Durham Distillery

Loved this distillery! The weekend bartenders took such great care of us! They were so knowledgeable and taught us so much while we sampled our flight. The gin was so good too, I loved that you could smell each ingredient as they kept them on the counter. We loved them so much that when we got home we ordered a bottle (we flew with carryons, otherwise we would have bought bottles there). The canned gin and tonics were FANTASTIC too. I highly recommend visiting.

The brewery tour was so fun! Everyone is so nice and funny. I love the atmosphere and gin here. Will recommend very highly the chocolate drink they have here. It's so good. Also shout out to whoever had the idea for a mcdonalds vodka hahahaha.

The tour is a fun experience, lots of good info about infusing botanicals and how that process works. The company purchases 95 proof ethanol and infuses flavors on-site. Tour includes samples of all their bottled products. Could be improved by including free cocktail.

Had a fantastic afternoon with friends touring and tasting. I didn’t not know much about gin and came away with an appreciation for each of the 4 types that are made here. Definitely worth going and i look forward to trying some new gin cocktails from the bottles i purchased.

Felicia is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. I wish I lived in Durham because I’d be here all the time. Best gin in the country. Bethany was awesome too. I wish I could stay here all day. If you can’t visit here then go to the ABC in NC and buy their gin.

Went on an absolutely fantastic gin tour!Felicia was knowledgeable and entertaining and we learned a lot! All of their products are available for purchase at the attached bar. Would highly recommend as a cute way to spend an hour learning about a local, women run business.

We had a blast Saturday touring Durham Distillery and learning about their fabulous Gin’s and Liqueurs! Josh who gave the tour was so knowledgeable and fun!! We will definitely be back soon.

Bethany and Felicia are awesome we are from Oregon and ended up buying a bunch of bottles and sending it home. Had A great time the American Dry is really good

Great experience here at Durham Distillery. I watched a YouTube video on this joint since it won the NC award and had to come here. (Great Groupon deal too) I do love a good gin, and this is the place to try the best. I tasted the Conniption Kinship which had a beautiful botanical light finish. It even changes color when you add a citrus element which was so cool. Becca our pourer demonstrated that for us which was quite a show. Next I tried the Conniption Navy Strength..and whew....I slapped the granite counter on that one ! Strong 114 proof intense gin. After that I tried their Damn Fine chocolate liqueur. Very smooth and delicious. Also tried the Krupnikas spiced honey liqueur. WOW...it had notes of cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla. Changed my world ! I bought that one and the Conniption Navy. She showed us Gertrude as well .a beautiful copper distillery machine. It was impressive. Come here people otherwise you're missing out on beautiful crafted gins.

This place has absolutely got the best gin in Durham. I loved the tour of the distillery, they were very knowledgeable, but everything, and the gin tasting was delicious. It was a great value for price, I definitely recommend everyone go to it who is new to the area. The bar that is attached to the distillery is also fantastic!

Fun tour of the distillery. Felicia guided our group, described the vodka and gin making process, plus other products including a honey liqueur and desert liqueurs, and some sampling to boot. Cool woman owned business.

Horribly rude to me and my friend who came in for a tasting. Rushed us and was only interested in sales and not the explaining their products or distillation process. Very unwelcoming and not that great of gin. There are other distilleries in the area - skip Durham Distillery!

Just attended a one hour tour of the distilling process of Gin. Our tour, approximately 15 people in the group, was led by our " Spirit-Guide ", Patrick. He's a very well informed source of information, having been ( and still is ), in the entire process. Witty and entertaining, the tour ended too quickly for us! The samples were plenty and brought tangible evidence of the changes the product goes thru in arriving at the final award worthy Gin. It continues to achieve great recognition and has been acclaimed the No.1 Gin in the states. Have some fun and go spend an hour or so here! Meet and make new friends as well as have some great Gin!

