Sheffield: Gin Experience – Make Your Own Gin

Good gin starts with a good story. At Locksley Distilling, you tour a working Sheffield distillery, taste its house creations, and use more than 100 botanicals to design a bottle of gin that is yours alone. The setting adds weight to the experience: Portland Works is a Grade 2 listed building opened in 1879 and known as the birthplace of stainless steel.

I especially like the small group of up to eight people, which should give the session a personal feel rather than a factory-tour mood. I also like the chance to take home a full 70cl bottle of your own recipe, not just a tiny sample. The main consideration is the price, $129 per person, which makes this a special-occasion activity rather than a casual tasting.

The 2.5-hour format gives you enough time for a proper introduction to gin, but it is still an indoor tasting experience focused on one distillery. If you want a broad tour of Sheffield or a full afternoon of sightseeing, this will not fill that role. If you want to understand how gin is made and try your hand at the process, it offers far more than a standard drink-and-chat session.

In This Review

• Key points to know before booking
• Arriving at Portland Works in Sheffield
• The opening drinks and first taste of Locksley
• A close look at Locksley’s production
• Guided tasting: learning what botanicals actually do
• Gin School and the 100-botanical challenge
• What the 2.5-hour schedule feels like
• Is $129 good value?
• The main strengths and possible drawbacks
• Who should book this Sheffield gin class?
• Should you book Locksley Distilling?
• FAQ
• Where does the gin-making experience take place?
• How long does the experience last?
• How much does the experience cost?
• What is included in the experience?
• Do I get to take home the gin I make?
• Can I drink my bottle immediately?
• Is the activity suitable for children?
• Is the tour available in languages other than English?
• How many people are in each group?
• Can I cancel the booking?

Key points to know before booking

• Portland Works setting: Visit a historic Sheffield building opened in 1879 and linked to the birth of stainless steel.
• More than 100 botanicals: Build a personal flavour recipe from a wide choice of ingredients.
• A full 70cl bottle to take home: Your finished gin becomes the main souvenir, though you may need to wait a few weeks before drinking it.
• Guided tasting included: Sample several gins and tonics, including Sunshine in a Glass, while learning about the ingredients.
• Small English-language group: The session is limited to eight participants and led by a live guide.
• Adults only: The activity is not suitable for children under 18.

Arriving at Portland Works in Sheffield

Locksley Distilling operates from Portland Works, in the heart of Sheffield. The building opened in 1879 and carries a Grade 2 listing, so your visit begins with more than a drinks lesson. You are entering a place tied to the city’s industrial past and to stainless steel production.

That setting matters because it gives the distillery a clear sense of place. This is not a generic classroom arranged solely for tourists. You are visiting the home of a small Sheffield producer that has been creating spirits since 2014.

I like the way the location links the drink to the city. Sheffield is often associated with industry, metalwork, and practical invention. Portland Works adds that background without requiring a separate museum visit. You get a short piece of local context before turning your attention to botanicals, stills, and tasting glasses.

The building is not presented as a grand palace or polished showroom. The appeal lies in seeing a working distillery inside a historic industrial property. If you prefer modern cocktail bars or sleek luxury interiors, keep your expectations in check. The character comes from the building and the production setting.

The opening drinks and first taste of Locksley

The experience includes a selection of gins and tonics, including Sunshine in a Glass. This opening tasting gives you a useful reference point before you make any decisions about your own recipe.

Gin can be difficult to judge if you only taste it in a mixed drink. Tonic changes the balance, sweetness, bitterness, and aroma. A guided session helps you notice those differences and think about what you actually like, rather than reaching for botanicals at random.

You may find yourself comparing bright, citrus-led flavours with more herbal, spicy, floral, or earthy notes. The supplied information does not promise a fixed tasting list beyond the selection of gin and tonics and Sunshine in a Glass, so the precise pours may vary. That is worth keeping in mind if you are hoping for a set menu of named spirits.

The best approach is to treat the tasting as research for your own bottle. Pay attention to the flavours you would want in a gin and those you would rather keep in the background. This is where the experience begins to feel practical. You are not only drinking. You are gathering ideas for the recipe you will make later.

