Ad Gefrin is a newly opened Anglo-Saxon museum and whiskey distillery located in Wooler, taking you back in time to a Northumberland history so rich and immersed in their ethos and product today I highly recommend a visit.
The building itself is beautiful, I recommend taking the distillery tour I found it incredibly fascinating and loved learning more about our region’s history and the behind-the-scenes process of their work.
As you can see in the above photos, upon entering the building you are greeted with the most amazing sight the atrium rising tall you can’t help but look up and see the glow of the copper ceiling and intricate design made to mimic the inside of a whiskey barrel.
On this level you’ll find the gift shop and bar and bistro, and the welcome desk to purchase tickets for the distillery tours. I have to say every member of staff I spoke to was incredibly friendly and helpful and just genuinely lovely. A real credit to the business!
Winding up the staircase around the atrium to the first floor you’ll find the museum and the start point of your tour (there is a lift available too). We met with our tour guide a lovely woman called Isla, who gave us a brief talk on the history of Ad Gefrin. The nearby ancient royal palace of the same name and it’s connections to the distillery.
We got to meet one of the distillers and see the whole process from start to finish, admiring the stunning giant copper stills dominating the room and surrounded by the smells of the alchemy taking place. Learning the immense craft and skill that goes into every process all the while the focus on producing the most amazing whiskey and gin at the end.
Seeing the room full of casks just waiting to be matured all dated and filling the vast space was quite something! After our tour there was a tasting session held in a gorgeous room which is surrounded by video screens playing different seasons a real immersive experience. Sampling the whiskey and gin they make here at Ad Gefrin, again a super knowledgeable guide and I really enjoyed the experience.
While exiting through the gift shop I just had to treat myself to a bottle of Thirlings, the Ad Gefrin gin I’d just sampled! A stop in the bistro for lunch which was delicious, they have a great menu here of light bites and meals and the most gorgeous looking cakes and afternoon teas.
The museum holds a replica of a great hall with an AI experience to listen to the characters come to life and explain more of the history of the time. With Anglo-Saxon artefacts and stories of the region from the time anyone interested in the history of Northumberland will find it fascinating.
There is car parking on site and is accessible for anyone with mobility issues, only the outdoor areas and outdoor seating of the bistro is dog friendly due to the nature of the distillery.
For more information and for booking see their website here Ad Gefrin
