Evolution of Gin and Underground Gin Tasting in Edinburgh | 1hr

Edinburgh’s The Lost Close gives this one-hour gin tasting a setting you will not get at a standard bar. You meet upstairs at John’s Coffee House and Tavern, then follow your guide below street level into a vaulted space once used as Scotland’s first purpose-built bank, later a prison, and eventually a forgotten passage uncovered in recent years. I like the way the place makes the subject feel physical: gin’s less polished beginnings are discussed in a room with its own rough past.

I also like the tasting’s clear sense of purpose. You sample four very different gins, and each one fits the story being told, from early distilled spirits and Dutch genever to modern Scottish bottles. The small group, capped at 10 people, gives Sara, Sarah, Dan, or another guide room to answer questions and adjust the drinks to your tastes.

The main thing to consider is the short running time. One hour is enough for a brisk introduction and four samples, but not for a full distillery visit or a long, technical spirits class. If you want several contemporary Scottish brands or a tour of production equipment, this is not that kind of outing.

Key points to know before booking

• The Lost Close is the star setting: Enter an underground Edinburgh space that served as a bank, prison, and forgotten close before being uncovered.
• Four gins follow a historical path: The tasting moves from Aqua Vitae and Dutch genever to modern Scottish gin.
• Guides carry the experience: Sara, Sarah, and Dan are praised for humour, storytelling, and easy conversation.
• The drinks are mixed to your tastes: You get four different samples rather than four near-identical pours.
• The group stays small: A maximum of 10 people suits visitors who prefer questions and conversation.
• It is a compact Old Town activity: The experience lasts about an hour and begins and ends at John’s Coffee House and Tavern.

Why the underground setting matters

A gin tasting can easily become a row of small glasses and a list of botanicals. Here, the room gives the hour a stronger shape. The Lost Close sits below Edinburgh’s Old Town, in an underground space described as a former bank, prison, and long-forgotten passageway.

That history is not just decoration. The setting suits a drink whose early story was not all polished bottles and handsome distilleries. Gin passed through periods of rough production, cheap spirits, and questionable reputation before becoming the refined product found in Scottish bars today. Hearing that story underground, in a vaulted room, helps connect the drink to the older city around you.

You meet at John’s Coffee House and Tavern at 1a Parliament Square, close to St Giles’ Cathedral and the Old Town’s main sights. Your guide meets you upstairs and leads the group below. This arrangement is useful because you do not need to search for an unmarked underground entrance on your own. One practical note: construction in the area has sometimes made meeting outside less straightforward, so arrive at the stated meeting point with a little time to spare.

The venue is the one part of the experience you cannot recreate at home. You can buy four gins and read about them anywhere. You cannot easily pair them with Edinburgh’s buried passages, old vaults, and layered city story.

From Aqua Vitae to the first gin stories

The tasting begins with the roots of distillation rather than jumping straight to fashionable Scottish brands. The guide discusses Aqua Vitae, an early distilled spirit, and explains how ideas about distillation and botanical infusion developed over time.

You are not simply handed a glass and told to identify juniper. The point is to understand how a spirit changes as methods, ingredients, and drinking habits change. This gives the tasting a useful thread, especially if you do not already know much about gin.

The early section also helps explain why gin can taste so different from one bottle to the next. You may encounter discussion of distillation methods and the use of botanicals, with each sample chosen to support the story. The experience does not promise a technical lesson at the level of a distiller’s course, but it gives you enough context to notice why the drinks have different profiles.

I especially like this approach for people who think they are not gin drinkers. One sample may be sharper, another more herbal, and another closer to the modern styles now associated with Scotland. You are given a chance to compare rather than being told that gin has one fixed taste.

Dutch genever and gin’s changing identity

The next stage brings in Dutch genever, an important step in the drink’s development. This is where the tasting becomes a history lesson with a glass in hand. The guide links the spirit you are drinking to the broader story of how gin developed and traveled.

Genever is useful in a tasting because it shows that the family tree is wider than modern London-style or Scottish gin. It helps explain that gin did not appear fully formed. Its identity shifted as producers changed recipes, distillation practices, and the balance of grains, herbs, and other botanicals.

Your guide may pause for questions here, which is one reason the 10-person limit matters. A large room with a scripted talk would make this harder. In a small group, you can ask why one sample tastes softer, more floral, or more pronounced than another, and the discussion can stay tied to what is in front of you.

The experience is casual rather than formal. That suits the subject. Gin has plenty of serious history, but the guides are also praised for being funny, social, and easy to talk with. Sara in particular is often described as a strong storyteller, while Dan is noted for explaining the origins of each gin in an entertaining way.

Four samples, four different profiles

The core of the hour is tasting four gins selected to show change over time and differences in style. The exact brands are not specified in the booking details, so you should not arrive expecting a particular bottle. The useful promise is variety and a historical connection between the pours.

The samples are mixed to your tastes. That matters if you prefer a lighter drink, want to explore the spirit with a mixer, or are still deciding how you feel about gin. The experience is not presented as four bare shots. Your guide uses the mixed drinks to help you compare the gins in a more approachable way.

You will likely get more from the tasting if you pay attention to contrasts rather than trying to pick a winner. Notice which sample seems most traditional, which feels more modern, and which botanicals or production choices make the drinks differ. The guide’s explanations are there to give those differences meaning.

The modern Scottish section is especially useful for visitors who associate Scotland mainly with whisky. Scotland has a growing gin identity, and the tasting places current Scottish examples at the end of a much longer story. It shows that modern gin is not an isolated trend. It grows from older spirits and methods, while using new recipes and local production ideas.