A close look at Locksley’s production

After the welcome drinks, you receive an intimate guided tour of the distillery. The focus is on how Locksley creates its range of liquids and its choice to keep every part of production in-house.

That promise gives the tour a clear subject. Instead of hearing a broad lecture about the entire gin industry, you learn how this particular Sheffield producer works. You also hear how Locksley began, how it has developed, and what the team hopes to achieve.

The company describes itself as small and dedicated, with an ambition to be the best rather than the biggest. That is useful context for understanding the scale of the visit. You are not being shown a vast industrial plant. You are seeing the methods and working spirit of an artisan distillery.

A good guide makes this part much better. Jake led one recent session and was praised for his enthusiasm and strong grasp of the subject. If he is guiding your visit, you can expect a lively explanation rather than a dry list of equipment and dates. Guide availability can change, but the activity does include a live English-speaking guide.

The tour is intimate, which should make it easier to ask questions. With a maximum of eight people, you are less likely to get lost at the back of a large group. That small size is one of the reasons the price may feel more reasonable to people who value direct attention.

Guided tasting: learning what botanicals actually do

The tasting session looks at the origin, stories, and botanical choices behind Locksley’s products. This is more useful than simply being told that one gin is citrusy or another is spicy. You get the reasoning behind the flavour profile.

Botanicals are the ingredients that shape a gin’s aroma and taste. The activity gives you a chance to connect an ingredient with the finished drink before you create your own. That sequence is important. Without it, the later recipe-building stage could become little more than a lucky guess.

I would listen closely here and take mental notes. If a certain botanical dominates a sample, you may decide to use it sparingly in your own bottle. If another gives the drink a character you enjoy, you can make it part of your plan.

The tasting also helps you understand that a long ingredient list does not automatically make a better gin. A personal recipe needs balance. More than 100 botanicals sounds generous, but you still need to choose with care. The guide’s role is to help you make sense of the options.

There is also a social side to this stage. Sharing the tasting with a small group can make the process feel relaxed and playful. You can compare ideas without the session becoming a formal spirits course.

Gin School and the 100-botanical challenge

The main event takes place in Gin School, where you create your own recipe using mini stills and real botanicals. This is the part that turns the visit from a tour into a hands-on workshop.

You have more than 100 botanicals at your disposal. The exact selection is not specified, so you should not arrive expecting a named menu of every ingredient. The important point is the range. You have plenty of room to build something personal rather than selecting from two or three preset formulas.

The mini stills make the process manageable for a small group. You are not operating a full production system. Instead, you are working on a compact scale that lets you focus on the choices and see how your recipe becomes a finished spirit.

This is also where the earlier tasting pays off. You can draw on what you have learned about Locksley’s products and use those ideas to guide your own blend. The goal is not to copy the distillery. It is to make a gin that reflects your taste.

I would avoid trying to include every botanical that catches your eye. A recipe built from too many competing flavours may be less satisfying than one with a clear direction. Think about whether you want a bright, fresh, floral, herbal, or spiced style, then choose ingredients that support that idea.

The finished result is distilled into a full 70cl bottle for you to take away. That is a generous souvenir and a real advantage over experiences that end with a small tasting glass. You leave with something you can share, display, or open later with friends.

One practical detail matters here: the bottle may need a few weeks to seep before it is ready to drink. Plan your expectations accordingly. This is not necessarily a bottle you take home and open that same evening. The wait becomes part of the fun, especially if you treat it as a delayed reminder of your time in Sheffield.

What the 2.5-hour schedule feels like

The experience lasts 2.5 hours. That is long enough to cover the welcome drinks, distillery tour, tasting, and Gin School without forcing everything into a rushed demonstration.

The schedule also means you should give the session your full attention. It is not an activity to squeeze in between several distant attractions. Once you arrive, you will be focused on the distillery and the practical work.

The small group helps the timing. Eight people or fewer is a manageable number for a guided tasting and hands-on recipe session. You should have a better chance to hear explanations and see what is happening than you would in a larger class.

Because the activity is conducted in English, you need enough English to follow the guide, understand the tasting discussion, and make choices during the gin-making stage. No other language is listed.

The session is for adults only. Anyone under 18 cannot take part, so this is best suited to adult couples, friends, birthday groups, and spirits enthusiasts. It could also work well as a team activity for a small group that wants something more active than a standard meal.

