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Our Distillery

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Our Gin Experiences

Overnight package at peebles hydro, gin distillery tour, 3-hour gin distiller experience.

The Process

From our private spring, Sheildgreen, to our bespoke distillation school, the process behind 1881 Gin is one of expertise, history & craftsmanship.

Where 1881 Gin Distillery Began

The idea for The 1881 Gin Distillery came on a summer day, standing in front of the steps to our tennis pavilion on the front lawn. In the 1920s Peebles Hydro had more tennis courts than Wimbledon, and we hosted many a tournament at that time. Gin and tonic was a popular tipple, served on the lawn to the crowds that gathered to watch. Would it be possible to turn water to gin and create our own gin to honour the history of the hotel?

Peebles Hydro has never settled for received wisdom or conventional thinking. A gin distilled with local botanicals, and made with water drawn from a private spring? It’s unheard of – well, almost unheard of

We quickly discovered that the pavilion did not have enough space to house all of our gin distilling equipment. Undeterred, we decided to move production into the main hotel and so The 1881 Distillery was born – named after the date Peebles Hydropathic Hotel was first opened.

Our Distillation Process

Our 1881 Gin was born from the same water that started the story for Peebles Hydro and named after the year which our iconic hotel opened. The local Shieldgreen spring now supplies the gleaming copper stills of our very own distillery and our gin school. Many of the botanicals grown right here in our grounds and our very own tonic water, along with the gin, is trickled, nurtured and perfected by Peebles.

Did you know only our 1881 Gin can draw on the waters of Shieldgreen spring? Only our gin will taste this way. Perfect every time.

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Gin Travel Food

2 October 2020

Visit 1881 Gin Distillery at Peebles Hydro Hotel

Those of you who follow me I know that I have a passion for travel as well as gin. So the idea of visiting Peebles Hydro Hotel combined with a gin tasting and tour, and even the experience of making your own gin, is the best thing ever! Read on to find out more about what to expect at Peebles and 1881 Distillery, as well as a chance to win an overnight gin school experience for two via Instagram.

[photo credit 1881 Distillery]

*Full disclosure I’m an official supporter of International Scottish Gin Day and my bottle of Subtly Smoked gin was gifted, along with the competition prize*

Peebles Hydropathic Hotel aka Peebles Hydro

Situated South of Edinburgh in Peebles, the Hydropathic hotel or ‘hydro’ is where 1881 Gin Distillery is based. The hotel was built in 1881, hence the name for the distillery. The hotel was set high above the town and offered therapeutic treatments – the source of which was Peeble Hydro’s very own spring – Shieldgreen.

Nowadays they say they turn the water from the spring into gin!

The inspiration for the 1881 distillery started brewing since 2010 when Peebles Hydro opened it’s Gin Palace bar stocking 90+ gins. The distillery was created in 2019 and at the time of writing has been closed for COVID longer than it’s been open. It’s the perfect place for gin weekend – come and do a tour and tasting or make your own gin, stay at the hotel and sleep it off before driving home the next day!

1881 Hydro Gin Distillery & Gin School

They are rightly very proud of their Gin School at the 1881 distillery. Just look at all that copper!

The Gin School at 1881 distillery [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

There are four shelves of botanicals around the room, so no trekking across it (but also plenty of social distance). Here’s a sample of what you might find:

Just a small portion of the botanicals available to use at 1881 Gin School [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

Choose your botanicals and the team will assist with quantities required in the still [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

The experiences available at 1881 Distillery include tasting of their own gins, as well as finding out about the 1881 distillation process and history.

You’ll get to meet Felicity, the still that makes the 1881 gins [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

Tasting 1881 gin:

I first tried the 1881 gin range at the Gin to My Tonic Show in Glasgow [tickets were gifted by the organisers] and I was so impressed with their Navy strength that I bought a 200ml sample bottle to take home (it just fit in my luggage!) On my recent Instagram live we dove into tasting two of their gins in detail, but below I’ve added general tasting notes for all their expressions.

1881 London Dry Hydro gin

1881 gin uses 12 botanicals, many of which are grown locally in their own botanical gardens, including the obligatory juniper, hawthorn, birch, douglas fir needles & citrus. The gin is then blended with the water from the spring in the hills behind the Hyrdo. Carefully balancing the fir and birch with the juniper and citrus leads to a refreshing gin that reminds you of a walk in the local forest. Smooth on the palate this gin is best served simply with a regular tonic and lighter grapefruit as the garnish.

