10/09/2026
MORE THAN JUST THE BAR 🍸🍺
If you’ve spent any time at Bute Yard, you’ll certainly know the of Bute Distillery Scotland and Bute Brew Co. – but you might not realise just how much happens behind the scenes.
They’ve been part of Bute Yard since day one – and what you see behind the bar is much more than somewhere to grab a drink.
It’s a working brewery AND distillery.
BEHIND THE GLASS
Take a look through the glass panels behind the bar and you’ll see where Bute Brew Co. beers are brewed and Isle of Bute Distillery gins are distilled, right here on site.
On the distillery side, Morgan, Head Distiller, oversees the production of IOBD’s spirits, including the award-winning range of gins.
You might even spot Audrey – their handcrafted 200-litre copper still which has been at the heart of production since the Distillery began.
On the brewery side, Imogen, Head Brewer, oversees the production of Bute Brew Co.’s island-brewed beers.
From the mash tun and copper to the fermentation vessels, the brewing process takes place just a few feet from the bar. Once the beer is kegged, some of it has a journey of only around three feet into the cold room before eventually making its way to your pint glass! 🍺
If you happen to visit while brewing or distilling is underway, you may even get to watch some of the process happening through the glass.
The production areas themselves aren’t open to the public, but there’s still plenty to discover from the other side of the bar.
AND THEN THERE’S IONA...
Iona has been part of the journey from the very beginning – going right back to the original Gin Garden, before Bute Yard even opened its doors.
Today, she oversees the whole operation, from the bar and the team behind it to gin tastings, larger group bookings and everything that goes into creating the atmosphere people have come to know at Bute Yard.
Over the last three years, Iona has also been a huge driving force behind the direction the Yard has taken.
She coordinates our programme of live entertainment, finding and booking the fantastic musicians and performers who fill the Yard throughout the year, and has played a massive part in helping develop Bute Yard into the busy food, drink and entertainment venue it is today. 🎶
FANCY A GIN TASTING? 🍸
You can also get a group together and book a guided Isle of Bute Distillery gin tasting at Bute Yard.
Iona will take you through a selection of the Distillery’s gins, talking you through each one as you taste your way through the range.
It’s a guided tasting rather than a distillery tour, so you can sit back, enjoy the gins and learn a little more about what’s being produced just a few feet away behind the glass.
To enquire or book, message the Isle of Bute Distillery page or contact Iona directly:
[email protected]
So next time you’re enjoying a Bute Brew Co. pint, an Isle of Bute Distillery gin, some live music or simply a drink with friends at Bute Yard, take a look behind the glass – and spare a thought for everything, and everyone, that goes into making it happen.
There’s a whole lot more happening behind that bar than you might think. 💚
