Edinburgh: Rum Distillation Workshop with Rum Tasting

Edinburgh’s Sip Antics workshop lets you do more than sample rum. You make and distill a bespoke 500ml bottle, choose your own ingredients, taste it before bottling, then label and wax-seal it for the journey home. That hands-on finish gives the three-hour session a real sense of purpose.

I like the tiny group size, limited to two people, because Neil can give each person proper attention. I also like the steady flow of drinks: a welcome rum and mixer, three flavoured samples, and a rum cocktail while your own bottle is being prepared. The main drawback is simple: this is a drinks experience, not a meal, and the downstairs room is not wheelchair accessible.

Key points

• Make a 500ml bottle: Choose ingredients, distill your rum, taste the finished blend, then bottle it.
• Meet Neil: His lively, informative style is a major part of the experience.
• Taste three flavoured rums: The samples help you compare styles before making your own.
• Enjoy two mixed drinks: You receive a rum and mixer on arrival, plus a cocktail during the distillation.
• Smallest possible group: With space for only two participants, this feels personal rather than factory-like.
• Plan for the setting: The workshop is downstairs at the Cumberland Bar, with no food served.

A hands-on rum workshop beneath the Cumberland Bar

The experience begins at the Cumberland Bar on Cumberland Street. Enter through the main entrance about 15 minutes before your start time, and your host will meet you upstairs before taking you down to the room used for the rum school.

That meeting arrangement matters. The workshop is not presented as a street-level shopfront, so arriving early gives you time to find the bar and avoid a last-minute scramble. The actual session takes place downstairs, and the room is not wheelchair accessible.

Sip Antics Micro Distillery keeps the group to two people. That is unusually small for a workshop and changes the tone of the evening. You are not simply watching a demonstration from the back of a crowd. You can ask questions, discuss flavour choices, and get direct help while making your bottle.

Neil leads the session in English. His approach combines instruction with plenty of energy. Several parts of the experience depend on a good host, and Neil appears to be especially strong here. He explains the process clearly, keeps the three hours moving, and brings enough humour to stop the technical material from feeling dry.

You should arrive ready for an evening built around alcohol. This is not suitable for anyone under 18 or for pregnant women.

Starting with a rum and mixer

You receive a rum and mixer as soon as the experience gets under way. It is a useful opening because it gives you something familiar to sip while Neil explains how the workshop will work.

The first talk covers the story of the micro distillery and the basic process behind the session. You will get context before handling the equipment or choosing your ingredients. That order is helpful, especially if rum production is new to you.

I like this opening because it makes the workshop feel more like a guided lesson than a string of tastings. You learn what you are about to do, then get a chance to put that information to use.

The welcome drink also sets expectations. This is an adult evening with a social feel, but the central point is making a bottle to take away. If you are looking for a quiet, formal lecture, the host’s lively style may feel more animated than expected. If you want to learn while having a good time, it fits well.

Comparing three flavoured rum samples

Next comes a tasting of three different flavoured rums. The supplied information does not specify the exact flavours, so you should not book this expecting a particular fruit, spice, or botanical combination.

What you can expect is a practical comparison. Three samples give you a chance to notice how flavour changes the base spirit before you create your own version. This is important because your bottle is not a pre-filled souvenir. You are making a bespoke blend with hand-picked ingredients, according to the experience details.

Neil’s role is especially useful at this point. A tasting can otherwise become a quick pass from one glass to the next. Here, you can use the samples to think about what you like and what you may want in your own bottle.

The tasting also suits couples well. With only two participants, you can compare preferences as you go. One person may prefer a brighter flavour while the other chooses something warmer or more unusual. The small format gives you room to talk through those choices rather than simply follow a fixed group script.

Do keep your expectations realistic. You are learning the craft in a compact workshop, not completing a professional distilling qualification. The value is in the guided, personal experience and the bottle you make, not in mastering every technical part of rum production in one sitting.

Making and distilling your own 500ml bottle

The central part of the evening is your own bottle. Each person makes and distills a bespoke 500ml, or 50cl, rum to take home.

This is the point where the session becomes more memorable than a standard tasting. You move from learning about rum to making a personal version of it. The finished bottle gives you a physical reminder of the evening, and it can also make a thoughtful gift if you are willing to part with it.

You get to select your own ingredients. The details do not list a set menu of choices, so the exact options may depend on what Sip Antics has available on the day. Still, the important distinction is that your blend is personal rather than identical to every other bottle produced in the room.

Neil guides you through the process as the distillation takes place. His role is not just to keep things safe and orderly. He also helps connect your flavour choices with the final drink, which gives the activity more meaning than simply filling a bottle from a tap.

The 500ml size is a sensible middle ground. It is large enough to feel like a proper bottle, but not so large that it becomes awkward to carry around Edinburgh or pack for the journey home. You should still check your own travel arrangements before booking, since the experience involves taking an alcohol bottle away with you.

A rum cocktail while your bottle finishes

Distillation takes time, so the workshop includes a rum cocktail while you wait. This prevents the middle of the session from becoming dead time.

The cocktail gives you another way to experience rum. The tasting samples show the spirit on its own, while the mixed drink shows how it works in a longer, more relaxed serve. It also keeps the evening social and breaks up the practical work.

There is a fair amount of alcohol included across three hours: the welcome rum and mixer, three samples, your cocktail, and a taste of your own finished rum. You should pace yourself. This is one reason the session is better suited to a relaxed evening than to a packed day of sightseeing followed by more activities.