A perfect serve for the 1881 London Dry hydro gin [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

1881 Pavilion Pink Hydro Gin

The 1881 Pavilion Pink gin is a nod to the Hydro’s past hosting tennis tournaments – they even had more courts than Wimbledon in the 1920’s! Along with red berries (think raspberries and strawberries) in the distillation, they also use hibiscus for the colour, which adds a floral element.

For a summery serve why not try the Pavilion Pink served with raspberries and mint? [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

1881 Subtly Smoked gin

The Subtly Smoked gin is something a bit different…. This gin was inspired by the history of the hotel, which burnt down in 1905 (to be rebuilt using reclaimed materials & costing a lot less!). And so the idea to have a smoked gin came about as a nod to this period of history. I asked distiller Dean how they do this and he gave away the secret – they used smoked water to create the very subtle smoky flavour.

Smoked gin and chillies…. the perfect combination?! [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

This serve feels festive and seasonally appropriate – think wood smoke and warming spice! [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

Scroll down to see more on cocktails

1881 Navy strength gin

As I mentioned before, I was very impressed trying the 1881 Navy strength for the first time in Glasgow. Using the same botanicals as the London Dry, the concentration at 57% shows off a different side to the flavours. You get a lovely smooth mouthfeel despite the alcohol %, and it finishes with some lovely warm spicy notes coming from the grains of paradise and cassia (from the same family as cinnamon). A little dilution helps to open up the citrus and juniper notes further – a really tasty gin!

Serve with orange they say, my mind immediately goes to a negroni! [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

My serve was of course a negroni

Another festive serve here – Navy Strength gin with a couple of drops of bitters and tonic, sure to warm your cockles on a cold winter’s day [photo credit 1881 Distillery]

1881 gin cocktail recipes

So for my Instagram Live we focused on two of the more unusual gins in the range and created some cocktails to highlight their flavours:

1881 Subtly Smoked Spanish Martini

This is a twist on a regular martini as I’ve used sherry instead of vermouth. I first tried this with a dry Fino sherry and it didn’t quite work. Luckily distiller Dean had a better idea to use Manzanilla sherry and the extra depth works really well.

• 70ml 1881 Subtly Smoked Gin
• 10ml Manzanilla sherry

Why not pin this picture to bookmark the recipe for later?

1881 Navy Negroni

The Navy strength gin holds it’s own in the flavour stakes, so can take a bold and bitter cocktail like the negroni. Here I’ve gone for equal parts as the flavours shine through fine without tweaking.

• 25 ml 1881 Navy strength gin
• 25 ml Campari
• 25 ml Asterley Brothers Estate vermouth (or other sweet red vermouth)

Pin this image to bookmark the recipe for later!

1881 distillery gin tours & experiences

The distillery offers a selection of tours and experiences to suit everyone:

1881 Gin Discovery tour

The discovery tour starts with a gin and tonic (naturally!) and covers the history of the Hydro, before you are introduced to Felicity and the distillation process at 1881 distillery. After that you’ll get 4 tasters of 1881 gin and even better, a 20cl bottle of 1881 London Dry classic gin to take away and a 10% discount in the shop.

All for the bargain price of £25 – book your 1881 gin discovery tour here.

1881 Gin Distiller Experience aka ‘Gin School’

• 2 hour experience – with a gin and tonic in hand you’ll make your own gin at the 1881 gin school and take away a 50cl bottle £65 per person including a 10% discount in the shop
• 3 hour experience – as above except you’ll have the full tasting, snacks to keep you sober and you get to take away a 70cl bottle of your own gin £95 per person
• Overnight package – you’ll do the 3 hour gin school, have an overnight stay in a double or twin room, use of the leisure facilities at the hotel, £25 per adult to spend at the restaurant and a hearty Scottish breakfast the next day – prices start from £120 per person (depending on the room)

WIN AN 1881 GIN DISTILLERY OVERNIGHT GIN SCHOOL EXPERIENCE!

To enter the competition to win an overnight gin school experience for 2, head to this post on my Instagram and comment on who would be your plus one! Full terms and conditions are in the IGTV post caption – good luck!

