AIBU to not understand going to a distillery

[Hapaxlegomenon]

Could someone please explain to me what is better about going to distilleries and doing things like tasting gin, instead of just going to a place designed for alcohol consumption and having a normal drink? This suddenly seems to have become a big thing and I feel very out of touch, and loath to ask in real life in case I come across as snide.

I haven't been to a distillery myself but I imagine that it's something fun to do. You'll get information on the history of the distillery, comments on what you're tasting, you'll get to taste drinks in the "right" order, etc.

It's interesting to see how things are made? I don't drink spirits but I still enjoy touring distilleries. They're historic buildings with processes that haven't changed much for a hundred years. That's pretty cool.

Tastings are fun because you get to try drinks that aren't available many other places (if any) and they tend to be pretty good value. Plus you usually learn interesting stuff about what you're drinking.

You're basically asking what's better about going to a museum and having lunch in the cafe than having lunch in normal cafe. Two very different experiences.

Well the Sipsmith one I went to was pretty engaging with a good history lesseon about gin. And we got to taste little bits, had a big fat g&t and we got a goodie bag. I thought it was pretty good.

It's just like going to any other visitor attraction.

People go to distilleries because if gin (or whisky or whatever) is something they're really interested in, they might find it interesting to see the process and find out more about it. Just like real ale enthusiasts might go on a brewery tour or a chocolate lover might go to Cadbury World or something. Or a wine connoisseur might enjoy a tour of a vineyard.

If you're not interested in that side of things, obviously you wouldn't go, just like you wouldn't go to, say, a donkey sanctuary if you didn't like donkeys.

I find it quite interesting finding out and seeing how things are made - it's the same motivation that has me watching things like Bake Off and Sewing Bee.

Also it's not a new thing at all. Whisky distilleries have been open to the public for decades. My dad's been to about 30!

I went to the Ginstitute and it was great. You get a talk about the history of gin, then you try different types of gin (and cocktails!), then have a lesson in the botanicals, and then you make your own recipe based on all the available botanicals. You come away with a full size bottle of your own gin, bottle of Portobello Road gin, tonic water, and they hold your gin recipe on file in case you want to order another bottle. It was well worth going.

I'm with you OP, I went to a gin distillery recently, it was as dull as fuck! The only good bit was the cocktail at the end.

Because a distillery is science in action.

I live in a wine region and people frigging LOVE visiting wineries. It's a lot of old wank if you ask me. They all start out full of bouquets and suchlike and end up like any drunk person, loud and staggery....but during the day!

I've been to a few whisky distilleries, and I go because I find them interesting! I would tour other types of factories/production places if they were open to the public too, plus I like the free tasters you get at the end. There is a lot of history, chemistry and other interesting facts and the distilleries all vary from each other more than you'd imagine. Its a relatively cheap, interesting day out that you can do in rainy weather, or on the way to somewhere else.

Visiting a whisky distillery in Skye was a highlight of my holiday there last year. I'm not a whisky drinker but I found seeing the process of how it's made fascinating.

mrs that was pretty much what I did when I went wine tasting in South Africa

Well you find out about the botanicals used, the history of distilling and the modern process. You can do a masterclass in cocktail making. It's fun and interesting. Don't go if you just want a drink. Go to the pub instead

Thank you for your explanations! I've moved to a new area and am making some new friends, all of which seem to go to distilleries very often, separately. I was unaware of the museum type element.

Well I wouldn't as I don't like whisky/gin whatever. But I've been to a chocolate factory which is surely the same principle.

If you don't want to go then don't. Other people can go if they want to

The Thomas Heatherwick designed greenhouse at the Bombay Saffire distillery is a thing of beauty. And then you get a lovely gin based cocktail at the end.

It's more about going to the distillery than the drinking.

I would like to go and see a distillery, purely for the museum value. I don't drink alcohol.