The Conker Tour

What to Expect on a
Conker Distillery Tour.

If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens on a distillery tour, you’re in the right place.

Our Distillery Tour & Tasting isn’t about standing behind a rope whilst someone reads facts from a clipboard. It’s about discovering how and why we do what we do, tasting our spirits as you go, and seeing the genuine craft behind every bottle.

Here’s what you can expect when you join us in Southbourne.

Arrive to a Dorset Dry Gin & Tonic

Every tour starts with a drink in hand.

As guests arrive, we’ll pour you a Dorset Dry Gin & Tonic and get everyone settled in the distillery. It’s a chance to relax, meet fellow guests and take in your surroundings before we begin.

By the end of the evening you’ll understand exactly why that G&T tastes the way it does.

The story behind Conker

Every bottle starts with a story.

We’ll take you back to 2013 when our founder, Rupert Holloway, had what we call the “gin lightbulb moment”. He was 28, a Chartered Surveyor with a successful career ahead of him, but something wasn’t quite right.

One year after handing in his notice, Dorset’s first gin distillery was born.

It’s a genuine bootstrap start-up story, built from a tiny garage and a single still.

Why Dorset needed a gin

Back in 2013, Dorset had plenty of local breweries but no local gin distillery.

Rupert wondered why bars, restaurants and hotels across Dorset were pouring local beers but not a gin that reflected the county.

The answer wasn’t to reinvent gin.

It was to create a proper classic gin that captured the fresh and herbaceous character of Dorset.

That idea became Dorset Dry Gin.

Explore our botanicals

Next, we get hands-on.

You’ll pass around the botanicals that make up Dorset Dry Gin, smelling and exploring them one by one as we explain the role each plays in the recipe.

From piney juniper and bright citrus peel to locally inspired botanicals such as gorse flower, marsh samphire and elderberry, you’ll discover how the flavours of Dorset found their way into the bottle.

You’ll never look at a G&T in quite the same way again.

Learn how our Dorset Gin is made

Once you’ve met the botanicals, it’s time to discover how they become gin.

We’ll introduce you to Big Bertha, our 500-litre copper still, and explain how distillation captures flavour whilst refining the spirit itself.

We’ll keep things practical rather than overly technical, helping you understand what happens inside a still and why great gin is about much more than simply mixing ingredients together.

Taste like a Distiller

One of the highlights of the tour is tasting Dorset Dry Gin the same way Rupert did when developing the recipe.

First neat.

Then with ice.

Then gradually diluted into a G&T.

At each stage you’ll discover how different flavours emerge and why Dorset Dry was designed first and foremost as a proper G&T gin.

It’s a simple tasting technique that completely changes how many people think about gin.

Discover our range of Dorset Gins

Dorset Dry is just the beginning.

You’ll also taste our Port Barrel Gin, Navy Strength, and Raspberry Gin – learning how each spirit is created and how small changes in production can have a huge impact on flavour.

From ruby port barrels sourced from Porto, the real British raspberries in every bottle, to the bold character of 57% Navy Strength, each expression tells a different part of the Conker story.

Coffee Liqueur for coffee lovers

Gin isn’t the only thing we make.

In 2017 we launched the UK’s first Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur after noticing that coffee had undergone a revolution whilst coffee liqueur had barely changed.

You’ll discover how we use specialty Arabica coffee from Brazil and Ethiopia, cold brew it for 24 hours, and create a coffee liqueur without flavourings, thickeners or caramel colouring.

If you love coffee, this part of the tour is usually a favourite.

Meet the World's first Decaf Coffee Liqueur

For many coffee lovers, timing matters.

That’s why we created the world’s first Decaf Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur.

You’ll taste it alongside the original and discover just how far modern decaf coffee has come.

It’s one of the most surprising parts of the tour and regularly changes people’s perceptions of decaf altogether.

Finish in the Conker Taproom

Once the tour finishes, the evening doesn’t have to.

Our Tap Room opens from 4pm, serving cocktails, local beers, wine and fresh pizza from our Doughbox Kitchen.

Many guests stay on afterwards to compare favourites, enjoy another drink and soak up the atmosphere of the distillery.

After all, great spirits are best enjoyed together.

Come and see the craft behind every bottle.

Whether you’re a gin enthusiast, coffee lover, cocktail fan or simply curious about how things are made, our Distillery Tour & Tasting offers a unique insight into one of Dorset’s original craft distilleries.

You’ll leave knowing a little more about gin, coffee and distillation.

And hopefully with a new favourite bottle too.