Enter the overnight gin school competition on Instagram

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Peebles Hydro Gin School - Distiller Experience

About Peebles Hydro Gin School - Distiller Experience

Dive into all things gin with a tour of Peebles Hydro’s 1881 Gin Distillery. You will meet ‘Felicity’, the 150l copper still, making up to 220 bottles each day and, after the tour, the distiller will guide through a distilling class creating and crafting your very own bespoke tipple.

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1881 Distillery and Gin School

Based with Peebles Hydro, 1881 Distillery and Gin School is turning water into gin (and tonic!)

Nestled in the heart of the Scottish Borders, Peebles Hydro have launched their own gin, distillery and school – all using their very own spring water. In 1881, after three years of construction, Peebles Hydro was built to be a hydropathic hotel due to its very own private spring - Shieldgreen. Today, the draw is rather different: Shieldgreen now supplies the gleaming copper stills of their very own gin and tonic: 1881 Gin and Tonic 81.

They have created four premium gins including London Dry, Pavilion Pink and Subtly Smoked. The fourth gin, Navy Strength at 57% ABV is stronger than the others at 40%, and is named after the Dutch sailors of the 18th century who were known to drink gin for ‘Dutch courage’ before going into battle.

To bring the best out of these premium gins, four tonic waters have also been created – Tonic 81. All using the same water source, these include Premium, Light, Pink grapefruit and Elderflower. Their Gin School is the largest residential gin school in the UK where you’ll find 26 individual copper stills neatly lined in rows and glass jars brimming with botanicals.  A tour can be taken around the distillery, in which visitors can learn all about the history of Peebles Hydro, all things gin and can get up close to the school’s copper still (Felicity) which makes up to 220 bottles of 1881 gin every day. Budding distillers can also indulge in their own unique gin distiller experience, in which they can enjoy a distilling class, creating and crafting their very own gin.

Surrounded by gin, it’s where they do their best thinking so if you are looking to get creative in a space that nurtures experimental creativity or looking for private dining, drinks reception or even just a private gin school experience. 

Can’t make it to Peebles Hydro? Have the 1881 Gin Bus head to you.1881 Gin has a new mode of transport and it’s ready to make an appearance at your wedding, festival or family gathering.

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• Electric Car Charging
• Coach Parking

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• Accessible toilets
• Partial wheelchair access
• Licensed Bar

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The Gin Palace at Peebles Hydro

Contact Details : Innerleithen Road Peebles Web : www.peebleshydro.co.uk

You’ll get to meet their resident gin expert, (appropriately named) Gordon, and sample any of the 90 different varieties of gin they stock there.

If you prefer to wet your whistle with an ice-cold beer then you’ll be pleased to hear the Hydro recently welcomed Freewheelin’ Brewery to their grounds. So, stop in for a tour and a tipple. You can try out any of the range of Peebles Hydro’s ales with an IPA, blonde and ruby all available on tap and in the gift shop.

Their renovated open spaces are great for relaxing with a cocktail and looking out over the Tweed Valley. The comfy sofas in the lounge, and bright airy feel of the Sunroom, make these areas the favourite spots for an afternoon tea. And it’s not just tea, you can push the boat out and enjoy champagne or Hendricks afternoon teas too.

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1881 Gin Distillery and Gin School

A Gin Distillery, Gin School and Gin Palace all at Peebles Hydro... this is one of our Top 10 Things To Do in the Borders.

Fancy a tipple? You’ve come to the right place. Let's Talk Gin. Every drop of 1881 Gin is taken from our own private spring – Shieldgreen – the very same spring that drew people to ‘take the waters’ at Peebles Hydro when we opened our doors in 1881. Today, the draw is rather different: Shieldgreen now supplies the gleaming copper stills of our distillery and our attendant gin school. Along with many of the botanicals grown here in the grounds and our very own tonic water, 1881 Gin is trickled, nurtured and perfected by Peebles. Meet the 1881 Gin Family here.

Glimpse behind the distillery scenes with our masterclass in all things gin. We offer a range of distillery tours and experiences where you can try your hand at making your own bespoke blend of gin. Find out more  here .

Home to over 90 different kinds of gin, it’s hard not to love our Gin Palace. Slap bang in the middle of our hallway, it’s pretty hard to miss. The hardest part will be picking your tipple. Relax in the lounge or sun room, and if you’re lucky you might even get to catch some sun outside.