We had a party of 4 at 5:30 on a a Saturday evening for a tour that my daughter had purchased on Groupon. We were greeted by some very enthusiastic ladies behind the bar. We were offered a taste oof one of their canned cocktails. There was a choice of 3 cocktails. It was a very small cup sIze. I don't like gin or vodka so it was fine by me. Our tour leader ("mermaid") was absolutely top notch. Her knowledge of the fermentation process was amazing.. It was evident that she loved working there. We had a few other tastes of gin. We also toured the bottling area. Everything is bottled by hand. Quite an operation. My favorite part of the tour was the sampling of their liquors.. YUMMM !!!! Coffee, chocolate,, mocha.. Each of these was delicious. Il will be looking for some on my next trip to the ABC Store. This is a top notch distillery. Thumbs up to the owners !!

I loved my tour here! * it did not break the bank * the tour guides were entertaining and informative * I got to try all three of their gins (American dry, navy strength, bourbon barrel), and I can tell why they won so many awards! Glad I did so because it helped me pick out which bottle I wanted to buy. * speaking of - please buy your conniption straight through the distillery! The ABC store takes a ~10% cut. * they ask let us taste a few other things that aren't part of their regular tastings - the cucumber vodka (the cucumber comes through really well), the liqueurs (chocolate, mocha, coffee), yum. And you know what they say about liqueurs - they last about 6 months once opened, but they probably won't make it that long. That's especially true with these three. * so cool to see the behind the scenes and how just a few machines make all of the conniption sold in NC

Knowing them for ten years personally, I can honestly say Lee and Melissa are some of the best people you would ever want to meet. It's people like them who make great business owners. Not only does their science smarts shine in their recipes, but anyone as caring as them would treat their customers, employees, and fellow distillers like gold. They really know and appreciate that a good business is only successful from the inside out, and that's why you will see their brand in lights and globally for years to come. Plus, their gin and liqueurs are hella amazing! Their chocolate liqueur is the only one I will use in my chocolate martinis! Cheers!

I didn't realize I am actually a gin person until I had the Navy Strength Conniption Gin for the first time late last year. It was a long time before I even tried the Kinship Gin, American Dry Gin, or Cucumber Vodka because the Navy Strength is just that good. Turns out all of their spirits are that good! I highly recommend them, including the Damn Fine Liqueurs. I love visiting the tasting room and getting recommendations from the incredibly knowledgable and kind staff. Go visit!

Came here with a friend after finding a tour on groupon. Even though we didn't know to book online, they were still nice enough to fit us in for another tour later that day. The tour was great and they provide plenty of samples to keep you focused (or not haha) Even though Durham Distillery primarily produces gin, I ended up purchasing one of their mocha liquors WHICH YOU MUST TRY!! It is SOOOO good (truth be told, drinking it straight has become one of my guilty pleasures) I definitely plan on coming back & bringing my friends for a tour when they visit Durham in the future!!

Made an unexpected stop here while waiting on our food at Blue Note and so glad we did. The have multiple spirits to do a tasting of, delicious canned cocktails, and had a spiked ginger beer on tap. All brewed in house! If you're lucky you will get served by Anna - she's fantastic and full of fun info on the spirits.

Nobody makes better gin than Durham Distillery! Even if you don't like gin, give this place a shot, it might change your mind! I prefer the naval strength, as it's got a more potent flavor and alcohol content. The people giving the tours are very knowledgeable, and it's nice to get to try all the products they make.

When I had my first gin and tonic at Alley Twenty Six I knew I had to make my way down to do a tour at Durham Distillery! Such a fun time, Erin did a fantastic job with the tour. During the tour you get to try a sample of the cucumber vodka, the american dry and navy strength gins and chocolate, coffee and mocha liqueurs. Those liqueurs were delicious, the chocolate and coffee are both local which was an added bonus. If you have not done a tour already, get your a** to Durham!

Buy a Groupon. Found out after the fact and they wouldn't refund me on my original purchase. The tour itself left much to be desired... There isn't really much to see and nothing was really running. Not worth paying the full $15 price tag. Skip the private tour option and just come in for samples. Other distillery tours I've been on were better. The girls working there were very nice but this is just a one time visit for me...

Took my whole family here a while back when they were in town visiting (pre-pandemic). Wonderful experience at the bar! The gin was phenomenal, my brother-in-law took home a bottle which I understand is now completely empty! Will definitely be back again, probably with extended family in tow.