Still, keep the scale in mind. This is four tastings in one hour, not a full evening of spirits. The samples are designed to illustrate the evolution of gin, so the emphasis is on range and context rather than a large number of current products.

The guides make the history easy to follow

A good tasting depends heavily on the person leading it. Here, the strongest feature is the guide’s role as storyteller. The experience has featured Sara, Sarah, and Dan, and the descriptions of their hosting style are consistent: warm, funny, interactive, and well prepared.

That combination is important. A dry lecture about distillation could make even a gin fan check the clock. A purely social tasting could leave you with drinks but little sense of what you learned. The best version of this experience sits between the two, using humour and stories to keep the historical thread moving.

You should expect questions and conversation rather than a silent tasting. The small group makes it easier to ask about the building, Edinburgh’s Old Town, botanical infusion, or the origins of a particular sample. It also means the guide can notice if you are new to gin and explain things without assuming prior knowledge.

If you are visiting Edinburgh alone, this can be a comfortable social activity without the commitment of a full meal or long walking tour. If you are traveling with friends, the tasting gives you something to discuss afterward. It also works for a first day in the city, when a mellow indoor activity can help you stay awake without demanding hours of effort.

The guide’s personality may shape your experience more than any individual gin. That is not a warning so much as a practical point. This is a hosted storytelling session, not a self-guided tasting, so the energy in the room matters.

What you see at The Lost Close

The venue’s story unfolds in layers. It began as Scotland’s first purpose-built bank, later became a prison, and was then lost for years. Its more recent discovery has made it one of Edinburgh’s newest underground venues.

The room is described as a vault or vaulted underground space, with old passageways adding to the mood. You are not touring a complete bank or prison museum, and the booking information does not promise a long architectural tour. Instead, the setting forms the backdrop for the gin story.

That distinction helps set fair expectations. If your main goal is Edinburgh archaeology, you may want a dedicated Old Town or underground history tour as well. If you want a drink-centered experience with an unusual place attached, The Lost Close fits well.

The underground location may also be worth considering for comfort. The details provided do not specify temperature, stairs, or full accessibility arrangements, so you should check directly if you have mobility or access concerns. Service animals are allowed, and the meeting point is near public transportation.

Is $37.29 good value for one hour?

At $37.29 per person, this is not the cheapest way to taste gin in Edinburgh. A bar flight may cost less, especially if you only care about the alcohol and do not need a guide.

The value improves if you count the venue, the historical storytelling, and the chance to compare four samples in a planned sequence. You are paying for a compact experience that combines a city setting, an underground space, a host, and drinks mixed to your preference. For a first visit to Edinburgh, that combination can make better use of an hour than an ordinary stop at a pub.

I would consider it good value for a gin fan who wants context, not just quantity. It is also a sensible choice for someone curious about gin but not yet convinced. The four styles let you test the category without committing to a full bottle or a long distillery tour.

The value is weaker if you want a generous amount of alcohol, a meal pairing, or a detailed look at how gin is made in a working distillery. The experience is short and focused. Its strength is the story and setting, not volume.

The activity is often reserved well ahead of time, with an average booking lead of about 27 days. That suggests you should not leave it until the final afternoon of a busy Edinburgh visit if the timing matters to you.

Who should book this tasting?

I would point gin fans toward this first, especially those interested in how the drink developed rather than only in current Scottish labels. The unusual venue gives the experience more character than a standard tasting room.

It also suits people who are new to gin. The guides explain the progression from Aqua Vitae and genever to modern gin, and the four samples offer a sensible introduction to different styles. You do not need to arrive as an expert.

This is a good pick for:

• A couple wanting a short Old Town activity
• Solo visitors looking for a small-group experience
• Friends who enjoy drinks with stories attached
• Gin drinkers curious about Scottish examples
• Visitors who prefer history and conversation to a formal lecture

I would be more cautious if you dislike underground spaces, want a long tour, or prefer whisky and have no interest in trying gin. The history of the building may still appeal, but the tasting remains the center of the hour.

The experience is offered in English. It includes a mobile ticket, accepts service animals, and ends back at the starting point. Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Inside that window, refunds are not provided, and changes are not accepted.

My verdict on The Lost Close gin experience

I like this tasting because it does not treat gin as a fashionable drink with no past. It links four samples to a clear story, then places that story below Edinburgh in a former bank, prison, and forgotten close.

The best reasons to book are the setting, the small group, and the guides. Sara, Sarah, and Dan are associated with the kind of humour and personal attention that keeps the hour lively. The main limitation is its compact format, so you should choose it for a focused introduction rather than a full distillery day.

Book it if you want to understand why gin tastes different across time and style, and if an underground Edinburgh venue sounds as appealing as the drinks. Skip it if you mainly want a large selection of brands or a long production tour. For the right visitor, $37.29 buys a memorable hour with four well-connected tastes and a story you will remember after leaving the glass behind.

FAQ

Where does the gin tasting begin?

It begins at John’s Coffee House and Tavern, 1a Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RF, UK.

Where does the experience end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point.

How long does the experience last?

The tasting lasts approximately one hour.

How many gins will I taste?

You will taste four different gins, mixed to your tastes.

Is the tasting held underground?

Yes. Your guide leads you from the meeting point into The Lost Close, an underground Edinburgh venue.

What is The Lost Close?

The space was once Scotland’s first purpose-built bank, later became a prison, and was then lost for years before being uncovered in recent years.

How large is the group?

The activity has a maximum of 10 participants.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.