Hooting Owl Distillery York - Distilleerderijtour & ginproeverij

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 😊