Ahh, gin... The cause of and solution to all of life's problems (according to Homer Simpson). And the newest distillery in town, Durham Distillery is doing a very nice job bringing artisanal gin to the Triangle. I got a preview of this small distillery tonight and was pretty impressed. For their VIP preview event we got to check out their space, distilling equipment and sample some of their libations. Durham Distillery rocks out a very warm, throw-back bar with a speak-easy feel, very classy. I got to try both their Conniption gins, American Dry and Navy. Both are a lot lighter and more floral than the heavier gins I'm used to drinking. In addition to gin, Durham Distillery does excellent coffee and chocolate liquors, I definitely am a fan of the chocolate. In back they have some beautiful distillery equipment imported from Germany. Beautiful shiny copper plumbing and equipment makes for a cleaner gin. And some cold infusion equipment allows them to create flavored liquors without subjecting the ingredients to debilitating heat. So definitely they are off to a good start and I'm not sure if they'll have tours or what have you but thankfully you can check Durham Distillery out AND purchase a bottle onsite due to a recent change in legislation. So welcome to the neighborhood, Durham Distillery. You're off to a great start...

Very nice staff who are very informative. Offer a lot of back history regarding gin. Interesting ways they produce their products. We enjoyed mocha liqueur the most.

Love exploring all the nooks and crannies in Durham! I was first introduced to the Durham Distillery through a Groupon deal. I don't remember the price of the Groupon, but online tickets are $15. If you visit their website, you will find a link to the calendar to reserve a date. I invited three of my friends and we spent our Saturday afternoon touring the distillery. It was really cool to see the distillery and learn more about how their gins, vodka, canned cocktails, and liqueurs are made. You even get a complimentary cocktail at the start of the tour, an opportunity to sample six spirits and a take-home shot glass! My favorite product to sample was the "Damn Fine" chocolate liqueurs made with Videri chocolate. It was so good, I had to buy a bottle. This is a great activity for your out-of-town friends and family! Tours booked online are non-refundable, but you can reschedule. You cannot reschedule your tour if the time has passed. If you or your guests don't drink, there are other non-alcoholic drinks for them to enjoy.

I went here after getting a Groupon for the tour and I definitely enjoyed it! My five star rating is mostly for all of their spirits which I thoroughly enjoyed, even their cucumber vodka as coming from someone who doesn't like vodka. Let's talk about their products! I loved both of their gins, but he American dry, was by far my favourite and I definitely see myself getting that bottle to sip. The juniper flavour is strong but very smooth! Also their gin and tonic cans are wonderful and it will easily be one of my go to drinks. I also very much enjoyed their liquers- coffee under the name Damn Fine Liquers - again very pleasant to drink and strong real flavours. I did not enjoy the cucumber vodka as much as the other but that's mostly my dislike of vodka in general. The place has been recently expanded so we got to see some of the equipment where the actual gin making occurs as well as their liquer and roto vap for that beautiful cucumber flavour. I've been on other (gin)distillery tours before and as far as tours go this place could work on some more information on how tasting notes work or some chemistry behind distilling. It could be better but definitely worth the Groupon. In all, a wonderful local gem, with really good drinks. Will definitely be buying them again. Tip : if you buy their products from their store, all profits go to them!

Durham Distillery has been on my list for some time now and I'm so glad I finally got the chance to check it out! While I had sampled a few of the products before, I had never visited the facility, taken a tour, or learned about the production process. If you're interested in any of these things, let me tell you, Lauren is the perfect tour guide! Witty, informative, and insightful, she really is top notch. Lauren aside, I was also impressed with the variety of products produced by Durham Distillery--Conniption gin; cold distilled cucumber vodka; damn fine liqueurs; and even a few cocktails in a can. Seriously tasty stuff! Pro-tip: The G&T in a can is super refreshing after an afternoon spent kayaking.

This place is so cool! There is a full tour, but if you say you just want the "10 minute tour," (i.e. a tasting), they'll help you out. I've been to distillery tastings before where I like some things but not everything. But the six options we tasted were amazing! The cucumber vodka is wonderfully refreshing, especially for a hot summer day. Their Conniption Gins were both tasty, although I preferred the floral botanicals of the American Dry. And the three Damn Fine Liqueurs (coffee, chocolate, and mocha) were all sweet and yummy. If I hadn't been traveling, I feel like I would have bought a bottle of everything. But alas, I will only be taking a shot glass home with me as a souvenir.

