The Borders Distillery in Hawick, Scotland, has launched a new immersive “Distiller for a Day” experience, with former local beer brewer Steve Currie becoming its first participant. Currie, based in nearby Galashiels, booked the hands-on distillery experience as a birthday treat after years of working in the brewing industry.
The initiative arrives as interest in whisky tourism and hands-on food and drink experiences continues to grow across Scotland.
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The program offers visitors a fully immersive opportunity to step inside the working distillery and learn the art of whisky, gin, and vodka production directly from the team.
During the experience, Currie took part in milling, mashing, distillation, warehousing, and sampling spirit straight from cask. Participants are also kitted out in official distillery uniform, enjoy lunch with the team, and receive a framed Distiller’s Certificate along with a curated goodie bag.
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“I’ve always appreciated the skill that goes into distilling, but seeing the process up close gave me a whole new appreciation for the amount of time and care involved in whisky and gin production,” Currie said.
“We’ve got something really special right here on our doorstep and I don’t think enough people realize it,” he added. “The distillery is doing brilliant work for the area, and experiences like this really help you connect with it on a deeper level.”
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READ THE STORYThe Borders Distillery opened in 2018 as the first Scotch whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders since 1837.
Kirsten Blackburn-Elsdon, head of marketing at The Borders Distillery, said: “We are so proud that Steve was the first person to experience life as a Distiller for a Day at The Borders Distillery.”
“Distillery experiences have evolved significantly in recent years, with visitors increasingly looking for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that allow them to fully immerse themselves in the production process,” Blackburn continued. “It was therefore really important to us that we had an experience that offered unparalleled access to the distillery and our talented team.”
“Connecting to the local community and giving people the opportunity to see firsthand everything that goes into each bottle we produce is so important,” she added. “Having someone local like Steve take part made the experience even more special and shows the growing interest in whisky making here in the Borders.”
The experience ends with the opportunity to fill a personal cask on the production floor. The ticket price is also redeemable against a private 1837 cask, allowing guests to lay down a personal piece of the distillery’s future.
The Borders Distillery is running an extended Distiller for a Day experience week commencing August 24, with tickets priced at £250 per person.
