Chin Chin, Edinburgh Castle launches its own Gin
Big news for Scottish gin lovers, Edinburgh Castle, one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, has launched its first ever gin in collaboration with the award-winning Edinburgh Gin distillery.
The small-batch gin was created by the caretakers of the near-1,000-year-old castle, Historic Environment Scotland, and inspired by Edinburgh’s rich history of gin and its gorse-clad spring landscape.
Did you know that the city’s relationship with the spirit goes back as far as the 1700s? Edinburgh-born doctor, George Cleghorn, discovered quinine could be used to prevent malaria. A key component in tonic water, the quinine had a bitter taste, but the addition of water, lime, sugar and – crucially – gin made it far more palatable, leading to the birth of the G&T. By 1777, the first ‘gin craze’ had begun and the Scottish capital was right at the heart of it – with eight licensed distilleries and almost 400 unlicensed stills throughout the city.
Gorse is one of the most eye-catching botanicals found across Edinburgh’s hills and green spaces in spring. Edinburgh Castle Gin is distilled with this vibrant yellow flowering plant at its core, adding a fresh, coconut aroma.
Pink grapefruit and yuzu bring sweet, tart notes to the London Dry, while bee pollen accentuates the floral flavours of the gorse. On the finish, pink pepper delivers a long-lasting kick of heat.
We know how much you love a gin cocktail, so give these a whirl next time you have friends over, they’re good enough to serve to royalty!
CROWN JEWEL
INGREDIENTS
50ml Edinburgh Castle Gin
25ml Cointreau
25ml grapefruit juice
2 bar spoons of slight lavender infused sugar syrup
1 egg white
METHOD
Dry shake all ingredients together, then shake with ice and double strain into a coupette. Garnish with hand picked heather (if possible) from the castle hill snibbed to the side
ON THE ROCKS WITH A TWIST
INGREDIENTS
3 blades of tarragon
1 bar spoon brown sugar
50ml Edinburgh Castle Gin
50ml yuzu juice
Mediterranean tonic water
METHOD
Muddle the tarragon and sugar, add gin and yuzu.
Stir to mix. Top with ice and tonic. Garnish with fresh grapefruit twist and tarragon leaf
Edinburgh Castle Gin (ABV 43% / 70cl / £36) is available from the Edinburgh Castle shops and via the Historic Environment Scotland online store. A 20cl and 5cl bottle are also available.
The gin will be served at official events at Edinburgh Castle, as well as being available as a gin flight in the castle’s ‘Queen Anne Tearoom’. The gin will also become house pour at Historic Environment Scotland venues across the country, such as Stirling Castle, and Urquhart Castle.