Broken Bones Gin Experience

Ljubljana’s first distillery in at least 60 years offers more than a quick tasting. At Broken Bones, you’ll hear how two friends with family ties to beer, wine, and liquor production turned a shared interest into a working gin and whisky business. I like the clear look at the process, and I especially like that the tasting includes two cocktails, not just neat samples.

I also like the small-group limit of 20 people, which should make it easier to follow the explanations and ask questions. The main thing to consider is timing: the experience starts at 4:00 pm and lasts about 90 minutes, so it works best as a planned afternoon stop rather than a flexible drop-in visit.

Key points about the Broken Bones experience

• Ljubljana’s only gin and whisky distillery: Visit a working distillery with a local story and a long gap in the city’s recent distilling scene.
• A 90-minute guided visit: Learn about the brand, the spirits, and the steps from first idea to finished bottle.
• Gin tasting plus two cocktails: The included drinks may include a gin and tonic, BB Fizz, or another Broken Bones cocktail.
• An English-language experience: The tour is offered in English, with a mobile ticket.
• A small maximum group of 20: The size should allow for a more personal presentation than a large bus tour.
• A convenient return to the starting point: You meet and finish at Broken Bones Distillery, Tržaška c. 132.

Why this Ljubljana distillery visit is different

Ljubljana is known for its old town, riverfront, cafés, and compact city center. The Broken Bones experience gives you a look at a newer part of the city’s food and drink culture: small-scale spirit production.

The distillery describes itself as the first in Ljubljana in at least 60 years. That detail gives the visit a useful sense of place. You are not simply tasting an imported gin in a bar. You are learning about a local company that helped bring distilling back to the city.

The business began with two friends who share family traditions in beer, wine, and liquor production. Since 2012, they have focused on developing whiskies and gins that match their own tastes. That makes the story more personal than a standard corporate brand presentation.

I find this background valuable because it explains why the tour covers both gin and whisky. Even if gin is the main tasting focus, the broader story is about building a distillery from an idea, testing recipes, choosing ingredients and methods, and turning those decisions into a product.

What happens during the 90-minute visit

The experience takes place at one stop, Broken Bones Distillery at Tržaška c. 132. You do not move between several city sights, so the visit is focused and easy to follow. It ends back at the distillery, which keeps the logistics simple.

The presentation covers the history of distilling in Ljubljana and the story of Broken Bones itself. You’ll learn how the brand was launched and how the team developed its products over time.

The most useful part for many people will be the explanation of production. The team walks you through the path from the original idea and the company’s philosophy to development, selection, and production. Those steps help you understand why a gin tastes the way it does instead of treating the bottle as a finished mystery.

The supplied details do not list the exact equipment, botanicals, or whisky aging methods used during the visit. That is worth keeping in mind if you are looking for a highly technical distillery workshop. You can expect insight into the process, but not a guaranteed checklist of every production detail.

The visit then moves into tasting. You sample Broken Bones gins and receive two signature cocktails made with those gins. Examples include a gin and tonic and BB Fizz, or you may be offered another cocktail of your choice from the available selection.

That combination is a strong feature. Neat tasting can show you the character of a spirit, while a cocktail shows how it works in a familiar drink. If you are new to gin, this makes the experience less intimidating. If you already drink gin, it gives you two different ways to compare the house spirit.

The tasting: more than a single glass

The tasting is listed as two cocktails, with the sample menu simply identifying cocktails x2. The examples provided are gin and tonic, BB Fizz, or another cocktail of your choice. Since the exact choices may depend on what is available that day, you should treat the examples as a guide rather than a fixed menu.

You’ll also taste the Broken Bones gins themselves. The experience is therefore built around both explanation and sampling, not just a drink served at the end.

One particularly useful detail is that the cocktails are prepared with Broken Bones Gin. This keeps the tasting tied to the distillery’s own products. You get to consider how the gin tastes by itself and how it behaves when mixed.

The only drawback is that the information does not specify how many separate gins you will taste or the size of each sample. If your main goal is a large flight of spirits, you may want to ask the distillery for the current tasting details before booking.

Still, the format should suit most people who want an introduction rather than a full professional tasting. The 90-minute length gives enough time for the brand story, production explanation, gin samples, and two cocktails without turning the visit into an all-day commitment.

The local story behind Broken Bones

The most interesting context here is the break in Ljubljana’s distilling tradition. The city archives indicate that Broken Bones is the first distillery in Ljubljana in at least six decades. That makes the company part of a small but meaningful return to local spirit production.

You’ll hear how the founders’ family connections to beer, wine, and liquor shaped their work. The details suggest a business built around long-term experimentation rather than a quick tourism concept. The company has been developing its gins and whiskies since 2012, giving the visit several years of product development to draw on.

I like this kind of company story because it adds meaning to the tasting. The point is not simply to say that a drink is made in Slovenia. You learn why the distillery exists, what the founders wanted to make, and how the products grew from that goal.

