Edinburgh: Gin Tasting at Underground Venue

Edinburgh’s Lost Close gives this gin tasting an unusual setting: you sit below the Royal Mile, in a former underground close with the feel of an old jail cell, while your guide traces gin from Jenever to modern London Dry. The setting does much of the work before the first glass is poured.

I like the clear range of four gins and the freedom to mix each with different tonics and garnishes. I also like the guides’ storytelling, especially Sarah, Nicky, and Dan, who turn production methods, tonic water, and Scottish history into something lively rather than academic. The main consideration is the short one-hour format. You get a focused introduction, not a long distillery visit or a full cocktail class.

Key points to know before booking

• The Lost Close is the star setting: Enter underground near St Giles Cathedral and taste gin in one of Edinburgh’s most atmospheric historic spaces.
• Four gins show real contrast: The tasting covers different styles, including references to Old Tom, Navy Strength, and London Dry.
• You build your own serve: Tonics and garnishes are provided, so you can make each drink stronger, lighter, sweeter, or more refreshing.
• The guide matters here: Sarah is often praised for her humor and storytelling, while Nicky and Dan are also noted for a warm, professional approach.
• It is a history lesson with drinks: You learn how tonic began as medicine and how gin changed across the centuries.
• Plan it as an evening starter: The meeting point is just off the Royal Mile, making the one-hour session easy to pair with dinner or a pub visit.

Entering The Lost Close below Parliament Square

The meeting point is outside John’s Coffee House & Tavern, just off the Royal Mile and behind St Giles Cathedral on Parliament Square. From there, your guide leads the group underground into The Lost Close.

That transition is important. This is not a bright tasting room with rows of bottles on display. The atmosphere comes from the place itself. One account describes sitting in an old jail cell, which gives you a good sense of the setting’s theatrical edge. You are tasting a polished modern spirit in a space tied to Edinburgh’s older, rougher past.

The venue also helps the group settle in. The enclosed room creates a friendly, close-knit mood, especially when the group is small. One reported session had six people, and the setting is well suited to conversation. You can ask questions, compare your tasting notes with the people beside you, and follow the guide without the noise of a large public bar.

You should arrive at the stated meeting point rather than go directly underground. Transportation is not included, but the location near the Royal Mile makes this a central Edinburgh activity. It works well before dinner, after a walk around the Old Town, or as a change of pace from churches, museums, and crowded viewpoints.

The first glass: gin before the modern bottle

The tasting follows the evolution of gin rather than simply presenting four unrelated pours. Your guide begins with the earliest origins of the spirit and follows its development through styles such as Jenever, Old Tom, Navy Strength, and London Dry.

That sequence gives the drinks a purpose. You are not only asking which gin tastes best. You are considering how gin’s ingredients, strength, and production methods affect what reaches your glass.

Jenever provides the early reference point. Old Tom helps show the move toward a sweeter style. Navy Strength brings the subject of alcohol content into the conversation, while London Dry represents the crisp, familiar profile many people now associate with gin. The supplied information does not identify the four exact brands or promise one specific brand at each stage, so you should expect a guided comparison of styles rather than a fixed brand list.

This is especially useful if you know gin mainly as a standard gin and tonic. The tasting can help you notice why one gin feels piney, another citrus-led, and another softer or sweeter. You are given a practical way to compare them, not just a list of production facts.

The guides keep the tone light. Sarah is repeatedly singled out for amusing stories, warmth, and a strong grasp of the subject. Nicky and Dan are also described as friendly and professional. Guide assignments can change, but the pattern is clear: the host is a major part of the experience, and the presentation aims to entertain as well as inform.

Four gins, several tonics, and your own preferred mix

You taste four different gins, with tonics and garnishes supplied. The mixing is left to you, which is one of the best features of this format.

A fixed drink can tell you what the host prefers. Building your own serve tells you more about your own taste. You might keep the first pour bold and strong, then add more tonic to the next. A garnish can shift the aroma and change your first impression, even when the gin itself stays the same.

The experience does not present itself as a formal bartending class. You are not promised advanced cocktail techniques or a long list of recipes. Instead, the guide explains flavour profiles and suggests mixer pairings, then gives you room to experiment.

I like that approach because it keeps the focus on understanding gin. If you already know your favorite style, you can test it against the other pours. If you are new to gin, the tonics help soften or sharpen the flavors until you find a combination that suits you.

Pay attention to how the tonic changes the drink. A stronger gin may need more mixer for a lighter serve, while a gentler style can lose its character if diluted too much. You do not need formal tasting vocabulary. Simply notice which glass smells fresh, which feels warm, which tastes dry, and which one you would actually order again.

The four samples are described as varied and delicious, but the exact selection is not published. That is worth knowing if you have a particular distillery in mind. Book this for the guided comparison and setting, not for a guaranteed taste of one named Scottish brand.

How tonic water moved from medicine to mixer

The tonic section adds a useful twist. Your guide explains that tonic water was first used for medicinal purposes before becoming gin’s familiar partner.

You may already know the standard gin and tonic, but its pairing can seem almost automatic. Learning why tonic entered the story gives the drink a little more sense. Bitterness, sweetness, botanicals, and dilution all affect how gin works in the glass.

This part also helps explain the different mixer choices. Tonic is not just a way to make a drink longer. It brings its own flavor and can bring out or cover parts of the gin. The guide connects the historical story to the tasting, so you can test the idea immediately.

