BREWERY TOURS

Siren Craft Brew, Finchampstead

Siren Craft Brew, Finchampstead brewery tours berkshire

Siren Craft Brew’s original taproom is located on an industrial estate in Finchampstead so expect a distinctly urban flavour. Totally here for the corrugated walls and pallet tables. Siren produces a huge number of quality craft beers with new editions of their hoppy stuff regularly cropping up. The tours and tastings every Saturday are brilliant. Jump aboard and be shown the ropes of the brewery before ending up in the taproom to sample five fresh beers straight from the source. Cheers!

Double-Barrelled Brewery, Reading

Double-Barrelled Brewery, Reading brewery tours berkshire

Another craft beer success story. Double Barrelled Brewery can be found on the industrial labyrinth that is Stadium Way (near Howdens in case you need a landmark or a kitchen). Started by Mike and Luci Clayton-Jones, they brew, can, and serve their core and limited edition craft beers at their Reading warehouse. The taproom is open Thurs to Sun and is growing a good rep for events, comedy nights, live music and indie markets. Tours are just £18.50 where you’ll learn the inner workings of a microbrewery. Lots of beers to taste too. Obvs.

Renegade Brewery, Yattendon

Renegade Brewery Taproom and Kitchen Yattendon brewery tours near me

Renegade Brewery seriously boosted Yattendon’s social scene when it opened its doors (or, erm, corrugated shutters) in 2017. Oh, and it scooped up a Muddy Award for Best Bar shortly afterwards. The brewery and taproom are tucked away on the site of The Old Dairy. Now, it’s a buzzy hotspot with craft beer, family-friendly menu, live music events and quiz nights. Hm, hm, it even made a guest appearance on the 2022 season of The Apprentice. There’s two tasting packages on offer priced at £35 or £55, and both involve beer and a bite to eat.

Windsor & Eton Brewery, Windsor

Windsor & Eton Brewery, Windsor brewery tours in berkshire

Unit 4 Brewery Tap opened in autumn 2021. It’s in the same location as the brewery, with a whopping 20 beer lines offering Windsor and Eton’s bitters, IPAs, and pilsners, alongside some guest beers and ciders. The space maintains its industrial flavour with a sprinkling of style. Muddy readers are clearly as drunk in love with them as we are as the brewery scooped the award for Best Local Food/Drink Producer at this year’s Muddy Awards. Their 90 min tours run every Saturday where you’ll learn the history of the brewery, the brewing process, get to taste raw materials and, of course, the local beer.

VINEYARD TOURS

Stanlake Park Wine Estate, Twyford

Stanlake Park Wine Estate, Twyford wine tasting berkshire near me

Stanlake Park is without question the most famous vineyard in Berkshire. Planted in 1979 by Jon Leighton following a stint living in Australia, the initial 500 vines of 30 different varieties have ballooned to 10,000 vines occupying 25 acres of the estate. You’ll be belting Shania the whole taxi home after hopping on one of their vineyard tours and tastings. The calendar is choker with events to choose from. A standard tour includes six tastings which you can sip on the go as you explore the estate with an experienced guide. From £20pp.

All Angels Vineyard, Enborne

All Angels Vineyard, Enborne wine tours near me

All Angels is a small family-run vineyard in West Berkshire. The vines were planted in 2010 over three hectares, and the hand-harvested grapes are transformed into an excellent English sparkling by Emma Rice, Director and Head Winemaker of the established Hattingley Valley. Who could say no to their 90 minute tours? You’ll get a tutored tasting of their award-winning nectar and you can choose to upgrade your experience with cheese and charcuterie. Not even a question.

Winding Wood Vineyard, Hungerford

Winding Wood Vineyard, Hungerford wine tours berkshire

Winding Wood is a small boutique vineyard with just 3,000 vines of pinot noir and chardonnay. It has been a decade of blood, sweat and tears to transform this small holding into a successful vineyard. Once the sheep were evicted, co-owners Christopher Cooke and Robert Louth put in the back-breaking work to creating their sparkling wines. Now, you can try them for yourself. Tours are led by the owners on Saturdays, Apr to Oct by prior arrangement. Visitors can also simply drop by to try a wine flight of three sparkling wines for £15pp.