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GIN DISTILLER

Gin distiller experience.

There’s a time and a place to be the designated driver and this is not it. Steal a glimpse behind our very own 1881 Gin distillery scenes and brush up on your botanical knowledge with our masterclass before taking to the stage (or mini-still) to create your very own gin. Tuck into dinner and discuss your new found knowledge before snuggling up in a bed full of dreams. Sound good? Great! This experience is available when you stay at The Park or Peebles Hydro.

Peebles Hydro Hotel

• An overnight stay for two with Breakfast.
• Three hour gin distiller experience - including nibbles, distillery tour and tasters.
• Take home a bottle of your very own gin - created by you and totally bespoke.
• Use of leisure facilities - including gym and swimming pool.
• £25.00 per person towards dinner.

The Park Hotel

• An overnight stay for two at The Park Hotel.
• Three hour gin distiller experience at Peebles Hydro - including nibbles, distillery tour and tasters.
• Use of leisure facilities at Peebles Hydro - including gym and swimming pool.
• Hearty breakfast in the morning. 

Terms & Conditions

There’s just a couple of things to make you aware of on this offer. From £145 per person is based on two adults sharing a double or twin bedroom with breakfast or a lone traveller in a single bedroom at Peebles Hydro. This package is fully pre-payable, non-refundable and non-transferable (sorry!). This offer is only available Friday - Sunday. Offer is for 18+ years only and is subject to availability. 

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Make Sunday Extra Special

Memories for Two

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Gin Discovery Tour for Two

£60.00

Peebles Hydro

Glimpse behind the distillery scenes and brush up on your botanical knowledge of all things gin!

• Valid for 12 months

We’ll begin, as any great gin tour should, with a glass of G&T in hand. After a lesson in Hydro history and all things gin, the tour will move on to our gin distillery where you’ll see our 150l copper still ‘Felicity’ – making up to 220 bottles each day – and taste a few of our favourite 1881 Gins. For further details, or to book, please contact our Sales team on 01764 651846

• Voucher entitles 2 people to a Gin Discovery Tour (over 18s only)
• Gin tours are available Thursday to Sunday and last around 1 hour
• Make sure you book your preferred date in advance
• Subject to availability
• Please bring your voucher along with you

The Fine Print

This gift voucher features a unique reference ID code, may only be redeemed once, may not be exchanged for cash, replaced if lost and is non-transferable or refundable.  The gift voucher must be presented upon arrival when redeeming the experience.  No photocopies of the original voucher will be accepted.  Advance bookings are necessary and are subject to availability.  Cancellation of a booking might render the voucher null & void.  Only one gift voucher can be used in any one transaction. Vouchers are not redeemable against any promotional offer. Terms and conditions are subject to change.

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• > Culture
• > Peebles Hydro Gin School

Peebles Hydro Gin School

Peebles Hydro, nestled in the heart of the Scottish Borders, has turned distiller as it launches a new gin, distillery and school, using water from its own hillside spring water

The 1881 gin, named after the year in which the iconic hotel opened, uses the same water from the rolling Borders hills behind the hotel, known as Shieldgreen, which has been supplying the hotel for almost 140 years. At the peak of the hydropathic movement, it was this water which drew people in from all over the UK for its healing properties.

The launch of the gin school and distillery, on the site of what was the hotel’s original swimming pool, makes Peebles Hydro the largest residential gin school in the UK. The school features 26 individual copper stills and glass jars full of botanicals, including those sourced within the grounds of the hotel itself.

Stephen Leckie, Chairman and CEO of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels commented: “We’re delighted that our dream of creating a gin school and distillery at Peebles Hydro has finally been realised. We’ve gathered an extremely talented team of experts to make the 1881 gin a reality and I am very proud of the final product.

“Whilst gin is soaring in popularity and distilleries are opening all over the country, what makes our gin unique is that it uses the same source of water from the rolling hills behind Peebles Hydro that made the hotel such a draw for people all over the UK nearly 140 years ago when the hotel first opened. We’re excited to be introducing the 1881 gin as our house gin across the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels.”

There are four 1881 gins available in two sizes of 70cl and 20cl, including London Dry, Pavilion Pink and Subtly Smoked. The fourth gin, Navy Strength at 57% ABV is stronger than the others at 40%, and is named after the Dutch sailors of the 18th century who were known to drink gin for ‘Dutch courage’ before going into battle.

