Days Out NI
Distillery Crossgar

Rademon Estate Distillery

Tour the home of Shortcross Gin, Northern Ireland's first craft distillery.

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CrossgarDistillery
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90 minutesHow long
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Rademon Estate Distillery — Tour the home of Shortcross Gin, Northern Ireland's first craft distillery.

  • Getting in: Pre-booked guided tour only, not a drop-in visit.
  • Tours: Gin or Whiskey Tour & Tasting around £25.50pp (about 90 mins); Discovery tours from £55pp (Whiskey adds a cask warehouse visit, Gin adds your own personalised bottle).
  • Opening: Tours run to set times on selected days; check the website or call before you travel.
  • Age limits: Tours are built around alcohol tastings, so they are adult-focused; no published minimum age, so confirm with the distillery if bringing younger family.
  • Food: Grazing plates and charcuterie available to pre-order; gift shop on site.
  • Parking: On-site parking at the distillery; check before you go.
Plan your visit

See a working distillery, glass in hand

The tour runs about 90 minutes and starts with a cocktail at the distillery bar. You walk the floor of a working distillery, see the copper pot stills and hear how Shortcross gin is built from juniper and citrus alongside foraged clover, elderflower, elderberry and green apple from the estate. The standard gin tour finishes with three gin tastings and a perfect-G&T lesson; the whiskey version pours two whiskies and a poitín. The Whiskey Discovery adds a cask warehouse visit and cask sample, while the Gin Discovery lets you bottle and wax-dip your own gin.

Guided tour Tasting included Working copper stills Adult-focused (check ages at booking) Booking required Gift shop
Good to know before you go:

Beyond the core tours, Rademon Estate runs cocktail masterclasses, whiskey tastings and seasonal experiences through the year. Dates and availability change, so check the distillery's own site or our NI events listings before you book.

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
Pre-booked guided tour only, not a drop-in visit.
Opening
Tours run to set times on selected days; check the website or call before you travel.
Tours
Gin or Whiskey Tour & Tasting around £25.50pp (about 90 mins); Discovery tours from £55pp (Whiskey adds a cask warehouse visit, Gin adds your own personalised bottle).
Age limits
Tours are built around alcohol tastings, so they are adult-focused; no published minimum age, so confirm with the distillery if bringing younger family.
Food
Grazing plates and charcuterie available to pre-order; gift shop on site.
Family-friendly
Primarily an adult tasting experience, though the distillery does welcome families; check before you go.
Parking
On-site parking at the distillery; check before you go.
Accessibility
Access is via a forest path and stone bridge over the river; contact the distillery about accessibility before booking.
How long to allow
About 90 minutes for a standard tour, longer for Discovery tours.
Address
Rademon Estate Distillery, Church Road, Crossgar, BT30 9HR
Questions

Before you go

Do I need to book?
Pre-booked guided tour only, not a drop-in visit.
What tours are there?
Gin or Whiskey Tour & Tasting around £25.50pp (about 90 mins); Discovery tours from £55pp (Whiskey adds a cask warehouse visit, Gin adds your own personalised bottle).
What are the opening times?
Tours run to set times on selected days; check the website or call before you travel.
Is there an age limit?
Tours are built around alcohol tastings, so they are adult-focused; no published minimum age, so confirm with the distillery if bringing younger family.
Is there food or a bar?
Grazing plates and charcuterie available to pre-order; gift shop on site.
Getting there

Rademon Estate Distillery is at Rademon Estate Distillery, Church Road, Crossgar, BT30 9HR. On-site parking at the distillery; check before you go. Tap below for directions.

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Nearby

Make more of the day

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The story

About Rademon Estate Distillery

Rademon Estate Distillery was founded in 2012 by husband-and-wife team David and Fiona Boyd-Armstrong, making it Northern Ireland's first craft distillery. It sits within their 500-acre family estate near Crossgar, a name that comes from the Gaelic for 'the short cross', which gives the gin its name.

The flagship spirit, Shortcross Gin, was released in April 2014 after six months developing the recipe. It blends classic botanicals such as juniper, coriander, cassia and citrus peel with flowers and fruits foraged around Rademon House. Every bottle is hand-bottled and wax-dipped on the estate.

The gin has gone on to win more than 20 international medals, including Gold at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and the distillery now produces Irish whiskey alongside its gin.