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Stirling Gin Festival Expands to Become Stirling Gin and SpiritsFEST 2025

4 September 2025 · 2 min read ·By Kathryn Holms, Head of Marketing and Communications
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Celebrating Scotland’s Best Craft Gins – Now with Vodka, Rum and Whisky Too!

Scotland’s longest-running gin festival is raising the bar. The much-loved Stirling Gin Festival – now in its 11th year – returns on Saturday 15th November 2025 at the iconic Highland Hotel, Stirling, with an exciting new identity: Stirling Gin and SpiritsFEST.

For the first time, this flagship celebration of Scottish gin will expand its line-up to showcase the very best of Scotland’s small-batch vodka, rum and whisky, reflecting the boom in innovative spirits being crafted across the country.

More than 25 artisan producers will gather in Stirling, offering over 100 tastings, hands-on masterclasses, and exclusive serves. From crisp, herbaceous gins to bold new rums and delicate single malts, the festival promises a vibrant, flavour-packed journey through Scotland’s world-class spirits scene.

Guests can enjoy:

  • One extended tasting session running from afternoon into early evening.
  • Meet-the-maker opportunities with Scotland’s leading distillers.
  • A lively courtyard for sipping, socialising and street-food-style light bites.
  • Deep-dive masterclasses, including a headline tasting with Island Slice Rum founder Sylvester Herman, who brings a taste of St Lucia to Scotland through his Caribbean-Scottish fusion rums. (Add-on masterclass tickets £13, limited availability).

Confirmed exhibitors include award-winning gin producers like Gin Bothy and Linlithgow Distillery, island innovators such as Isle of Cumbrae and Lussa Gin, bold rum makers like Island Slice Rum, and up-and-coming talent including Titan Spirits, Collymoon Gin, Ferry Spirits, Fassfern, and distributor Specialist Craft Drinks.

It is a festival that’s grown with Scotland’s spirits scene.

June McCann, co-founder of Stirling Distillery and festival organiser, said:

“When we launched Scotland’s first dedicated gin festival over a decade ago, few could have predicted the explosion in craft distilling. Gin put Scotland on the global map for innovation, but we’re now seeing the same energy in vodka, rum and whisky. Stirling Gin & SpiritsFEST is about celebrating that wider movement – and giving our guests a one-stop taste of the best our country’s distillers have to offer.”

Tickets & booking

Early bird tickets are on sale now at www.stirlingspiritfest.com  (limited availability, use code EarlyBird25). Tickets include a branded tasting glass, tote bag, and access to over 100 samples.

About Stirling SpiritFEST

Launched in 2012 with the first Stirling Whisky Festival, Stirling SpiritFEST has grown into one of Scotland’s leading celebrations of craft spirits. Today it brings together two flagship annual events – the Stirling Whisky Festival in May and the Stirling Gin & SpiritsFEST in November – each attracting visitors from across the UK and beyond. Founded by Cameron and June McCann, who also own Stirling Distillery, SpiritFEST events showcase Scotland’s finest distillers in a lively, welcoming setting that has helped put Stirling firmly on the map as a destination for whisky and gin enthusiasts alike.

Visit the Your Stirling website with local tips and places to visit in the city.

Media Enquiries: 

Kathryn Holm 

Head of Communications

media@stirlingdistillery.co.uk

(+44) 01786 596 496 / (+44) 07721602147

Stirling Whisky Festival 

https://stirlingdistillery.com/pages/spiritfest

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