Hooting Owl Distillery York - Distillery Tour & Gin Tasting

Wow! Wasn’t at all sure what to expect, but this was truly AMAZING! The welcome drink at the start was a nice surprise. The talk about the distillery and how Dom (the owner) got into it was super interesting. The tasting was great - so much information given about the different gins, and it was nice to sip them neat before trying them with tonic. Truly delicious flavours. We even had a bonus try of the rum! George was a great host! We were lucky enough to be with a truly fabulous group of people, and we all had a great laugh. We even got some gin glasses engraved with our names. Had a few too many cocktails afterwards, but luckily it’s true… you can drink the gin and not have a hangover! 😉 Huge shout out to all the bar staff too - Billy and Izzy are the names I remember! 🤭🙈 Will definitely return!!

Fun and informative tour! George is an excellent guide. Delicious tasting! Well worth the money when visiting York.

Informative tour about the process and how the Hooting Owl brand came to be, followed by tasters of the gins afterwards.

I was looking for something a bit different to do in York, as we are rather fond of visiting York. What an absolute pleasure this distillery tour is. It was made by our excellent host Mark, and the lovely ladies from The Old Bakery Micropub in Barnsley that made this a really fun experience. My husband finally believes me that gins do taste different. I cannot recommend this enough. Next time we are back in York I would happily do it all again. The tour is worth every £ spent. You learn a lot about the processes as well plenty of tastings. We stayed on to eat there as well. Quite apart from the tour, this is everything good about hospitality, great staff, ambience, atmosphere. It was an absolute pleasure, and yes, we transported a bottle of the signature gin and the spiced rum home with us.

Met the guys at the York food and drinks festival who gave us some lovely gins to try! Fabulous talking to you, and enjoyed our gin that we brought home with us too!

This tour was a great way to spend a couple of hours in York, starting with an interesting insight into the making of Gin - which wasn't as long as I thought it would be - followed by a tasting session of a number of the speciality gins available. Our host was George, and he was great and putting over the presentation and fantastically entertaining. Even after the tour, most of the group stuck around for a few hours enjoying more drinks, while George continued to play host, along with other staff such as Billy and Tom, who were all welcoming and entertaining. The hospitality of the tour is unrivalled by any other tour like this I've done, and we're already planning on when to go back and sign up for the Rum tour. We'll certainly be going back for drinks, too, as the cocktails were fantastically priced and sublime to the taste. An absolutely cracking time, and I certainly tip my steampunk-themed hat towards the Hooting Owl.

Tom, out host, did an amazing job of explaining how Hooting Owl’s small batch gin, rum and vodka is produced in their lovely distillery. A welcome drink greeted us and a chance to relax in the very comfortable lounge, followed by an informative and engaging tour. We were then invited to taste five of their gins and two bonus tastings of their bestselling rhubarb and vanilla gin and dark rum. The ability to taste neat or with a choice of mixers according to your own preference. The late afternoon finished with a further complimentary drink of choice, discount on any further purchase and the presentation of a lovely personalised gin glass. A truly fantastic experience, without time limits, we left having made new friends and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Tom was an absolutely brilliant host. Passionate about the distillery, it’s processes, the staff and ultimately the customers. We will be back every time we visit York and will highly recommend the tour or a visit to the bar.

Sometimes you tend to come across an unexpected gem, and that would be this place, all of the drinks, especially the cocktails, are made with so much love and attention that it puts most bars to shame, come for the drinks, and enjoy the experience. The drinks are matched by a high quality of service that is rarely encountered. Do yourself a favour and visit the place.

Great fun. All the staff were lovely. Would definitely recommend and we are already planning a return visit!!

We went for the tour at 3pm and were met by Tom. Great tour, Tom was very knowledgeable about everything with some very amusing background tales too. The gin tasting was of course enjoyable, tasting a variety of gins, rum and vodka made on the premises. We will return to enjoy the bar/lounge area when we next visit York and have some food too-menu looks really good. Would thoroughly recommend the tour!!