To bring the best out of these premium gins, four tonic waters have also been created – Tonic 81. All using the same water source, these include Premium, Light, Pink grapefruit and Elderflower.

A tour can be taken around the distillery, in which visitors can learn all about the history of Peebles Hydro, all things gin and can get up close to the school’s copper still which makes up to 220 bottles of 1881 gin every day. Following the tradition of naming the gin still after the distiller’s daughter, Peebles Hydro 1881 gin still is named ‘Felicity’ after the daughter of Peebles Hydro general manager, Patrick Diack.

Budding distillers can also indulge in their own unique gin distiller experience, in which they can enjoy a distilling class, creating and crafting their very own gin. The experience doesn’t stop there as the school will keep each person’s unique recipe on file – meaning they can reorder their very own gin as birthday presents, wedding favours or for special occasions.

The 1881 gin has been created by distiller Emma Millar, a graduate from the Brewing & Distilling MsC course at Heriot Watt University, together with Jamie Baxter, who is owner of Craft Distilling Services and who launched his first craft distillery in 2006.

To find out more about the 1881 gins and tonic waters and for prices and to purchase, please visit: www.1881distillery.com

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1881 Distillery

Named after the year the construction of Peebles Hydro Hotel was completed, the 1881 Distillery and Gin School officially opened its distillery doors in October 2019. The idea for this came about after the current owners, Crieff Hydro, who own and operate several hotels and hospitality venues, had seen a growth in the number of Scottish Gins behind the bars and restaurants at their various venues.

Having taken over the Peebles Hydro Hotel in 2014, the owners saw the opportunity to launch a new Scottish Gin brand that could draw on the hotel’s rich and varied history and provide unique inspiration for the 1881 range of Scottish Gins and spirits. Their experience and industry insight also taught them the importance of creating memorable guest experiences. With more distilleries offering visitor experiences, they knew that a distillery and a gin school in the hotel would provide something unique, enjoyable and memorable.

The 1881 distillery uses water from The Shieldgreen Spring, connecting the past to the present. The original hotel offered a variety of water therapies when it opened in 1881, with guests visiting from around the world to try and alleviate their aches and woes thanks to the claimed healing powers of hydrotherapy treatments. The Shieldgreen Spring, a mineral rich spring that runs through the hotel’s grounds, was the primary water source for all the hydrotherapy treatments offered. Other activities at the time included tennis, shooting, croquet and cycling.  

From a dramatic fire in 1905 and the construction of a new hotel completed in 1907 or supporting the war effort in World War Two, the hotel has a rich and varied history, providing plenty of inspiration for the 1881 range of Scottish Gins and spirits.

1881 Hydro London Dry Gin

The 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin name and the recipe were inspired by the original Peebles Hydro Hotel, which offered a variety of hydrotherapy treatments, thanks to The Shieldgreen Spring, which runs through the hotel's land, providing fresh, clean, mineral-rich water. The Shieldgreen Spring is still used to this day as the primary water source for the 1881 range of Scottish Gins. 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin uses twelve botanicals in its distillation, with several grown in the Peebles Hydro Hotel's botanical garden. Some of the botanicals in 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin include juniper, hawthorn, birch, fir needles, bay leaf, cardamom, and various citrus peels. Juniper, citrus, and aromatic cardamom notes come across on the nose. The palate delivers a decent wave of piney juniper that transitions through spice and citrus notes. The long, lingering finish features citrus, green herbaceous, earthy notes and subtle warming spice.

1881 Peebles Pink Pavilion Gin

The 1881 Peebles Pink Pavilion Gin takes its name and inspiration from the original Peebles Hydro Hotel’s Victorian pavilion. The pavilion once overlooked more tennis courts than Wimbledon, with the hotel hosting several tennis competitions and providing a recreational escape for guests. 1881 Peebles Pink Pavilion Gin uses a traditional selection of gin botanicals, including juniper, orris root, grains of paradise and more, to create a classic gin backbone with the addition of raspberries and hibiscus petals completed with fresh spring water from The Shieldgreen Spring. Red fruits and some aromatic spice with subtle floral notes come across on the nose. The palate starts with bright, fresh raspberries balanced with floral hibiscus notes before moving through a warming, slightly aromatic spice note from cardamom and grains of paradise. The medium finish develops from a creamy fruit mouthfeel, transitioning to citrus and some pine, leaving a pleasant mouthfeel and finish.