I did not know what gin was or how it was made until I went here. I enjoyed the tour and the tastings...I also realized gin was not for me. Their liquors and cucumber vodka is amazing and their products are made from real ingredients in house. I would recommend however that when giving tours to make sure the kitchen tasting area is clean and that handwashing areas available to ensure sanitation. Upon my visit there was debris on the serving table and everyone just felt around the samples. Made me question whether people wash their hands. Other than that though, this place is a beautiful sight to see. I learned how to properly taste gin and was able to taste each ingredient it is made with. Also they are a local owned business and it is clearly well taken care of.

This is one of my MUST STOP spots when in the Raleigh/Durham area. The gin is incredible, but it's the hospitality that is addictive. Melissa is warm, welcoming and incredibly knowledgable about not only the spirits she produces, but the best restaurants in the area, history of Durham and how to make some of the best product around. If you've not tried their Damn Fine Liquors I suggest diving head first into that, we literally pack an extra suitcase to bring home Durham Distillery products (don't tell TSA). Can't wait to get back soon!

The Triangle area just keeps getting that much cooler with all these amazing distilleries in the area. I had a chance to check out the all new Durham Distillery this week and I was not disappointed. Right next door to Blue Note Grill you won't miss this little gem. Gin lovers this will be heaven for you beware. Owners Melissa and Lee have worked hard to perfect their spirits and I enjoyed them all. They are currently the only distillery in the world using vapor infusion and vacuum technology. I loved tasting all the botanical elements in their gin from figs, honeysuckle and more. They are currently offering tours for $10 and it's well worth it if you are into learning more about how these delicious spirits are made. Using the best technology out there it's like walking into Willy Wonka's workshop. While talking about Willy Wonka let's talk about the Damn Fine Liqueur they are making at Durham Distillery. I enjoyed all of them: Chocolate, Mocha, and Coffee (made with local Videri chocolate and Slingshot coffee). The Mocha was by far my favorite, don't mind if I need a little pick me up in my morning coffee:) lol. You can also purchase tonic from Alley 26 here, Videri chocolate bars, and Slingshot cold brew. I really enjoyed the tour from Melissa and the generous tasting. They are known for their gin and you won't be disappointed. Need a gift for the hard to buy? How bought a bottle of liquor from a local distillery? Welcome Durham Distillery so excited to have you all right here in the Triangle.

We had a great time on our distillery tour! Just the right balance between learning about booze-making and then getting to taste all the booze, with a outgoing and personable tour guide to boot. I loved their liqueurs - chocolate, mocha, and coffee - which blow Bailey's and Kahlua way out of the water.

This was a great experience. Their staff was very courteous, friendly, as well as knowledgeable of their products; and history. From start to finish this was a great tour. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is in the area and would like to embark on a unique sprites field journey.

We booked a tour online and the staff did a great job educating us about the gin process and liqueur etc. they had a tasting session that provided shot sized pours (or the size of a communion cup for the liqueurs). For anyone wanting to see a distillery and interact with some nice folks I'd recommend. The place is very small and somewhat limited in places to stand but they did a good job given the small place.

I went through this tour when they first opened and it was awesome even to a non-native gin drinker. The cucumber vokda hadn't come out yet, game changer for sure - but man those liquers... Nom! Fast forward to my aunts coming to visit in October - a real deal gin aficionado - and it blew her away. We gave her a bottle of navy strength as a thank you for helping with our newborn (perfect gift for newborn helpers!!!) and she saved it to take it on the plane and share it with her local liquor distributors in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Yeah, that good!

Go take the tour, drink the gin, drink the vodka. Buy a bottle of the navy strength gin. You won't regret it. One of the gems of Durham, I hope they stay local and keep up the high-quality - great work! We will be back!

Tour was nice. After the tour, I felt like the staff was rude and irritated because we didn't want to purchase a bottle. Made us feel very unwelcome. Will not be visiting or recommending this place.

