A Lake District micro distillery, and home of Cumbria's 'Best Tourism Experience 2025', has unveiled a range of experiences and events in the run-up to the festive season.

Shed One Distillery, the unique small batch distillery in a former old calf shed in the market town of Ulverston, offers a little refuge and a lot of quirky creativity, in welcome contrast to the usual Christmas chaos.

The festive-themed experiences will run alongside Shed One's regular Distillery Tours & Tastings and botanical-inspired Afternoon G&Teas, where the botanicals used in their spirits are lovingly and innovatively incorporated into the delicious baked and sweet treats. 

Feeding the growing trend for experiential tourism, each festive experience offers visitors a chance to learn a new skill from talented local artisans. All cocooned in the relaxed atmosphere of the distillery and with lasting memories and mementoes to take home. A welcome drink, selection of sweet treats, and freshly brewed loose leaf teas and locally roasted coffee are included, plus plenty of award-winning spirits can be purchased from the bar.

Christmas Calligraphy

Add a personal touch to Christmas cards and gift tags this year by learning some modern calligraphy skills from Claire at byMoonandTide. Suitable for beginners or those who have tried their hand at calligraphy before, expect demos and step-by-step instructions on this beautiful art. Custom Loch Blue bauble-shaped gift tags have been specially designed for each Christmas Calligraphy workshop guest. Claire will then show you how to draw with a calligraphy nib and brush paint super simple leaf patterns onto your own gift tag to personalise your Christmas wrapping. There may also be a glitter station!

Sunday 9th November, 2pm-5pm, £58pp

Make Your Own Distilled Spirit Experience

Voted Cumbria's 'Best Tourism Experience of the Year 2025' at the Cumbria Tourism Awards, Shed One's spirit-making experience is available to book all year round. Learn the skill behind making distilled gin or botanical vodka on your own mini-still, choosing from over 40 botanicals to create your signature recipe. Indulge in some botanical-inspired sweet treats while your spirit distils before taking your new favourite tipple home in your personalised 100% recycled glass bottle with colourful British wax sealed top. Shed One Distillery owners and distillers, Andy & Zoe Arnold-Bennett personally host every experience offering a real behind-the-scenes insight into the every day operation of a micro distillery. *New for 2025 is mixing and trying your own Cumbrian Tonic Water, made to a special recipe using only Cumbrian water and cinchona bark (quinine) to perfectly complement Shed One's range of artisan spirits.

Available on selected Sunday's and other days on request, allow 4 hours, £95pp/£145 for a shared experience. (Gift vouchers also available).

Make Your Own Christmas Candle

Christmas conjures up warming aromas of cinnamon, oranges, cloves, and other spices, and at Shed One's Christmas Candle making workshop, you can learn how to create your own bespoke Christmas scent to fill your home. In this workshop, 'Lost in the Apothecary's', Thea – also known as Shed One's 'botanical pixie' – will guide you through selecting and blending your unique essential oil fragrance to create your own soya wax candle, finished off in a beautifully decorated glass lantern jar.

Saturday 13th December, 6.30-8.30pm, £47.50pp (last few spaces!)

Cocktails with a Twist

Shed One's newest experience is guaranteed to turn you into the cocktail queen (or king!) at every party! You'll be greeted with a delicious prosecco cocktail (mocktails also available), which sets the scene for what you're looking to achieve. After a chat about the basics of cocktail making, you'll take to the benches with your beakers, scales, and botanicals to begin the fun (and educational!) process of creating your own sugar syrup recipe. Add this to one of Shed One's award-winning spirits, pop it in your cocktail shaker, and voila… you have your very own signature cocktail! Pour & enjoy! Zoe will serve up some botanical-inspired homemade sweet treats to complement your cocktails before you head home to show off your new-found skills!

Get in touch to plan your own private, bespoke event, like 'Festive Cocktails & Canapés' for a special Christmas get-together. Up to 2hours, groups of up to 10 people, £35pp.