh has plenty of whisky and gin connections, but this activity focuses on rum and lets you build a spirit from your own flavour choices. It is a good fit for someone who wants a practical food-and-drink activity rather than another passive tasting.

While the rum is distilling, you receive a cocktail. This waiting period is part of the social rhythm of the class, not dead time. You can talk with the host, compare your recipe choices, and enjoy another drink while the equipment does its work.

There is one practical limit to keep in mind: the experience produces a personal bottle rather than teaching you to set up a full home distillery. You gain an introduction to flavour and distillation, but this is a guided workshop and a memorable afternoon, not a professional qualification.

Tasting, measuring, and sealing the final bottle

When your rum has been distilled, you taste it before bottling. This is an important step because you get to experience the result while the whole process is still fresh in your mind. You can compare the finished flavour with the ingredients you selected earlier.

The spirit is measured for proof before it is bottled. That detail adds a useful practical lesson. You are not simply filling a souvenir bottle with an unknown drink. You see that the final product has been checked and prepared for taking home.

Then comes the most satisfying bit of presentation. You bottle your rum, label it, give it a name, and wax-seal it. A wax seal may sound like a small touch, but it turns the result into a proper personal memento. It also makes the bottle feel suitable as a birthday present or a shared project with a partner or friend.

The bottle size is 500ml, also written as 50cl. That is enough to share with family or friends, while still being a manageable keepsake. You may want to let it sit for a few weeks before opening, as some people choose to do, though the experience does not state a required resting period.

Do not expect every bottle to taste exactly as you imagined. Personal recipes involve trial and error, which is part of the fun. The value is in making the choices, learning how the ingredients interact, and leaving with a drink that cannot be bought in the same form from a shop.

Why the three-hour format works

Three hours is long enough for the class to feel substantial. You have time for the arrival drink, an outline of the session, three tastings, recipe design, distillation, a cocktail, final tasting, and bottling.

A shorter class might let you mix a drink or sample rum, but it would not provide the same sense of progression. Here, the stages connect: taste first, choose ingredients, distill, then assess the result.

The pace also allows for conversation. The hosts are described as personable, funny, and relaxed, with Gary’s Irish charm adding to the atmosphere. That may matter more than formal presentation. You are spending a good part of an afternoon in a small room with other people, so an easy host can make the difference between a stiff lesson and a social experience.

The small-group format is another strength. With no more than three people, you should have direct access to the host and your own equipment. This is a better fit for people who want to ask questions or make careful choices than for anyone seeking a large, lively party.

Is $123.40 good value?

At $123.40 per person, this is not a budget drink stop. You are paying for about three hours of instruction, multiple tastings, cocktails, ingredients, the use of a mini copper still, and a 500ml bottle to take away.

The value improves if you see the class as both an activity and a souvenir. A standard bottle of rum from a shop may cost less, but it will not carry your chosen recipe, name, label, and wax seal. You also do not get the making process or the personal guidance.

For a birthday, anniversary, or unusual Edinburgh gift, the price is easier to justify. The experience can be shared by friends, couples, or family members, and the finished bottle gives you something tangible after the afternoon ends.

I would be more cautious if you mainly want to drink premium rum. Much of the cost goes toward participation, teaching, equipment, and the custom bottle. If tasting alone is your priority, a dedicated rum bar may offer better value. If you want to make something and learn along the way, the price is more reasonable.

The activity is often booked around 41 days ahead, so plan early if your Edinburgh dates are fixed. That lead time also makes sense for a class limited to three people.

Who will enjoy this rum-making class?

This is a strong choice for a serious rum fan, but you do not need to be an expert. The hosts explain the process in accessible terms, and the small group gives you space to ask basic questions.

You will probably enjoy it most if you like:

• Hands-on food and drink activities
• Tasting different spirits before making your own
• Herbs, spices, fruits, and flavour experiments
• Personal souvenirs rather than mass-produced gifts
• Small classes with plenty of conversation
• Slow afternoons built around one main activity

It also works well for Edinburgh residents. You do not need a sightseeing agenda to appreciate it. The setting, drinks, and custom bottle make it a pleasant local outing as well as a tourist activity.

I would skip it if you do not drink alcohol, dislike spirits, or want a quick activity under an hour. The class is built around tasting and drinking, and the three-hour duration requires a real commitment.

Please mention any allergies before attending. Service animals are allowed, and the venue is near public transportation. Those details are useful, but you should still contact the provider about any specific needs not covered in the available information.

Booking, cancellation, and practical timing

The experience is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. Confirmation is received at booking, and the scheduled start time is noon.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund, and the cut-off follows local Edinburgh time.

The meeting point is The Cumberland Bar, and the activity returns there at the end. Since the distilling session includes several drinks, public transportation is a sensible choice if you plan to continue sightseeing afterward.

Book well ahead if possible. The average booking point is 41 days before the experience, and a three-person limit leaves little room for last-minute plans.

Should you book the Sip Antics rum experience?

Book it if you want more than a tasting. The strongest reason to go is the complete arc: sample three rums, choose your own botanicals, operate a mini copper still, taste the result, and leave with a labelled and wax-sealed 500ml bottle.

The class is especially good as a gift or shared birthday outing. Gary and Neil bring the friendly teaching style this kind of small workshop needs, and the basement setting beneath The Cumberland Bar gives the afternoon a cosy Edinburgh character.

Think twice if you want a cheap drink, a fast activity, or a polished professional distillery tour. At $123.40, the price depends on how much you value participation and the personal bottle. For rum fans who enjoy making as much as tasting, it is a memorable and unusually hands-on way to spend three hours in Edinburgh.

FAQ

Where does the rum-making experience begin?

It begins at The Cumberland Bar, 1-3 Cumberland Street, Edinburgh EH3 6RT, UK.

What time does the experience start?

The scheduled start time is 12:00 pm.

How long does the experience last?

It lasts approximately three hours.

How many people can attend?

The maximum group size is three people.

What do I make during the class?

You create and distill your own rum recipe using an individual mini copper still.

How much rum do I take home?

You take home a 500ml, also called 50cl, bottle of your finished rum.

How many botanicals can I choose?

You can choose up to 10 botanicals for your custom recipe.

Are drinks included during the experience?

Yes. You receive a rum and mixer on arrival, three rum tasting samples, and a cocktail while your rum is distilling.

Is the activity offered in English?

Yes, the experience is offered in English.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.