Gin distillery tour fantastic with Tom

exceeded expectations. Tom our guide was amazing and very funny. You could tell he had a passion for what he does and was lovely hearing about his experiences working with the owner Dom. I really enjoyed all the Army decorations in the establishment. The gin was amazing and could really tell the quality of it. The value for money was amazing had 2 complimentary drinks and our own gin bowls with names on which i thought was a lovely touch. Tom was amazing at talking through each gin and what we might taste and had a fun story for each one. 10/10 would do again

We went to the gin experience and had a fantastic time. Tom was an excellent host. Highly recommended!

Great tour with a knowledgeable host. Plenty of tasting with good explanations on all the gins. Highly recommend a visit.

We learned about botanicals, distilling… and that “just one more sample” is a dangerous phrase. Great afternoon at Hooting Owl!

What a great few hrs spent with Tom our host he was very knowledgeable and great fun , we had a gin and tonic on arrival and lots of ample gins and mixers and rums in the afternoon and another gin and tonic when we finished my son and I had a great afternoon and went away feeling rather relaxed lol , would highly recommended and they also do a lovely Pizza to soak up the Gins.

Had lunch here, excellent food and amazing value for money. Staff lovely

It was great value for money! Gin and tonic on arrival, generous sampling of Hooting Owl gins, and another gin and tonic of choice at the end of the experience. The 'guide' Mark was excellent: he was interesting, informative and witty, and he 100% kept our interest! We really enjoyed the experience and happily purchased a bottle of gin and rum to our taste, at a good discount!

Excellent venue, well constructed tour and our host/guide Tom was brilliant, the gins not bad either. Suspect we’ll be back as we’re lucky enough to be pretty local. Definite recommendation assuming you like gin!

Superb gin tasting tour by Tom. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Would recommend visiting and trying one if their tours. A welcome drink on arrival was great the a selection of gins on the tour and another drink afterwards in the bar and a commerative glass at the end was great thanks tom it was great

The tour was fantastic, we were shown around by Tom who kept the whole experience engaging and fun and gave us a real insight into the whole production process from start to finish I would highly recommend (we even ended it with a selection of gins to have a sample of )

Tom was amazing he was very knowledgable, friendly and entertaining, i wasnt a gin drinker tbh before this just wanted something to do, but now knowing alot about gin especially the Hooting Owl pure gin wow ive totally changed my mind it tasted amazing, so much to choose from, legs a bit wobbly afterwards but well worth it folks!👌😄

I've been to a few distilleries and this was one of my favourite. My friend and I booked the tour and gin tasting. This is actually a pub/bar with the distillery out back. The pub has a great ambience, good music and the staff are lovely. Nice food menu too which we will try another time. Our host Mark gave us a tour of the distillery and then we had gin and rum tasting with a history of the business and gin making. We had a welcome G & T on arrival, lots of generous tasting shots plus another G & T before we left. Purchases get a generous 20% discount and we got a lovely free gift too. Such a great activity.

I've been to a few distilleries and this was one of my favourite. My friend and I booked the tour and gin tasting. This is actually a pub/bar with the distillery out back. The pub has a great ambience, good music and the staff are lovely. Nice food menu too which we will try another time. Our host Mark gave us a tour of the distillery and then we had gin and rum tasting with a history of the business and gin making. We had a welcome G & T on arrival, lots of generous tasting shots plus another G & T before we left. Purchases get a generous 20% discount and we got a lovely free gift too. Such a great activity.

Looking for something to eat we sort of fell upon this place - not too far from York railway station. Staff extremely helpful and polite. We took the 2 pizzas for £8 offer , didn’t have to wait too long either. Cooked well and good value Drinks also obtained Popular place Wjill revisit the next time we are out in York Recommend.

