The Lakes Distillery is an award-winning distillery nestled close to the picturesque and serene Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria. Located within the Lake District National Park and built on an old Victorian farm, the distillery draws visitors and their families throughout the year and is one of the top things to do.
In addition to being an acclaimed distillery, it also offers guests a unique opportunity to look behind the scenes through their tours. You can experience the painstaking efforts that go into perfecting highly acclaimed malts, Gins, and Vodkas. One of the most popular tours is the one hour Distillery Tour Tasting.
About the Lakes Distillery
Founded in 2011 The Lakes Distillery is a renowned whisky distillery that is dedicated to developing excellent malt spirits at its world-class production facility using state-of-the-art technology, carefully perfected techniques, and a whole lot of passion.
It was a great way to spend half a day. Here is what you need to know about doing a tour at the Lakes Distillery.
⇒ We used the Rough Guide Travel book for our stay in The Lakes District England.
The Distillery Tour and Tasting
We took the one hour Distillery Tour Tasting which is the most popular at the distillery. In this one hour, visitors will watch a short film capturing footage showing the journey of the Derwent River. Then take a guided tour around the distillery where you will discover the Stillroom and Lakes Distillery warehouse. Before enjoying a guided tasting of up to 3 spirits.
It was interesting to learn how they make the whisky, gin, and vodka and how the impact of oak and cask seasoning flavour the spirits.
Booking The Distillery Tour and Tasting
- Price – £15.00 per adult £5.00 – Teen (13-17)
- Duration – 1 hour
- Voucher – You get a £5 redeemer voucher off any 70cl bottle to use in the shop.
- Walk ins are welcome but it is highly recommend pre-booking especially in the peak season
- Ticket – Present your ticket, online voucher or booking reference on arrival
- Group capacity is up to 8 people
Other Tours offered
Additionally, you can also opt to book one of the other tours that are on offer or do a more in-depth Whisky tour that is 2hours. All vary in price and duration. Here is a list of the other tours on offer;
The Lakes Whisky Tour – 2 Hrs More in depth tour explains how Whisky is produced and the blending process.
Whisky & Chocolate Pairing Tour – A paired tasting with handmade luxury chocolates.
Meet the Alpacas – After your tour and meal at the bistro, book a Meet the Alpacas and feed them.
⇒ How about reading our experience at the Irish Whiskey Museum Dublin – Whiskey tasting with a deadly twist
The Lakes Distillery Bistro
After our tour and whisky tasting, we had a lovely meal at the Lakes distillery Bistro. It was a great way to end our time here. The bistro is bright and cheerful and offers a whole range of culinary experiences for the entire family. We started off with one of their gin and whisky signature drinks before having our meals.
Whether you stop by for afternoon tea, coffee, and cakes, or even something from the lunch menu ( Children’s Menu available too), your taste buds will be amply pampered by fresh regional ingredients and comforting flavours that represent the Lake District.
You can also choose to order a picnic box to take away and enjoy along Bassenthwaite Lake.
Types of Spirits at The Lakes Distillery
The Lakes Distillery offers 3 types of award-winning premium spirits, Whisky, Gin, and Vodka, with all of them made on site. You can read more about the collection’s blends and how they are being made on the distillery site here.
Lakes Whisky’s
Whisky is the distillery’s main product and they have 3 types of collections that all have their own variety. The Lakes Single Malts, Blended Malt Whisky, and Fine Blended Whisky. One of the whisky’s to try is the Steel Bonnets, a blend from both England and Scotland.
Lakes Gin
There are 4 types of Gins produced distillery; The Lakes Gin, The Lakes Pink Grapefruit Gin, Lakes Rhubarb & Rosehip Gin Liqueur, and Lakes Elderflower Gin Liqueur.
While they all tasted nice, my favourite was The Lakes Gin which was very smooth to drink. This exceptional Gin is produced using local juniper from the fells of the Lake District in combination with more than 13 botanicals, native to the region.
Lakes Vodka
There are two types of vodka produced, The Lakes Vodka and Lakes Salted Caramel Vodka Liqueur. The Lakes Vodka is smooth, aromatic, and flavourful. Credited as the first ever vodka to be distilled in the Lake District, it is handcrafted using traditional techniques.
Try one of The Lakes Distillery spirits at home
How about trying one of the Lakes box collections from the distillery that is offered online delivered to your doorstep?
Where is The Lakes Distillery
The Lakes Distillery is located near Bassenthwaite Lake, Lakes District Cumbria England. Although they do have a bus stop, the best way to get there is via car. Here is the link to the distillery site if you are looking for directions via car or bus. Google Maps: Type in ‘Lakes Distillery, Setmurthy’ and it will take you straight to the door.
Address; Cockermouth CA13 9SJ
Driving
Driving from central London to Bassenthwaite Lake should take around 5-6hrs. If you are coming from other major cities up North like Manchester or Newcastle it should take about 2 hrs. We came from the local town of Cockermouth and it took us around 10 minutes drive.
Additional Information about the Lakes Distillery
- Arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your tour starting
- If you decided to book at short notice, you can call them directly on 017687 88850 for up to date availability
- Distillery tours are limited to 15 people per tour (COVID restrictions dependent)
- How about booking a boat tour afterward on Ullswater Lake, which is a great addition to the day.
Opening hours of the shop and Distillery
Distillery Tours: 10am – 5pm Distillery Shop: 10am – 6pm
Bistro at the Distillery: 10 am – 9 pm
Can you bring Children along?
You can bring children along to the Distillery but they have to be over 6 years old and accompanied by an adult. Instead of Whisky, they will be provided fruit juice tasting and quizzes. Afterward, add on a meet with the Alpacas and feed them, making it a great family day out.
The Lakes Distillery is a family friendly destination in the Lakes District. Another great destination to take the kids to is Tintagel Castle Cornwall, England.
Can you bring your dog along?
Dogs are allowed into the courtyard, garden, and shop, however, they can’t go inside the distillery on any of the tours. The only dogs able to go on the tours are Guide dogs.
Lakes Distillery Products available online
You can purchase all of The Lakes Distillery spirits or any of the collection additions online at Amazon, which are a great gift idea for both men and women who love Whisky, Gin, or Vodka.
The Lakes District
The Lakes District is a popular holiday destination in Cumbria England, known for its picturesque lakes, lush green forests, and its stunning mountains like Scafell Pike. As well as its multitude of popular hiking routes within the area.
Some of the tourist spots in the vicinity include the famous Great Gable Mountains and the Wasdale and Bassenthwaite Lakes. The Lakes District really is a great spot for a staycation.
Here is a list of other activities you can do in the Lakes District that you can book online in advance.
Stay in Cockermouth
There is a variety of types of accommodation available across the Lakes District from hotels to glamping. I personally think it just depends on what you are looking for and your budget. We used the pretty town of Cockermouth in the Lakes District as our base and stayed at the riverside Trout hotel.
You can check the availability of the Trout hotel here or other places in Cockermouth Lakes District.
⇒ Looking to discover other parts of England, please feel free to head to my United Kingdom Page
Thank you for reading this article on The Lakes Distillery tour Cockermouth Cumbria. I hope you enjoy the tour as much as we did. For any additional information or booking inquiries, you can visit The Lakes Distillery site.
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Have you done The Lakes Distillery tour before? What was your experience like?
Disclaimer: Even though I was a guest at the time of The Lakes Distillery Cockermouth Lakes District. All views are my own and based on my own experience.
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