Is $129 good value?

At $129 per person, this is not a bargain tasting. You are paying for a 2.5-hour guided experience, drinks, a distillery visit, expert instruction, access to a large botanical selection, and a full 70cl bottle of your own gin.

The value depends on what you want from the day. If you only want to drink gin, you can find cheaper ways to do that. If you want a souvenir bottle, the price still needs to account for the tour, tasting, production time, and the chance to make a recipe yourself.

I think the price makes the most sense for someone who enjoys the process as much as the final drink. You are not simply buying a bottle. You are paying to understand how the product is made and to take part in creating it.

The bottle also gives the experience a lasting element. A normal tasting ends when you leave the venue. Here, your own 70cl gin continues the experience at home, though you may have to wait several weeks before opening it.

For a casual visitor who has little interest in gin, $129 may feel steep. For a dedicated gin drinker, a couple celebrating a special occasion, or someone looking for an unusual Sheffield activity, it can be a fair price.

The main strengths and possible drawbacks

The clearest strengths are the personal scale, the enthusiastic instruction, and the fact that you make something tangible. The experience has received top marks from the small number of verified ratings available, with particular praise for being fun and informative.

Jake’s role is worth noting because a guide can make or break a workshop. His enthusiasm and strong subject knowledge helped turn the production tour into an engaging part of the visit. A guide who explains the reasons behind the ingredients gives you more confidence when you begin making your own recipe.

The historic Portland Works setting is another strong point. It adds local character and connects the distillery with Sheffield’s manufacturing story. You get a sense of the company’s place in the city instead of visiting a drinks venue with no local identity.

The main drawbacks are practical. The price is high for a 2.5-hour activity, and the experience is narrow in focus. You will not tour Sheffield’s wider sights, and you will not receive a broad survey of gin makers.

The wait for the bottle may also test your patience. If you want an instant souvenir drink, this is not quite that. You take the bottle home, then allow it time to seep before drinking it.

Who should book this Sheffield gin class?

I would recommend it to:

• Gin drinkers who want to understand botanicals and production.
• Couples looking for a hands-on activity in Sheffield.
• Friends who enjoy tastings and want a personal souvenir.
• Small adult groups seeking a focused, social workshop.
• Visitors interested in Portland Works and Sheffield’s industrial identity.
• Anyone who prefers making something over watching a standard demonstration.

I would think twice if you do not drink gin, dislike tastings, or want a large-scale sightseeing tour. The session is tightly built around one distillery and one drink category.

It also may not suit families because children under 18 are not allowed. The English-only format is another consideration if you are not comfortable following detailed spoken explanations in English.

Should you book Locksley Distilling?

Book this experience if you want more than a drink in a glass. You will tour a Sheffield distillery, taste several gins and tonics, learn why botanicals matter, and make a full 70cl bottle of your own recipe.

I especially like it for a birthday, couple’s outing, or small group celebration. The historic Portland Works setting gives the activity a local connection, while the limited group size keeps it personal. Just budget for the $129 price and remember that your bottle may need a few weeks before it is ready to drink.

If you want a cheap introduction to gin, choose a simple tasting instead. If you want an informative, hands-on afternoon with a souvenir you helped create, Locksley Distilling is a strong choice.

FAQ

Where does the gin-making experience take place?

It takes place at Locksley Distilling in Portland Works, in the heart of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

How long does the experience last?

The activity lasts 2.5 hours.

How much does the experience cost?

The listed price is $129 per person.

What is included in the experience?

You receive a selection of gin and tonics, including Sunshine in a Glass, an intimate distillery tour, an introduction to Locksley Distilling’s development and aims, a guided tasting, and a gin-making session using more than 100 botanicals.

Do I get to take home the gin I make?

Yes. You distil your recipe into a full 70cl bottle of gin to take away.

Can I drink my bottle immediately?

You may need to wait a few weeks for the gin to seep before drinking it.

Is the activity suitable for children?

No. The experience is not suitable for children under 18.

Is the tour available in languages other than English?

No other language is listed. The experience includes a live English-speaking guide.

How many people are in each group?

The group is limited to eight participants.

Can I cancel the booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, keeping your plans flexible.