Days Out NI
Distillery Donaghadee

Copeland Distillery

An over-18 distillery tour and tasting steps from Donaghadee harbour.

1 photo
OpenVisitor centre open daily 9:00-16:00; bar…
TicketedBook ahead
DonaghadeeDistillery
Get directionsOfficial website
5 hoursHow long
Tours are over-18…Best for
TicketedEntry
FreeParking
IndoorsSetting

Copeland Distillery — An over-18 distillery tour and tasting steps from Donaghadee harbour.

  • Getting in: Café, shop and visitor centre are free to enter daily; the distillery tour is a paid, booked experience (around £25 per ticket).
  • Tours: Guided tour of roughly 1 hour plus about 30 minutes in the centre. Book in advance and arrive 15 minutes early.
  • Opening: Visitor centre open daily 9:00-16:00; bar service Friday evenings; tours Saturday evenings.
  • Age limits: Tours are over-18 only due to licensing law. Children can visit the café and shop but not the tour.
  • Food: Small café serving coffee and a sweet treat. No outside food or drink.
  • Parking: Free onsite parking.
Plan your visit

What the tour covers

A guide walks you through the working distillery and the story of Donaghadee and the Copeland Islands that inspire the spirits. You see the copper stills on the production floor and learn the steps behind the gin, rum, single malt and pot still whiskey. The tasting takes you through the distillery's portfolio of gins, rums and whiskey, with time to talk through the botanicals. Plan on roughly an hour for the tour plus about 30 minutes in the centre.

Over-18 only Guided tour Tasting included £25 per ticket Café & shop Free parking
Good to know before you go:

Copeland runs Saturday evening tours, Friday bar nights and whiskey tasting evenings through the year, and dates change with the season, so check the distillery's site for the current programme before booking.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🪪Photo IDTastings are 18+ — bring ID if you look under 25.
  • 🚗A plan to get homeA designated driver or lift, so everyone can enjoy the tasting.
  • 👟Comfy shoesWorking distilleries have stairs and hard floors on the tour.
  • 💷A few poundsFor the shop and a bottle to take home.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Getting in
Café, shop and visitor centre are free to enter daily; the distillery tour is a paid, booked experience (around £25 per ticket).
Opening
Visitor centre open daily 9:00-16:00; bar service Friday evenings; tours Saturday evenings.
Tours
Guided tour of roughly 1 hour plus about 30 minutes in the centre. Book in advance and arrive 15 minutes early.
Age limits
Tours are over-18 only due to licensing law. Children can visit the café and shop but not the tour.
Food
Small café serving coffee and a sweet treat. No outside food or drink.
Family-friendly
The tour is adults only. The café and shop are open to all ages.
Parking
Free onsite parking.
Accessibility
Limited disabled access in an older building; check before you go.
How long to allow
About 1.5 hours for the tour and centre; less for just the café and shop.
Address
Manor Street, Donaghadee, Co Down BT21 0HF
Questions

Before you go

Do I need to book?
Café, shop and visitor centre are free to enter daily; the distillery tour is a paid, booked experience (around £25 per ticket).
What tours are there?
Guided tour of roughly 1 hour plus about 30 minutes in the centre. Book in advance and arrive 15 minutes early.
What are the opening times?
Visitor centre open daily 9:00-16:00; bar service Friday evenings; tours Saturday evenings.
Is there an age limit?
Tours are over-18 only due to licensing law. Children can visit the café and shop but not the tour.
Is there food or a bar?
Small café serving coffee and a sweet treat. No outside food or drink.
Getting there

Copeland Distillery is at Manor Street, Donaghadee, Co Down BT21 0HF. Free onsite parking. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out in DonaghadeeSee what else is close by More distilleries across NIWhiskey, gin and craft spirits
The story

About Copeland

Copeland Distillery was established in summer 2016, started with a crowdfunding campaign that raised its initial backing, and takes its name and inspiration from the Copeland Islands off Donaghadee. It grew over its first years from a young craft producer into a distillery making its own Irish gin, rum, single malt and pot still whiskey in the town.

The visitor centre sits in a former picture house and Ards Bottling Company premises on Manor Street that had stood empty for over 20 years before Copeland restored it, opening the doors in 2019. The products lean on the history of Donaghadee and the islands, and the tour leans into that local story alongside the spirit-making.