Queenstown Gin, Wine & Beer Tour | Adults Only

Three drinks, one alpine afternoon. Queenstown’s Gin, Wine & Beer Tour is a smart pick if your group cannot agree on one drink. I like the small group of up to 10 people and the mix of Canyon Brewing, Rifters Gin, and Amisfield Winery, all reached in a comfortable Mercedes Sprinter.

I also like the 3 p.m. start, which leaves most of your day free for Queenstown’s other activities. The main drawback is pace: the final winery stop can feel short, and no food is included, so eat before you go.

Quick takeaways

• Three drinks in one outing: Expect more than 12 tastings across craft beer, gin, and Central Otago wine.
• Excellent alpine setting: Canyon Brewing sits near the Shotover River with views toward Skippers Canyon.
• Historic gin stop: Rifters Gin operates from Dudley’s Cottage in Arrowtown.
• A good mixed-group choice: Beer drinkers, gin fans, and wine lovers can all find something to enjoy.
• Late-afternoon timing: The tour begins at 3 p.m. and returns to the Queenstown meeting point around 6:30 p.m.
• Strong guide-led experience: Emma and Lee have received especially warm praise for their local advice, friendly manner, and drink knowledge.

Queenstown’s best afternoon sampler

Queenstown is packed with tasting options, but most tours ask you to choose one lane: wine, beer, or spirits. This outing takes a more useful approach. You get a short introduction to all three, with scenery and local stories folded into the ride.

That makes it especially handy for couples or friends with different tastes. One person can focus on wine, another can order beer, and someone else can happily stay with gin. The tour is not built around long, formal tastings. It is a social afternoon with several stops, a local guide, and enough variety to keep the conversation moving.

The price is $166.93 per person. That is not pocket change, but it covers transportation, a guide, live commentary, and the alcoholic tastings at three venues. You are also paying for the convenience of linking Queenstown, the Shotover area, and Arrowtown without arranging a car or assigning a designated driver.

The value is strongest if you want a guided introduction rather than a single winery visit. It is less compelling if you already have a car, know exactly which cellar doors you want to visit, and prefer to linger for hours at one place.

Starting at Marmolada Cafe at 3 p.m.

The meeting point is Marmolada Cafe at 43 Camp Street in central Queenstown. The afternoon departure works well for an active Queenstown schedule. You can spend the morning on a walk, lake cruise, gondola visit, or another outing, then meet the van for a relaxed second half of the day.

The vehicle is air-conditioned and described as a luxury Mercedes Sprinter. That matters here. You are moving between several places, and the comfort of the ride helps the tour feel like an outing rather than a series of transfers.

A local guide provides commentary on board. Emma and Lee are two guides associated with the experience, and the strongest praise has focused on their friendly conversation, local recommendations, and clear explanations of the drinks and places visited. The guide makes a real difference on a short tour like this. Good timing keeps the group moving, while good stories make the drives part of the experience.

The tour requires at least four bookings to operate. If that minimum is not met, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund. The group is intended to be small, with a maximum of 10 travelers stated in the tour details. Another booking note lists a maximum of 11, so I would confirm the exact group size if that matters to you.

Canyon Brewing beside the Shotover River

The first tasting stop is Canyon Brewing, about 45 minutes into the afternoon. The brewery is positioned near the Shotover River, with views toward Skippers Canyon. This is the stop where the scenery does much of the work.

You receive a tasting paddle of local craft beers. If beer is not your thing, you can choose a wine flight instead. That simple choice is one of the tour’s best features. You are not forced to drink something you dislike just to keep up with the group.

The setting gives Canyon Brewing more character than a standard tasting room. You can sample the drinks while looking out at steep alpine country and the river below. The point is not just to identify hops or compare fermentation styles. It is to connect the drink with the place around you.

Plan on roughly 45 minutes here. That is enough time for a tasting and a look around, but not enough for a full meal or an unhurried restaurant visit. The tour information does not include food, and one useful bit of advice is to eat before setting out. Canyon Brewing has food available to purchase, but there is no included platter or tapas course.

For many people, this will be the most scenic stop. If you want a longer brewery visit or a proper lunch, you will need a separate visit at another time.

Rifters Gin in Arrowtown’s Dudley’s Cottage

The second stop takes you to Rifters Gin in historic Arrowtown. The tasting room is inside Dudley’s Cottage, which gives the stop a more intimate feel than a modern bar or large production hall.

Rifters makes small-batch gin in New Zealand, using local grain-to-glass production, botanicals, and pure artesian water. The hosted tasting explains how the gin is made and gives you a chance to compare different choices.

This is likely the most personal stop of the three. Phillip at Rifters has been singled out for his presentation, and the venue’s smaller setting suits a guided tasting. You get more than a glass in front of you. You learn how the spirit is built and how the botanicals affect its flavor.

You should expect around 45 minutes here. That is enough for the tasting and a short explanation of the distillery’s process. It is not a full distillery tour with hours of production access, so keep your expectations in line with the compact format.

Arrowtown also gives the itinerary some variety. You leave the river and brewery setting for an old cottage in one of the area’s historic settlements. The contrast keeps the afternoon from feeling repetitive.

Amisfield Winery and Central Otago wine

The final stop is Amisfield Cellar Door, an award-winning winery known for its dramatic stone building and Central Otago wines. The winery’s architecture and surroundings provide a polished finish to the day.

This is where you will taste elegant local wines, with the focus likely on the Central Otago style that has made the region famous. The cellar door setting offers a more refined close to the tour than the relaxed beer and gin stops.