No food is served. That is the clearest practical weakness in the package. Eat beforehand, particularly if you are sensitive to alcohol or plan to make the most of every included drink. You should not count on finding a meal as part of the workshop itself.

Tasting your own rum before the final seal

Before your bottle is closed, you taste the rum you have made. This is a small but valuable step. It lets you experience the result before the presentation work begins and gives the session a proper finish.

You then bottle, label, and wax-seal the rum. The label adds a personal touch, while the wax seal makes the bottle feel like a finished product rather than a sample in a container.

The final tasting is also a useful reminder that flavour choices can produce a result you may not have expected. You are not just collecting a souvenir. You are seeing how the choices made earlier in the workshop come together in the glass.

The hand-finishing is one of the strongest parts of the experience for couples and small groups. It slows the ending down and gives you time to enjoy the result. You leave with a bottle that carries your own decisions, not just the name of the distillery.

Why Neil makes a difference

A workshop like this rises or falls on its instructor. The written descriptions of Neil’s sessions point to a host who combines solid rum knowledge with strong presentation skills.

That balance is important. Too much technical detail can make a tasting feel like a classroom. Too much entertainment can leave you with drinks but little understanding. Neil’s style appears to sit between the two: he explains rum production, keeps the conversation lively, and helps the three-hour format feel full without becoming rushed.

The small group makes his contribution even more useful. With only two participants, you can ask about the samples, the distillery, or your own blend without waiting for a large group to move on.

This is also a good choice if you are buying an experience for two people. The setup naturally suits a couple or a pair of friends. You get shared activity without the noise and loose timing that can come with a big class.

Is $122 a fair price?

At $122 per person, this is not a cheap drink tasting. You are paying for three hours, instruction, several drinks, the practical distillation session, and a bespoke 500ml bottle to take home.

The value depends on what you want from a rum experience. If you only want to sample spirits, the price may feel high. Edinburgh has other ways to order a drink. But if you want a guided activity, a personal bottle, and direct time with the host, the calculation looks better.

The two-person limit is a major part of the value. You are not paying for a large, standardised class. The experience gives you close attention and more control over the final blend. That matters when the main attraction is making something yourself.

The bottle also changes the value equation. It is not just a token shot or a tiny sample. A 500ml bottle is substantial enough to share at home, serve on another occasion, or give as a present.

Still, remember what the price does not include. There is no food, and the experience is focused on rum rather than a full meal or broader distillery tour. I would book it when the hands-on element matters to you, not simply because you want an evening drink.

Who should book this Edinburgh experience?

I would recommend it most strongly to rum fans, couples, and anyone who enjoys making something rather than only looking at it. The personal bottle gives the evening a clear point, and the tiny group keeps it intimate.

It also suits visitors who want an indoor activity in Edinburgh with a local host and a less standard sightseeing format. The meeting point is central enough to work as part of an evening on Cumberland Street, though the supplied information does not specify transport arrangements or walking times.

You should think twice if you dislike alcohol, want a food pairing, or prefer a large group with lots of social interaction. You should also skip it if a downstairs, non-accessible room creates a problem.

For a gift, the format is strong. The recipient gets an activity, a set of tastings, and a bottle with a personal story behind it. That is more distinctive than a standard bar voucher.

Practical details before you reserve

The experience lasts three hours and runs in English. Starting times vary, so you need to check availability for your chosen date.

Plan to reach the Cumberland Bar 15 minutes before the start. Enter through the main entrance on Cumberland Street, where the guide will meet you and lead you downstairs.

The workshop is limited to two participants. That makes advance booking sensible if you have a particular date in mind, especially for a couple visiting Edinburgh.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which may help if your sightseeing plans are still shifting.

The main access warning is firm: the rum school is downstairs and not wheelchair accessible. The activity is also not suitable for pregnant women or children under 18.

Should you book the Sip Antics rum workshop?

Book it if you want a personal, drink-focused activity with a finished bottle to show for your time. The combination of three tastings, your own 500ml blend, a cocktail, and Neil’s lively instruction gives the evening plenty to do.

I would especially choose it for a couple. The two-person limit lets you share the choices and compare your finished rums without being lost in a crowd.

Skip it if you are looking for food, a broad distillery tour, or a low-cost way to sample rum. For the right audience, though, this is a well-shaped Edinburgh experience: practical, social, and tied to something you make yourself.

FAQ

Where does the rum workshop take place?

It takes place downstairs in the Cumberland Bar on Cumberland Street in Edinburgh.

How early should I arrive?

Enter the main entrance of the Cumberland Bar 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. Your guide will be waiting upstairs to take you to the workshop room.

How long does the experience last?

The workshop lasts three hours.

Who leads the workshop?

Neil leads the workshop and conducts the explanations, tastings, and distillation activity.

What language is the workshop offered in?

The workshop is offered in English.

How many people can join?

The group is limited to two participants.

What drinks are included?

Each participant receives a rum and mixer on arrival, three flavoured rum samples, and a rum cocktail while the personal distillation is completed.

Do I take a bottle of rum home?

Yes. Each participant makes a bespoke 500ml, or 50cl, bottle, then bottles, labels, and wax-seals it to take home.

Is food included?

No food is served during the workshop.

Is the room wheelchair accessible?

No. The rum school is downstairs and is not wheelchair accessible. The activity is also not suitable for pregnant women or children under 18.