What a great welcome to the area!!! We just moved to Durham, and were looking for something to do, and we found ourselves booking a tasting tour here, and it was amazing! For $10 you get the behind the scenes tour (we were lucky and had a 50% off promo code!!) where you learn all about the awesome husband and wife duo who have created a gin right here in durham that is ranked third in the WORLD! Never would have guessed that, but it is true! Such a unique set up here too, and the small space is so intimate, you learn about their two gins including a navy strength one, and their three liquors: a coffee one, a mocha one, and a chocolate one. AND you get to taste all of them at the end of the tour and you get to keep your durham distillery shot glass! And they are pretty big pours too, so definitely have a snack before this tour :-) The wife of the team led the tour and her staff guided us through the tastings, this really is such a great hour to spend and this spot is still pretty secretive it seems too with not many people knowing this spot is even here. So what are you waiting for? #drinklocal

To celebrate their recent medals (three!) at the American American Craft Spirits Convention, Durham Distillery is discounting their regular $10 tours to $5/person in the month of March. We stopped by for the 7:30pm tour on a Friday evening (luckily, they allowed us to join in, even though the were at capacity). Although the Durham Distillery is a small space, they've maintained it beautifully. The old automobile shop left behind some tire marks on the floors and they still have the old garage doors used in the previous shop. You'll enter Durham Distillery and be greeted by a beautiful bar and lovely photo art along the walls. Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to just stop in for a drink here, although I think that would be a lovely idea for the future. Tours last about 45 minutes, with a full breakdown of the gin process (they do not make the base product in-house, but rather outsource a corn alcohol and add botanicals to it), bottling methods and of course their liquor process. Durham Distillery makes two products: Conniption Gin (American Dry and Navy Strength) and Damn Fine Liqueurs (Coffee, Mocha and Chocolate). Post-tour you're taken back to the bar and given samples of all five of their products with a take-home shot glass. I love gin, and Durham Distillery had an incredible product. Their American Dry gin, they call a "gateway gin" with cucumber and orange aromatics and less juniper, while the Navy Strength is your bold juniper lovers gin. I thought both were delicious but incredibly different. The liqueur were something fun and different than I'm used to. I don't think there is any competition for liqueurs in the area, and let me tell you, they're serving up a tasty product. They source their chocolate and coffee locally, chocolate from Videri and coffee from Slingshot Coffee Co. (who uses local Counter Culture Coffee). My favorite among the liqueurs was definitely the coffee, so bold and bright! Overall, the tour and tasting was a really enjoyable experience, but I'd love to see the Distillery offering more in the future, to bring in returning clients. They do sell a additional local products here, to compliment their gin and liqueurs, including a tonic by Alley 26 and bitters by Crude.

The staff at Durham Distillery are so friendly! If you are a fan of gin or vodka, definitely book a tour to learn more about the process. We had a big tour group, but our guide was great and made it seem intimate. I would say the star of the show was the cucumber vodka. It really is amazing! Definitely, buy a pack of the vodka soda. Note: You can only buy alcohol after doing the tour due to NC liquor laws! Gin was also very good. I'm not a fan of liqueurs, but they had several to try including chocolate and coffee. Definitely recommend for those that are in the area. Support local businesses!

I'm not normally a gin drinker, but the drinks I've had with Conniption, at several of the restaurants in the area, have been amazingly tasty. I was so excited when they came out with their cucumber infused vodka as it is smooth and delicious. I highly recommend taking a tour of the distillery to learn more about how the products are made, as well as to try samples of course. The staff has always been professional and knowledgeable whenever I've visited. Shout out to the chocolate liquors - YUM!

Awesome small batch gin and craft cocktails! Great hang out and great drinks. The owners take their time to share their passion with you if you want to ask about their custom European made still or their marketing/engineering backgrounds that make them such a perfect team for this enterprise!

Durham Distillery has the some of the finest Gin you can expect to drink from any where around the world. The Conniption Navy Strength is my professional craft cocktail bar tender/owner husband's go to gin of choice and I prefer the American Dry. Between the two of us, we are never without both of these products at home.

I came in with a group of 4 friends for a tour from Groupon. Everyone at the distillery we're very knowledgeable, personable, and friendly during the tour. THE MOCHA LIQEUR IS AMAZING! Everyone in my group bought at least one bottle after the tour, it was so good! All the tastes we're of high quality and really showed their attention to detail. We are waiting for them to start selling their tonic- it is amazing!

