Glenkinchie Distillery — Attraction in Great Britain

Couple of days ago I have been refused to get served a dram of whisky alongside my Earl Grey tea and slice of cake. Now I have to point out that I have been served every single time before with no exceptions. At least 20 times I had a dram alongside my hot drink and cake no problem. A single dram never more. I often sat next to other cyclist sipping long drinks, cocktails and whisky beside me.

I was shocked, embarrassed and most importantly extremely disappointed. The server girl ( Surbhi ) told me she can't serve me whisky because I'm riding a bike. That would've been absolutely understandable if I was intoxicated. Needless to say I was totally sober as always when out cycling and I just rode 35 miles off road on my gravel bike.

Do you have a new policy? Where is it displayed on the premises and is it clearly visible to every cyclist who wants a drink? If this will keep happening it’s pretty much pointless for me to stop by in the future as I can get a coffee and a cake somewhere else.

I have contacted the management directly by email and their response was the following:

"Our team has a duty of care — not only to our guests, but also to others they may encounter after leaving our premises. While we understand and respect that you were sober at the time and intended to enjoy a double Mortlach 16 dram with your tea and cake, it is generally not advisable to consume alcohol before cycling. Even small amounts of alcohol can impair coordination, reaction time, and judgment, all of which are critical to safe riding.

In the UK, it is an offence to cycle under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the extent that it impairs your ability to control the bicycle properly. While there is no fixed legal limit as there is for driving, the law states that a person is "unfit to ride" if under the influence to the point where they are incapable of proper control. This applies whether cycling on the road or on a footpath.

Our staff are trained to use their discretion in such cases, and while it may not have been enforced in previous visits, we are now more actively encouraging responsible choices around alcohol and cycling — especially as cycling tourism continues to grow in the area.

We understand this was unexpected and upsetting for you, and we are sorry for how it made you feel. Your feedback will be shared with the team, and we will also review how we communicate this aspect of our policy going forward.

We value your patronage, and we hope this experience will not deter you from visiting us again in the future."

So they basically told me -a 44 year old man - a lecture about how alcohol is affecting your body. That is outrageous and completely disrespectful. I am aware of the implications of cycling /driving intoxicated, thank you very much! I would never do such thing. They have a "duty of care" policy now. That doesn't even make any sense. Never in my life I've been refused to get served a pint or a dram alongside my food in a pub or an establishment like a distillery before because they had "a duty of care" and I've been cycling around a lot around Scotland and abroad.

To sum it up: it is unacceptable to refuse a customer like me who is a grown up man, completely sober and just want to enjoy a dram alongside his cup of tea and cake while out cycling. I'm not even sure if you have the right to do so unless I'm intoxicated, have a disruptive behaviour or underage. I will look into this further.

I guess they are a big enough company to not to care losing one single loyal customer like me. Well you just did and it's a...

The Glenkinchie Distillery is a must-go and a definite highlight of my trip to Scotland. In our 6 people group, we had novice whisky drinkers to whisky enthusiasts, however we all had the best time at the distillery!

To start off with, the distillery is situation in a beautiful part of Scotland, only 35-45 minutes away from Edinburgh (via car). As we entered the distillery we were warmly welcomed by our friendly and incredibly knowledgeable tour guide, Nick! Right from the start he made us feel right at home and even remembered all my email inquiries that I had prior to the tour. I cannot recommend him enough! Not to mention the distillery itself is very beautiful, the garden at the entrance is covered with beautiful flowers.

We selected the cask experience which was a thorough and well put together tour that explained the process of making whisky from each stage in great detail. Nick explained everything very well and kindly answered all of our questions. After seeing and learning about the process of making whisky, we got to try a myriad of whiskies from Glenkinchie, we learnt the different flavour profiles as well as the special qualities of each whisky, we all learnt so much in the few hours we were there. I highly recommend the cask experience as it was also an incredibly special to see whisky drawn from the cask!

Lastly, what was most special about Glenkinchie is the people who work there, we can undoubtedly feel the passion and love for their craft, they are truly the main reason that makes Glenkinchie so special. And of course the whiskey is absolutely fantastic, so definitely grab a bottle if you’re there! Thank you so much Nick and the team and also the amazing distillers. we will be back for...

Glenkinchie Distillery – Scotland If I were rating purely on location and staff, this would be an easy five stars. The distillery is set in a stunningly picturesque area, and their new café offers breathtaking views that make the visit even more memorable. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and genuinely passionate, making the tour both engaging and educational.

Where the experience dipped slightly was the café service. If you’re on the 4:00 PM tour (1.5 hr tour), you’ll likely finish around 5:30–5:45 PM, just as the kitchen is closing. That means limited food options — and since the distillery is in a remote area with no nearby restaurants, it’s best to eat beforehand or book an earlier tour if you plan to enjoy a snack there.

I also found the cocktails underwhelming. The Cherry Manhattan was overly sour, and the tiki-style drink tasted mostly like pineapple juice and even upset my stomach. That said, the whisky itself is great(or so I hear, I’m not usually a huge straight up whisky fan) — and that’s what you’re here for.

A tip: arrange transport in advance. A ride back to the Edinburgh city center costs around £55, but the distillery can help coordinate this if you don’t have a plan.

Overall, despite a few hiccups, Glenkinchie is absolutely worth the visit for its scenery, hospitality, and...