The planned visit is about 45 minutes. That should allow time to taste several wines and hear about the winery, but it can feel rushed if the group arrives late or you want to study every pour. One practical criticism of the tour is that the final winery stop has sometimes felt shorter than ideal.

I would treat Amisfield as a tasting stop, not a long winery afternoon. If you want to sit down for a meal, browse at leisure, or spend a full afternoon among the vines, book a dedicated winery visit instead. The tour’s strength is variety, not extended time at one property.

The absence of included food matters most here. After beer, gin, and wine, you may want something more substantial than a tasting. You can purchase food at venues where it is available, but the tour does not include a cheese board, tapas, or dinner.

More than 12 tastings, but not a full meal

The tour includes more than 12 tastings across wine, gin, and beer. That is a generous amount for a 3.5-hour outing, especially when you add transportation and three separate venues.

Still, tasting does not mean eating. Alcohol on an empty stomach is a poor plan, and the tour provider itself advises you to eat before departure. Have a proper meal before meeting at Marmolada Cafe, or be ready to purchase food along the way if available.

The variety also means the tasting depth will differ from stop to stop. At Canyon Brewing, you get a beer paddle or wine flight. At Rifters, you receive a hosted gin tasting. At Amisfield, the focus turns back to wine. This is ideal if you want a broad sample, but not if you want a technical, in-depth education in just one drink.

The adults-only rule is clear: all participants must be at least 18, and the minimum drinking age is 18. That helps keep the mood suited to adult groups and celebrations.

Why the small group matters

A maximum of about 10 people is a major advantage. You are not being moved through the venues as part of a large coach crowd, and the guide has a better chance to answer questions and keep the afternoon relaxed.

The small format also helps mixed groups. A family group praised the way the tour allowed different drink preferences, and that is exactly the point. You do not need unanimous enthusiasm for beer, gin, or wine to have a good time.

There is also room for personal interaction. Emma has been praised for her local advice about Queenstown and the surrounding area, while Lee is known for an easy conversational style and strong drink knowledge. Bella, the tour dog, may also come along. Her appearance is not guaranteed, but if she is in the van, she adds a friendly touch to the ride.

This is a social tour, not a silent tasting seminar. If you like chatting with your guide and fellow passengers, the small group is a plus. If you want total privacy or a private itinerary, this is not the right format.

The timing works well for a Queenstown day

The start at 3 p.m. is one of the tour’s most practical details. Queenstown mornings and early afternoons can fill quickly with outdoor activities, and the late departure leaves you room to do something else first.

The experience lasts approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. It finishes back at the same meeting point in Queenstown, generally around 6:30 p.m. That return time gives you options for the evening, although you may want a meal after the tastings.

The itinerary is fixed enough to keep the afternoon moving, but the exact feel may depend on traffic, venue timing, and how long each tasting takes. Since the winery has occasionally felt rushed, do not book an important evening appointment immediately afterward.

You also receive a mobile ticket, and confirmation is provided when you book. The meeting point is near public transportation, and the tour notes say most people can participate.

Who gets the most from this tour?

I would recommend this experience for:

• Couples who want a polished afternoon without planning every transfer
• Friends with mixed interests in wine, gin, and beer
• Adults celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other occasion
• First-time visitors who want local drink suggestions and Queenstown context
• People who prefer a small van to a large coach
• Anyone who wants scenic stops without giving up a full morning

I would be more cautious if you want a full meal, a long winery visit, or a serious technical study of one drink. You may also find the price high if you are mainly interested in one tasting venue.

The tour is best understood as a social sampler with scenery, not a full-day wine-country expedition.

Price, cancellation, and practical value

At $166.93 per person, the cost covers wine, beer, and gin tastings, transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, live commentary, and a local guide. You are also paying for the planning and the driver, which lets you sample alcohol without worrying about getting back to Queenstown.

Food is not included. That is the main extra cost to plan for, especially because the tasting schedule can leave you hungry. Eat before the 3 p.m. departure or budget for food purchases at a venue.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted for a refund. The booking uses local time for the cut-off.

Should you book the Queenstown Gin, Wine & Beer Tour?

I would book it if you want three kinds of local drinks, strong scenery, and an easy afternoon plan. The Shotover River setting, Dudley’s Cottage tasting room, and Amisfield’s stone cellar door give the outing real variety.

I would also choose it for a group with different tastes. The beer or wine option at Canyon Brewing keeps non-beer drinkers happy, while the gin and wine stops give the afternoon a broader reach.

Skip it if you want a leisurely winery lunch, a private tour, or a detailed study of one producer. For everyone else, this is a well-balanced Queenstown introduction. Eat first, leave your evening flexible, and expect a friendly, social ride rather than a slow day at the cellar door.

FAQ

How much does the Queenstown Gin, Wine & Beer Tour cost?

The listed price is $166.93 per person.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.

What time does the tour begin?

The tour starts at 3 p.m.

Where is the meeting point?

You meet at Marmolada Cafe, 43 Camp Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand.

Where does the tour finish?

The tour returns to the original meeting point in Queenstown.

How many tastings are included?

The experience includes more than 12 tastings across wine, gin, and craft beer.

Which venues does the tour visit?

The itinerary includes Canyon Brewing, Rifters Gin in Dudley’s Cottage in Arrowtown, and Amisfield Cellar Door.

Is the tour for adults only?

Yes. The tour is for people aged 18 and over, and the minimum drinking age is 18.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Transportation is provided in an air-conditioned Mercedes Sprinter, with a local guide and live commentary on board.

What happens if I need to cancel?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted for a refund.