I'm so disappointed to write this. I'm a huge gin lover. We came here to the distillery tonight. It was our 15th anniversary and my cousin booked a bus tour for us. This was a stop for us. Just because we told the girl Lauren she has an attitude because from the moment we walked in she yelled at us. She didn't like a group having fun. This is ridiculous. Lauren single handedly told us to leave and then called the cops. We were not drunk. Just having fun. She just ruined our experience. What a way to spend our anniversary. Also we drink Conniption and love it but now I can tell you I will no longer drink it based on my experience at this distillery with Lauren. She truly is not cut out for customer service. Period.

Went here for a tour and tasting with a group of 8. Tour was very informative and interesting! The employees were GREAT...and if their tasting wasn't so good I might have remembered their names (oops). I am from wine country and have done many tastings. This was great and well worth the money. Good luck to the business, I hope they are successful. Their nummy products and awesome attitude deserve it! A great place to take guests from out of town before dinner.

I would definitely recommend stopping by this hidden gem, or dare I said gin. The staff are all friendly. The Booze are great. I will take all my family and friends to tour this lovey place.

Venue: amazing look and feel. This place is classy, fresh, and cool. If I didn't already like gin,I'd want to like it just to be here. *Even the bathrooms was amazing. 2. Staff allowed us a last minute tour when we showed up close to closing. They were friendly and fun to chat with 3. Owner was onsite. Hearing their story and getting to tour the facility was awesome. They have a unique brand and are passionate about their products (Gin and Liqours). 4. Local: they source a lot of things locally and also were willing to brag about local places we should check out. 5. Gin and Liqours were delicious and priced well. And tasting was fun and interactive.

Stopped by here several weeks ago for a tour and tasting and found it to be a great experience. Unique spot a block down from Motorco/Geer St Garden, you can reserve spots for their tours and tastings online. Once everyone has arrived, one of the owners took us back and explained their unique gin distillation process for producing both a standard gin-lovers gin and a more approachable gin for new converts. You're welcomed to give the standard gin a try directly out of the still and before it goes into a holding tank. You're then brought to the far back where you get walked through the liqueur process, how they make their chocolate, coffee, or mocha options. After that you're welcomed back to the front where you get to taste through all of their options. Due to a minor health issue, we weren't able to actually taste on our trip, but were provided with two free passes to come back for a future visit when we could. Extremely kind staff, unique process, and fun all around experience. Looking forward to getting back over there!

Durham is lucky to have this award-winning distillery. The employee who gave us a tour had great energy and knowledge about the production process. The employees who led the tasting were helpful in giving cocktail recipe ideas with each product.

This is our friend's favorite distillery so my wife and I went by to get a t shirt for him. We got there and according to the sign on the door they were open. There were people inside but the door was locked. My wife knocked and gestured to an employee who was standing near the register. She unlocked the door and my wife explained that she wanted to buy a t shirt, gesturing to the rack of shirts next to the door. We were told that we couldn't buy one because there was a tour going on. The tour was in the next room and she was alone and obviously not doing anything. She then closed the door on us and walked back to stand by the register. Call me crazy but the point of distillery tours is to get customers. To turn away customers in order to stand around while someone else gives a tour is crazy. So our business is a loss and our friend's response? "Oh well, lots of people make gin." So, another customer lost. I work on the same block and have told this story a couple dozen times already to people who, wisely, decided not to become customers either. It's great to have a fancy store and win awards and give tours but you need to let customers buy things from you too. Luckily lots of people make gin.

What a great local resource! I love everything that Durham Distillery makes, and also that it is local and woman-co-owned. The tour was really interesting - I had no idea how many different spices went into making gin. A great destination, and be sure to take home a bottle or two (or pick up the canned G&T)!

What I enjoyed about the tour is how much I learned about gin and about how Durham Distillery got its start. I absolutely love their ice cold canned cocktails on a hot summer day.

By far, my favorite craft distillery. Great products and warm and wonderful people. I make a point of dropping by every time that I am in town.

Durham makes some of the best Gin I've had! Lee and Melissa are fabulous people who care.

Great product. Great location. Amazing staff. The tour was fun and informative.