DISTILLERY TOURS

The Henley Distillery, Binfield Heath

The Henley Distillery, Binfield Heath distillery tours near me

The Henley Distillery puts out some bloody good gin. As well as producing single-shot sipping gin in traditional copper alembic stills, preserving the delicate botanical flavours and essential oils, The Henley Distillery also offers tours, tastings, and gin experiences. These take place in its picturesque 17th century threshing barn, with the tour including a full distillery tour, six gin and rum tastings, and a large Henley G&T. All for a very merry £20. The Henley Distillery Gin Experience also sounds amazing. More of the same, plus you’ll get to produce your own full-size 70cl bottle of bespoke gin. £100pp.

Bombay Sapphire Distillery, Whitchurch

Bombay Sapphire Distillery, Whitchurch distillery tours near me

Bring on the gin! Head 14 miles south of Newbury and you’ll arrive at the beautiful Bombay Sapphire Distillery. Yes, I know we’ve lurched over the border into Hampshire, but detours are inevitable and we’re taking the scenic route. Bombay Sapphire remains a family business despite its global fame, and the iconic blue bottle has been distilled in Laverstoke Mill, Whitchurch, since 2011. Choose your poison. There’s a range of tours and experiences on offer with prices ranging from £17pp to £175pp.

Griffiths Brothers Distillery, Amersham

Griffiths Brothers Distillery, Amersham distillery tours near me

This family-run distillery tucked away in the village of Penn Street, Amersham started off as a challenge for two brothers to make a gin to impress the family. Well, it certainly worked. Now, they’re impressing gin experts and the discerning palates of the Bucks locals alike with their cold-distilled gins (I mean, just look at those bottles). We’re partial to their award-winning original gin which you can cop a taste of during a Distillery Tour or Rum Tales Tasting Experience. From £20pp.

Ramsbury Brewery and Distillery, Marlborough

Ramsbury Brewery and Distillery, Marlborough distillery tours near me

A sprawling estate nestled in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside, Ramsbury is a heavyweight in the world of award-winning vodka and gin. Being a single estate means their creations are pretty special. What is that, you ask? Well, everything is made from scratch on the Ramsbury Estate, from grain to glass, seed to spirit. Yep, its proper sustainable stuff. But you’d find all this out and more on their brewery and distillery tours and experiences. Go behind the scenes, have a drink, and let your hair down. Don’t mind us. We’re just eying up their gin school.

Abingdon Distillery, Abingdon

Abingdon Distillery, Abingdon distillery tours near me

Abingdon Distillery’s Wild Oxen Pure White Rum recently swooped two stars at the Great Taste Awards 2024, and that’s just a small taste of what’s to come at the quirky craft distillery over in Oxfordshire. A range of award-winning gins, rum, and single malt English whisky are produced on site – distilled the traditional way using two copper pot stills. To manage quality, batches are limited to no more than 130 bottles. Let me tell you, the results are beautiful. Strut down on a Saturday afternoon to join a tour and guided tasting at the trendy bar. For something super cool, try their Rum Blending Experience.

Berkshire Botanicals, Yattendon

Berkshire Botanicals, Yattendon distillery tours berkshire

Okaaaay, so you can’t technically tour the site where the magic that is Berkshire Botanicals is created. But what you can do is head to The Royal Oak in Yattendon to visit handsome Harry. He’s the pot still originally used to make the gin which is created from the flora and fauna found on the 9,000-acre Yattendon Estate. Harry’s now happily retired, with the distilling action taking place at the new, larger distillery just a stone’s throw away from the village. Still, it’s a fun little easter egg and a slice of local alcoholic history. The best kind, let’s be honest.

That’s the spirit! Best boozey tours to book now

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