Clay Cocktail Tumbler Making at McConnell's Distillery
📅 Saturday 12th September 2026
📍 McConnell’s Distillery, A Wing, Crumlin Road Gaol, 53–55 Crumlin Road, Belfast, BT14 6ST
⏰ 5:45pm arrival | Clay workshop 6:00–7:30pm | Cocktail Masterclass 7:30pm onwards
Join us for an evening of clay, cocktails and creativity at McConnell’s Distillery, located in the iconic Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast!
Sophie Mcilwaine Ceramics will guide you through making your very own handmade cocktail tumbler from clay, which you’ll also get to decorate on the night. No previous pottery experience is needed — just come along, get creative and enjoy a cocktail while you do it!
🍸 What’s included?
Your workshop ticket (£60) includes:
- A cocktail on arrival
- A hands-on clay workshop where you’ll make your own cocktail tumbler using the hand-building method (no pottery wheel)
- The opportunity to decorate your tumbler during the workshop using underglaze paints
- A McConnell’s Whisky mini to take home
- A cocktail recipe card, so you can create your cocktail at home using the whisky mini
- Your finished tumbler, which will be glazed and fired by Sophie after the workshop
🥃 Fancy a cocktail masterclass too?
You can make your evening even more special by adding a 45-minute McConnell’s Cocktail Masterclass to your pottery experience.
This optional add-on is £15 per person. It is not included in the standard £60 clay workshop ticket and will begin at 7:30pm, immediately after the clay workshop.
To add the cocktail masterclass, please email
sophiemcilwaineceramics@gmail.com and we can arrange a £15pp bank transfer payment through there.
🍹 More drinks?
The clay workshop takes place right beside the bar, so you’ll also be able to purchase additional drinks throughout the evening if you wish.
🗓️ Evening itinerary
5:45pm — Arrival & cocktail
Please arrive promptly.
6:00pm – 7:30pm — Clay Cocktail Tumbler Workshop
7:30pm onwards — McConnell’s Cocktail Masterclass
For guests who have purchased the optional masterclass add-on.
🏺 Collecting your finished tumbler
Your finished tumbler will be ready a few weeks after the workshop once it has been glazed and fired.
You can collect your tumbler from Lisburn free of charge, or Sophie can post it out to you for £5.50 per address.
Coming along with friends? Multiple tumblers can be posted together, with postage calculated based on the size and weight of the parcel.
♿ Accessibility & age
This is an 18+ event as alcohol is included.
The venue can accommodate wheelchair users and other accessibility needs, so please let us know in advance if you have any specific requirements and we can ensure a suitable seat is reserved for you.
🏺 A little note about the ceramics process
Ceramics is a handmade and sometimes unpredictable process, so small cracks, imperfections, colour changes or breakages can occasionally occur during drying, glazing or firing. I’ll always do my best to ensure your tumbler turns out beautifully, but I cannot guarantee a completely perfect finished piece.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Please treat these tickets like concert tickets. If you can no longer attend, please try to resell your ticket and I’ll do my best to help too. Tickets are non-refundable unless your place is resold, in which case you will receive a full refund.
As a small business, I’m unable to offer refunds for cancellations or non-attendance, so please bear this in mind before purchasing. 🤍
Come along, get creative, enjoy a cocktail and make something you’ll actually be able to use at home!
We can’t wait to create with you! 🤍