Edinburgh Gin is to get a new home in Scotland’s capital as the award-winning brand launches a city centre bar, visitor centre and distillery.
Based below The Rutland Hotel in Edinburgh’s west end, Heads & Tales houses two custom-made stills, Flora and Caledonia, allowing customers to enjoy an Edinburgh Gin while watching it being produced.
Commenting on the launch, Alex Nicol, managing director at Spencerfield Spirit, said:
“Edinburgh has a special relationship with gin stretching back centuries. 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 & Tales gin emporium, Edinburgh’s great tradition for distilling looks set to be revived”.
Heads & Tales
Heads & Tales will be run by bar manager and drinks consultant Bruce Hamilton, who has over 13 years experience in the licensed hospitality trade. Alongside the extensive gin list, customers will also enjoy carefully selected beers, wines and spirits as well as a cocktail list full of unique and original creations.
With seating for 70 people, the bar will also serve a menu of carefully sourced locals foods including Scottish charcuterie, cheese and fish served with freshly prepared breads.
The distillery
The distillery will create eight new jobs and has been opened in partnership with Heriot-Watt University. The unique agreement will see Heriot-Watt Professor of Brewing and Distilling Paul Hughes working with one of his graduates to create a world-renowned gin facility, providing research into Scottish botanicals and the history of distilling in Edinburgh, as well as commemorating historic gins and developing new products.
Professor Paul Hughes said: “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. By selecting smaller stills, the team also has the opportunity to experiment. They’ll be able to recreate gins of days past, as well as coming up with completely original recipes.
“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.”
Customers to create their own gin
Moving forward, customers will be able to take part in a gin making experience, creating their own specific varieties. The distillery and bar complex will also offer a unique corporate hire experience with gins designed to complement the occasion.
Alongside the bar, customers will also be able to buy a range of Edinburgh Gin products including the brand’s famous fruit liqueur gins. The distillery will also be the focus of Edinburgh Gin’s research and development work with several new product launches planned for the year ahead.
Edinburgh Gin
Edinburgh Gin was established in 2010 and is part of the Spencerfield Spirit Company, named Best Small Company at last month’s 2014 Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards. Established in 2005, the Spencerfield Spirit Co. is owned by Alex and Jane Nicol.
Handcrafted in small batches with the finest Scottish juniper berries, pine, heather and nine other carefully selected botanicals, this unique and distinctive gin is bottled in Edinburgh at 43% ABV. The Spencerfield Spirit Company is members of the Gin Guild and founding members of the Scottish Craft Distillers Association.
Heads & Tales
Heads & Tales owner and manager Bruce Hamilton has had over 13 years’ experience in the bar and hospitality trade. From bar back to coffee barista to bar manager, consultant and even brand ambassador, Bruce has developed his fair share of trade knowledge. Now the director for his own consultancy CloverClub Ltd, Bruce has decided to take on this new venture with the Edinburgh Gin Distillery.