Edinburgh Gin launches distillery in new city bar

Edinburgh Gin has set up a distillery and visitor centre in a new city centre bar in the capital of Scotland.

Edinburgh Gin is launching a new city centre bar, visitor centre and distillery in Scotland’s capital

Situated below The Rutland Hotel in Edinburgh, the Heads and Tales gin emporium – launched by drinks consultant and bar manager Bruce Hamilton – will contain two custom-made stills named Flora and Caledonia, enabling customers to sample Edinburgh Gin while observing its production.

Hamilton will run Heads and Tales which which will offer visitors a selection of beers, wines and spirits, plus a cocktail list full of unique and original creations at the bar which will can accommodate for up to 70 people.

Customers will also have the opportunity to buy various Edinburgh Gin products including the brand’s fruit liqueur gins.

“Edinburgh has a special relationship with gin stretching back centuries,” said Alex Nicol, managing director at Spencerfield Spirit. “To this day, more gin is drunk here per head of the population than in any other UK city.

“With our new visitor centre and distillery coupled with the Heads and Tales gin emporium, Edinburgh’s great tradition for distilling looks set to be revived.”

The distillery will create eight new jobs and has been opened in partnership with Heriot-Watt University.

It will also be the focal point of Edinburgh Gin’s research and development work with several new product launches planned for the coming year.

“Edinburgh Gin is bringing distillation back to Edinburgh and we’ve been assisting by ensuring that the new stills produce the same high quality and flavours that existing customers are used to,” said Professor Paul Hughes.

“Edinburgh’s gin heritage has been largely forgotten; hopefully the opening of this centre will introduce more people to this complex spirit and remind people in the capital that gin is the true flavour of Edinburgh.”