Already sick of your own four walls? Why not take a virtual busman’s holiday and visit some of the world’s most famous distilleries from your living room?
If you’ve got time on your hands at the moment you could see it as an opportunity to get behind the doors of various distilleries around the world and find out what makes them special via a virtual tour.
This is by no means an exhaustive list but we’ve done our due diligence and uncovered some of the better ones on offer. If we’ve missed any off, let us know and we’ll add them to the list, just email robyn@imbibe.com
The Glenturret
Despite claiming to be Scotland’s oldest distillery (established in 1775) the good folk of Glenturret have not been afraid to embrace modern technology to bring their bit of Perthshire to the world. This has resulted in one of the niftiest virtual tours we found, allowing you to poke your nose into all the nooks and crannies. Check it out here.
Talisker
Even though you won't be able to ‘soak up the atmosphere of the place, smell the salt spray or warm mash,’ as the website put it, if you sit on your coronavirus couch with a wee dram at least you’ll be able to get a sense and a taste of the place via this virtual tour on Google Maps.
Laphroaig
Currently unable to visit the ‘beautiful hollow by the broad bay’ (which in Gaelic is ‘Laphroaig’ of course) you can feast your eyes on this 360-degree tour of one of Islay’s most famous distilleries here instead.
Sipsmith
Maybe whisky isn’t your thing (it’s OK, we’ll forgive you). Thankfully the chaps at Sipsmith have also created a virtual tour of their gin distillery in London. Kindly meet the acquaintance of Prudence, Constance and Patience, the company’s three copper stills via this YouTube tour.
Of course, you needn’t limit yourself to UK distilleries – this is the world wide web after all, so sit back strap yourself in and set the autopilot for Japan, Kentucky and Mexico…
Kyoto Distillery
The Kyoto Distiller, producer of Ki No Bi gin, is unable to host visitors in real life - Covid-19 or no Covid-19 - and so it invites gin-lovers and brand fans alike to this virtual tour. You can even view it in 3D, if boring 2D is a bit old hat for you.
Buffalo Trace Distillery
True or false: Buffalo Trace Distillery is one of the very few National Historic Landmarks in the USA? Find out in this virtual tour with trivia quiz from the Kentucky Distiller - there’s even a quiz leader board to help the eggheads gain some bragging rights. Alternatively, you can also travel back in time (virtually) to see the distillery since 1773, if you are so inclined.
Four Roses
They say everyone has a book in them and, as a drinks journalist, I always say that mine is ‘Bottling Lines of the World’. I’ve seen so many. Surely a bestseller? My research may have slowed due to covid-19 but not stopped completely thank goodness thanks to this virtual tour of the Four Roses Distillery and its bottling facility. What do you mean bottling lines aren’t your thing?
Patrón Tequila
Strolling through ‘vast’ agave fields with a bee as your guide, this immersive tour of the Hacienda Patrón takes in all parts of the production process and there’s also a mini documentary that enables you to see how they created the virtual tour. How very meta of them. And if that whets your appetite you can follow the links to the Academia Patrón where you can learn more about the brand and tequila in general.