The brand’s name and individual product stories may receive attention during the presentation, but the provided information does not promise a detailed account of every bottle. Go for the overall story of the distillery and its production approach.

Is $40.94 a fair price?

At about $40.94 per person, this is not the cheapest way to have a drink in Ljubljana. It is also more than a basic bar tasting. The price includes a 90-minute guided experience, samples of the distillery’s gins, and two signature cocktails.

That package gives the price reasonable value if you enjoy spirits or want a local activity with some substance. Two cocktails alone could account for a good part of what you might spend at a quality bar, and here they come with a guided look at the producer behind them.

The value is strongest for people who want to understand what they are drinking. You are paying for the story, the explanation of production, the tasting, and the setting of a working distillery. If you only want a casual gin and tonic, you can find a less expensive option elsewhere.

I would compare this with other paid tastings in Ljubljana rather than with free sightseeing. The experience is short enough to fit into an afternoon, but substantial enough to feel like a proper activity. It also offers something you cannot get from a standard city walk: direct insight into one local producer.

Planning the 4:00 pm start

The Broken Bones Experience starts at 4:00 pm. Plan to arrive at Broken Bones Distillery, Tržaška c. 132, before the start time so you are ready when the guided portion begins.

The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Since it finishes at the same place, you can plan dinner or another evening activity after about 5:30 pm, allowing a little extra time for the visit to run over.

The activity is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. It is near public transportation, which should help if you are not staying close to the distillery. The provided information does not give exact public transport routes, travel times, or walking directions, so check your route from your accommodation before setting out.

The maximum group size is 20 people. That is not a private tour, but it is small enough to keep the presentation manageable. It should also give you a better chance to hear the explanations and ask about gin, whisky, or the company’s development.

The experience is for people aged 18 and over. Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate. Since alcohol is part of the program, the age restriction is firm.

Who will enjoy this experience most?

I would recommend Broken Bones to anyone who likes gin, craft spirits, cocktails, or local food and drink stories. It is also a good pick if you have already seen Ljubljana’s main sights and want an activity connected to the city’s present-day culture.

It suits couples and small groups particularly well, especially if everyone in your party is comfortable with an English-language presentation and alcohol tasting. The two-cocktail format makes it more social than a purely technical tasting.

You do not need to be a gin expert. The experience explains the brand and its methods from the beginning, so it can work well as an introduction. A first-time gin drinker may also appreciate tasting the spirit in cocktails rather than only drinking it neat.

I would be more cautious about booking it for someone who does not drink alcohol, dislikes cocktail tastings, or wants a full whisky-focused visit. The activity includes whisky in its story, but the stated tasting centers on Broken Bones gins and gin cocktails.

It may also be less appealing if you prefer a tour that moves through several parts of Ljubljana. This is a single-location distillery visit, and its appeal comes from the depth of that one subject rather than from sightseeing along the way.

A balanced look at the experience

The strongest part is the mix of local history and practical production information. You learn that distilling returned to Ljubljana through this company, then hear how the founders developed their gins and whiskies from the first idea through production.

The tasting is another clear advantage. Two cocktails make the visit feel generous, and the gin samples give you a direct connection to the explanation. The positive reaction recorded for the experience specifically praised the explanations of gin’s history and the taste of the Broken Bones gins, which matches the main strengths of the format.

The limits are simple. The visit lasts only about 90 minutes, so it cannot cover every detail of gin and whisky production. The available information also does not promise a full meal, a large spirit flight, or a detailed whisky tasting.

The sample menu lists two cocktails rather than food, so do not arrive expecting lunch or dinner. Have a meal before or after if you need more than drinks.

The tour also requires a minimum number of participants. If the minimum is not met and the activity is canceled, you will be offered another date or experience, or receive a full refund. For normal cancellations, you can cancel up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book the Broken Bones Experience?

Book it if you want a focused Ljubljana activity built around local spirits, company history, and cocktails. The price makes sense when you value the guided explanation as much as the drinks, and the small maximum group helps keep the visit personal.

I would book it for a gin fan, a curious food-and-drink explorer, or anyone looking for something different from the usual old-town sightseeing. I would skip it if you do not drink alcohol, need a whisky-only tasting, or want a longer technical workshop.

For most visitors who enjoy gin, this is a well-shaped afternoon experience: easy to plan, local in character, and generous enough to include both tastings and two cocktails.

FAQ

Where does the Broken Bones Gin Experience take place?

It takes place at Broken Bones Distillery, Tržaška c. 132, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

What time does the experience start?

The experience starts at 4:00 pm.

How long does the visit last?

The guided experience lasts approximately 90 minutes.

What is included in the price?

The price includes the guided Broken Bones Experience, tastings of the distillery’s gins, and two cocktails.

Which cocktails are included?

The listed examples are a gin and tonic, BB Fizz, or another cocktail of your choice, depending on the available selection.

Is the experience offered in English?

Yes. The activity is offered in English.

Is the experience suitable for children?

No. The Broken Bones Experience is not suitable for anyone under 18 years of age.