The tone is not strictly formal. Several sessions are described as quirky, amusing, or a bit like theater. That makes the history easier to remember. You may come away with a clearer sense of how gin moved from early forms such as Jenever through later styles, while also understanding why tonic remains such a natural match.

Scotland’s connection to gin

Scotland is better known abroad for whisky, but this experience gives gin its own place in the country’s story. The guide links the development of gin to Scotland and to the venue itself, adding local context to the broader story of the spirit.

The location matters here. You are not hearing Scottish history in a generic hotel bar. You are below the Old Town, close to St Giles Cathedral and the Royal Mile, in a place whose atmosphere supports stories about earlier Edinburgh.

The exact historical details can vary with the guide, but the presentation clearly goes beyond a basic product talk. You learn about the venue, the production of gin, and the spirit’s changing place across time. One account specifically notes that the guide covered the history of both the location and gin, with amusing anecdotes along the way.

That combination is why this works for people who are interested in Edinburgh as much as they are in drinks. The gin gives the session a clear focus, while the underground venue gives it a local identity.

What the one-hour schedule really means

The activity lasts one hour. That is long enough for four tastings and a well-paced explanation, but it also sets a limit on what can be covered.

You should expect a compact presentation rather than a slow afternoon of tasting. The guide needs to move through several historical periods, explain tonic water, introduce four gins, and leave time for your own mixing. The session may feel full, especially if the group asks many questions.

That short length is useful in an Edinburgh itinerary. You can fit it between Old Town sightseeing and dinner without giving up half a day. It also makes the $36 price easier to assess. You are paying for four samples, mixers, garnishes, a live English-speaking guide, and exclusive access to an atmospheric venue.

The value is strongest if you care about the setting and the story. A person looking only for the cheapest way to taste four gins may find a bar flight less costly. A person who wants a guided introduction in a memorable place gets more than a set of pours here.

Some guides may answer questions beyond the scheduled hour. One session ran longer while the guide responded to questions, but you should not treat extra time as guaranteed. The official duration remains one hour.

Who will enjoy this gin tasting most

This is a strong choice for couples, friends, and solo visitors who enjoy a social activity with a clear theme. It works particularly well for people who like local history, atmospheric spaces, and drinks with a story behind them.

You do not need to be a gin expert. In fact, beginners may get the most from the comparison because the guide explains the styles and mixers in plain terms. Experienced gin drinkers can use the session to test preferences and consider how different tonics affect familiar flavors.

The activity is also a good rainy-day option. Edinburgh weather can make outdoor plans less appealing, and an underground venue gives you a sheltered hour without feeling like another standard indoor attraction.

It is not suitable for children under 18, babies under one year, or pregnant women. Smoking is not allowed indoors. Since access details are not provided, contact the provider if you have specific mobility or space concerns before booking.

The guide speaks English, and the experience is offered with a live English-speaking host. If you need another language, this is not presented as a multilingual tour.

Small details that make the evening work

A few practical choices can improve the experience:

• Meet outside John’s Coffee House & Tavern, not at The Lost Close itself.
• Use the location as part of an Old Town plan, since Parliament Square is close to the Royal Mile and St Giles Cathedral.
• Keep dinner plans flexible enough to allow for the full hour and a little time getting to the next stop.
• Treat the tasting as a lesson in balance, not a race through four drinks.
• Ask about the gin styles as they appear. The session is most useful when you connect each pour to the story being told.

The underground setting may be the most memorable part, but the format depends heavily on the guide’s delivery. Sarah receives especially strong praise for making the subject funny and easy to follow. Other named hosts, including Nicky and Dan, are also described as welcoming and enthusiastic.

That does not mean every session will feel identical. A live guide brings personality into the room, and different hosts may tell the story in different ways. Still, the activity has been built around storytelling rather than a silent tasting flight, so the human element is central.

Booking flexibility and timing

The price is $36 per person. The booking terms allow you to cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Starting times vary, so check availability for the date you want.

Those terms are useful if your Edinburgh schedule is still moving around. The one-hour duration is easy to place in a busy day, but you should not assume that every evening slot will suit your dinner plans. Check the start time before committing to another reservation nearby.

No transportation is included. The activity begins at the central meeting point, and the onward journey is yours to arrange.

Should you book The Lost Close gin tasting?

Book it if you want four contrasting gins, practical advice on tonics, and an atmospheric Edinburgh setting in one short session. The guides’ humor and storytelling are a major part of the appeal, with Sarah especially associated with lively, memorable presentations.

I would choose this over a standard bar tasting if you care about context. You learn how gin developed, how tonic changed from medicine to mixer, and how styles such as Old Tom, Navy Strength, and London Dry differ. You also get to make the drinks to your own taste instead of accepting one fixed recipe.

Skip it if you want a full distillery tour, a named-brand itinerary, or an extensive cocktail workshop. That is not what this offers.

For most visitors, the $36 price is fair because it covers both the tasting and the unusual venue. Add its central location and flexible booking terms, and it makes a smart one-hour addition to an Old Town evening.

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 from there into The Lost Close.

How long does the experience last?

The stated duration is one hour. Starting times vary, so check availability for your chosen date.

How many gins will I taste?

You will taste four different gins. Tonics and garnishes are included, and you can mix the drinks to your preferred strength and style.

Is the guide available in English?

Yes. The experience has a live tour guide and is conducted in English.

Who cannot take part?

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

Can I cancel or pay later?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve your place and pay later, with no payment required today.