Best Distillery Tour I have ever been on. From the minute we entered the bar, we were warmly greeted by Tom, who introduced himself as our guide. We were offered a complimentary Gin and Tonic from the Hooting Owl range and took a seat while we waited for the rest of the tour (3 other people) as we arrived early. Tom then gave us an extremely informative talk about the gin making process from start to finish. He explained about the use of the botanicals, but was sworn to secrecy about revealing all the ingredients - understandably so. During the talk we met Matthias, head distiller and nephew of the owner Dominic D’Benga. He was really friendly and happy to answer questions. It was a truly informative experience. Following the talk, we were then seated at a table in the bar and proceeded to taste a number of the Hooting Owl Gins - The Signature Gin, The South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, also their Rhubarb and Vanilla. There was also a taste of the Cherry Rum, which is still in production phase - where our input was welcomed. Hooting Owl has a variety of rums as well. We were then offered a 2nd G&T on the house and everyone received a gin glass with our names beautifully etched onto them, by non other than Tom. His pride for the business is obvious, having worked there since the opening in 2017. He is a true asset to the company. Whilst drinking our gins, the owner, Dom, came by and had a chat with us. What an interesting man, look him up, it is an interesting read. When I return to York, I will definitely book another visit to the Hooting Owl Distillery. The bar is welcoming too, and they serve food all day.

What a wonderful afternoon my friend and I spent at the Hooting Owl Gin Distillery. On arrival, we were welcomed by our guide Tom, and a complimentary Gin and Tonic of our choice. Tom is fantastic, he’s been with the company since its inception in 2017 and you can tell he’s very passionate about the Distillery. Tom enlightened us with an in-depth and interesting talk on the distilling process, how the Distillery began; when the owner Dominic D’Benga decided to embark upon his latest project. We were welcomed with a Signature Gin and tonic, which was delicious. After the presentation, Tom sat with us {total of 5 people}, where we tasted their 5 Hooting Owl plain gins, ‘Signature, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, each gin infused with botanicals coming from each region. There are many more flavoured gins made here as well as rum. We were given a taste of the Rhubarb and Vanilla Gin and also Cherry Rum [which is still in the testing phase]. We then finished off with another complimentary gin and tonic of our choice. This is by far the best distillery tour of any kind that I have been on. I would also mention that we met and chatted with Matthias D’Benga, Dominic’s nephew, who is their head distiller. Matthias was happy to answer any questions, but no distilling secrets were divulged! As we sat finishing our drinks, Dominic came to our table and had a chat with us, a truly lovely man, making time to talk to customers. This is a real family business with an incredible and happy team. I hope I can return again soon. Thank you for making my trip to York so special.

Fun and informative and plenty of variety of samples. A great way to spend an afternoon. Tom was a knowledgeable tour guide.

Tom was fantastic and the gin was excellent. Highly recommended!

We booked the Hooting Owl Distillery for a stag, and it was our favourite activity of the entire weekend. We had so much fun in the session led by Tom, who was incredibly charismatic, organised, and knowledgable. He delivered a really engaging tour of the distillery, and was very patient with our questions. Not only was Tom a brilliant actvity lead but Hooting Owl was amazing value for money. We paid £30pp and with that, got a free drink on arrival and one as we were leaving, plus six or so shots in between. And as an extra touch, they gave us custom glasses with our names on them! An experience not to be missed - thanks so much Tom and everyone at the distillery for your attentiveness and humour.

Top class Gin Tasting with Tom. Well organised in lovely surroundings and great value. Even surprised us with personalised Gin Glasses as we left, which was a lovely touch. Tom was very informative and welcoming- thank you

The tour was fantastic and well worth the cost. The guide, Tom, was very informative and friendly.

What a great visit! Really interesting tour - learned loads about gin making and what makes Hooting Owl stand out from others (and it really does!). Generous tasting measures of the gins, and lovely cocktails afterwards too. Would highly recommend.

what an absolutely amazing tour! George was really knowledgeable and a great host. The gins were amazing (we bought a couple of bottles at the end) and just an all round great experience. Would definitely recommend

Had a great time on the gin tour, Tom was a fab host, the gins were lush & it was really interesting! The gins we purchased after were lovely, will definitely be back 😊

Absolutely amazing experience. Our guide Tom was both knowledgeable and very funny with his depth and understanding of distilling and the history of this business. This tour far exceeded our expectations and is incredible value for money. Got to taste many of their wonderful gins and understand why their gins taste so amazing. A real surprise at the end with a wonderful personalised and unexpected gift. Can’t recommend this enough.

Had a fab afternoon with Tom who was very knowledgeable about their gins and gin making. Great sampling, would definitely recommend!

