About
About Proof & Cut
Proof & Cut is an independent UK guide to visiting distilleries, and to starting one.
By Taro Schenker, Founder & Editor. Checked 28 September 2026.
What we cover
Visit guides to distilleries across the UK: what each tour costs, how long it takes, how to book, how to get there without a car, and whether it is worth the trip. Regional guides group them into trips, and the distillery map shows how they fit together.
For people starting a distillery, guides to HMRC's approval process, duty, costs and insurance.
How we check facts
Tour prices, lengths, opening times and booking rules come from each distillery's own website or the booking pages it links to, and every guide says when it was checked. Rules for founders come from HMRC, GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk. Where a fact could not be confirmed on an official source, we leave it out or say so.
The verdicts are our judgement from those facts: what the tour includes, the price, the length and how easy it is to reach. Prices change, so confirm with the distillery before you book. If you spot something out of date, tell us.
The etchings on the site are digitally generated illustrations of generic scenes. They do not show particular distilleries.
Independence and money
We are not owned by a distillery, tour operator, broker or trade body. Some outbound links may become affiliate or referral links, for example to tour booking sites or specialist insurance, and we may earn a fee if you book or buy. That does not change the price you pay, and we mark such links on the page. Nothing here is legal, financial or insurance advice.
Who runs it
Founder and editor of Proof & Cut. A software developer who runs independent UK guides for small businesses and visitors, Taro built Proof & Cut to put checked, current distillery information in one place.
Published by Known by One LLC.