Gin Round-up: Mary King’s Close, Rock Rose, NTS, and more

Peter Ranscombe distills the latest stories from the world of gin into a light-hearted round-up. YOU might have thought that some of the botanicals that end up in gin are a wee bit scary – but wait until you visit The Real Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh. The ghoulish tourist attraction beneath the streets of…

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Drinks brands serve up surprises for Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON begins on Monday and drinks brands are already serving up some surprises. Up-market bar Tigerlily is opening the only official “Wimbledon Garden” outside London with Sipsmith, the tennis championship’s “official gin partner”. The venue on Edinburgh’s George Street will serve tennis-inspired afternoon teas and cocktails. More than 1,000 stems of flowers have been used…

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Royal Highland Show toasts gin, beer, and PJs launch

THE Royal Highland Show has released a gin to celebrate its 200th anniversary, alongside a beer partnership, and merchandise – including a pair of pyjamas. The gin was made for the show by Moray Distillery in Elgin, which launched its Avva gin in 2016. A bespoke recipe was created using 12 botanicals – including dandelion,…

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Port of Leith opens its Lind & Lime gin distillery

PORT of Leith is preparing to welcome the first visitors to its new Lind & Lime gin distillery. The site, on the port’s Coburg Street, is expected to welcome 10,000 visitors each year for tours and cocktails. The new distillery includes an expanded bottling line, which can handle more than one million bottles each year.…

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Aldi v Lidl: Gins go head-to-head

IT’S Aldi v Lidl, as the two German discount supermarket chains go toe-to-toe in the gin aisle. The grocers have unveiled a gin festival and the latest release in the same week. Lidl has shared details of its latest Scottish gin festival, which begins on Thursday. Eleven gins have been selected for the promotion, along…

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A pair of new flavoured gins marks the arrival of spring

Gordon’s is introducing two new flavoured gins. Gordon’s Tropical Passionfruit Distilled Gin is a tropical twist on the original and much loved Gordon’s gin recipe from Alexander Gordon, while Morello Cherry Distilled Gin is the freshest addition to the award-winning range of gins from Gordon’s, boasting classic juniper notes and the delicious flavour of Morello…

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Caorunn launching new blood orange flavour gin

Caorunn Gin is unveiling a new delicious, delicately flavoured spirit – Caorunn Blood Orange. This small batch gin is expertly handcrafted at Balmenach Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, utilising Scotland’s unique natural resources. Caorunn Gin has a distinctive aromatic flavour, created from the infusion of five locally foraged Celtic botanicals with six traditional gin botanicals…

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Glamis Castle marks 650th anniversary with a gin

Glamis Castle has launched a limited-edition handcrafted small batch gin as part of its 650th anniversary celebrations. To celebrate the launch of the Glamis Castle 650th Anniversary Small Batch Gin, the Castle decided to honour The Queen Mother and her ancestral connection to Glamis Castle by creating a Gin Dubonnet cocktail using the 650th anniversary…

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Whimsical afternoon tea just in time for Mother’s Day

Tigerlily is perpetually ready for spring with its abundant floral and leafy décor. And from now until mid-June, afternoon tea and cocktail enthusiasts wanting to indulge in a botanical setting can do so at their ROKU Gin Japanese Garden. Afternoon tea at Tigerlily has been on my Edinburgh bucket list since I first visited Edinburgh…

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Bid to create visitor centre at Dunnet Bay Distillers

Caithness-based Dunnet Bay Distillers has requested permission to create a temporary visitor centre and community building and café in the grounds of the ancient Castletown Mill building. The company, producer of the multi-award-winning Rock Rose Gin brand, acquired the 200-year-old Mill with a view to restoring it to former glory and protecting its heritage status.…

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