Very fun! I came into this not liking gin at all, but by the end I have a new appreciation for it. Lovelt guide, and we got to try so many different spirits! Well worth the money

We visited Hooting owl, York. Our visit was made special by William, who recommended us some specific drinks and he couldn’t have gotten it on the nose more. Thank you William and we will be back!

Brilliant experience with Tom

WOW - What an experience! Approx cost: 36 pound however please do not let deter you! It's definitely alue for money. We were greeted with a warm welcome from staff and our host Mark. The tour was very informative and also full of fun with plenty of tastings to be had. Prior to the completion of the event we received an individual gin glass with our names etched on and a glass of gin based on our preference from the tastings we had (cheeky spiced rum for me) - what a brilliant way to end the experience. Experience lasted approx 1hr 15-30mins. We then stayed at the Hooting Owl Lounge for food with Pizzas, Platters and small plates on offer, which was enjoyed by all. Thank you Mark for the banter and to your staff - would definitely recommend!

We had a lovely experience here. Our host George was very welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly, always making sure that we were having a good time. The personalised gin glass at the end was a nice touch as well . Whilst we were provided with plenty of gin to taste , I would say this was definitely a more tasting themed tour as the tour of the distillery only involved one room with some exposition on the history of the business, where as I expected a full tour of the actual facilities. However afterwards we were taken to private room for our tasting and provided with not only our tasting portions but also a second complementary drink, making it well worth the money on his alcohol alone :)

Gin tour, definitely worth it. Mark did a great job, both discussing Gin, it's history over time and how the regulations around Stills have changed over time. Enabling the small distiller to become established. With a tour around the various Stills they use to create the Gins and Rum on site. Tasting part of the session was an eye opener, especially for the Gin. Comparing a branded supermarket Gin, to the ones produced on site. Both for the purity of the alcohol, as well as the variations in flavour. It's definitely changed how i perceive and enjoy Gin.

This was an outstanding experience from start to finish. Tom, who led the tour and the tasting experience was very welcoming. His knowledge of the distilling process was impressive and he certainly knew the product well. His banter was amusing and really added to the whole experience. We were given plenty of different gins to taste. It was interesting to see how just adding a couple of extra botanicals changed the flavour. A lovely touch at the end was to receive a personalised gin glass. The whole experience was very enjoyable and great value for money. I would highly recommend.

Probably our best ever gin distillery tour at the Hooting Owl distillery in York. We were the only ones booked on the tour, so it was like having our own private tour. Tom was great, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He talked us through the history of the company, and the flavour profile of the main gins produced. G&T on arrival, detailed explanation of the gin making and the company, then tasting of 7 gins,, followed by another G&T. Of course we couldn't agree on our favourite, so we brought 2 bottles to take away.

Attended the Gin tour on Saturday afternoon, firstly the Lounge bar itself it's absolutely beautiful, so well laid out, with brilliant seating and decor. Received a welcome drink on arrival, and our tour guide Tom came over and introduced himself, what a genuine great, funny, knowledgeable individual, he made the tour what it was, so easy to converse with, gave so much detail about the story of Hooting Owl, brilliant! Tasted lots of gins, and also received a full drink before departing and a absolutely fabulous personalised gift. Without a doubt the best tour of this type we have ever done. Thank you Hooting Owl and thank-you Tom for making our weekend.

We had a great time and learned a lot on the tour and tasting. After a welcome cocktail (featuring the house gin) we were welcomed into the distillery area to learn about the distilling process and history of Hooting Owl. The tour was followed by a generous tasting of several gins and rum. It was interesting to taste the variations in gin based on the botanicals used. Finally we were treated to another cocktail of our choice. Tom was a great host - very friendly and presented the information in an interesting way. Highly recommended!

A great way to spend a couple of hours. For £30 we had a welcome drink on arrival of the signature gin; a group visit (14 people) to the distillery with an explanation of the distilling process; tasting of 5 gins and a rum and another drink to finish. Not to mention the personallised gift. The tour was hosted by the excellent Tom who was very engaging with all guests and was very knowledgeable. Highly recommended.

Simply outstanding value for money Great location , fabulous food and drink and Tom our host was just the icing on the cake , a rare natural professional with amazing personal skills He’s made a great day an amazing day .