1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin

1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin uses twelve botanicals in its distillation; some include juniper, pink grapefruit and hawthorn berries, bottled at 57% ABV. Piney juniper, bright, rich citrus grapefruit, and some spice come across on the nose. The palate begins with a big juniper note of fresh pine that develops into warming spice and balanced citrus. The long, lingering, warming finish features robust citrus and spice. Even at this higher ABV, the 1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin remains carefully balanced, with amplified flavours and a pleasant mouthfeel, even when drunk neat over ice. During World War 2, the Peebles Hydro Hotel became a military hospital. This time in the hotel's history inspired the creation of the 1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin.

1881 Rafters Subtly Smoked Gin

In the summer of 1905, a spark from a chimney landed in the roof space of the Peebles Hydro Hotel, causing an inferno that engulfed the original hotel, leaving nothing but some brickwork and ashes. Thankfully, due to the resolve of the owner and staff, the hotel was rebuilt in its current form and reopened its doors to guests in 1907. 1881 Distillery's Rafters Subtly Smoked Gin is a nod to this moment in the hotel's history. Signature 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin is infused with the smoke from fired oak chips, with the smoke being slowly drawn through a water bath to create a smoked liquid used in the distillation. The botanicals and original flavour profile of the 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin can be found but underlined in this expression with a subtle smokey note on the nose and palate. The smoke element also helps add an extra layer of flavour to some of the spice elements in the gin. The unique smoke element can also help elevate classic cocktails that feature gin in the recipe. 1881 Distillery's Rafters Subtly Smoked Gin works well in the Negroni and the Martinez, adding further complexity and flavour to these classic cocktails.

1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin

1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin is a seasonal, limited edition release Old Tom Gin. Old Tom gins are traditionally slightly sweetened with either sugar or honey. For the 1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin, the 1881 team worked closely with the Scottish Bee Company, sourcing the finest Scottish blossom honey. 1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin features fourteen botanicals, including chilli, lime, lemon, orange, hibiscus and Scottish blossom honey. Floral and citrus notes come across on the nose, along with subtle vanilla notes. The palate is complex with aromatic spices, lovely bright citrus, and a subtly sweet note throughout. The medium finish is full of life with spiced, candied citrus fruits and a warming spice. The inspiration for the 1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin and the recipe came from the former greenhouses and conservatories at Peebles Hydro Hotel. The greenhouses once grew oranges, lemons, limes and other tropical plants and vegetables. Awards for 1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin include The Gin Cooperative Awards 2022: • Bronze Award - Old Tom Scottish Gin Award

1881 Hydro Garden Gin

1881 Hydro Garden Gin is a limited edition release of only 200 bottles and uses a variety of locally foraged botanicals. Gorse flowers, elderflower and rose from the hotels gardens and surrounding countryside have been carefully distilled to create a taste of Pebble’s summer. Combining classic gin botanicals and local botanicals 1881 Hydro Garden Gin has distinct light florals on the nose, with some subtle coconut from the gorse flowers. The palate replicates the nose with deeper floral notes across the palate, including vanilla and coconut, balanced with some earthy notes. The medium finish has further floral notes balanced with some citrus and a warming, sweet floral spice.

1881 Tiffin Eastern Spiced Gin

This special edition gin was crafted by head distiller Dean McDonald, who was looking to create a gin that would prepare the palate for the boldly aromatic flavours associated with Indian cuisine. Rich and spicy cumin, cardamom and kaffir lime leaf play together particularly well with a bitter lemon or ginger ale mixer to tickle the taste buds.

1881 Winter Gin

1881 Winter Gin is a limited edition release and features a number of festive inspired botanicals including ginger, cinnamon, orange peel and fir needles along with a number of classic gin botanicals. On the nose are notes of Christmas and winter, with rich aromatic ginger and spice. The palate provides layers of candied fruit, warming spices of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and a fresh pine note. The long, lingering warming finish is full of festive spices.

The 1881 Distillery was designed and built with the help of Jamie Baxter, a distillery designer and a renowned distiller in his own right, and is home to a 250-litre Arnold Holstein engineered still called ‘Felicity’. Four core gin recipes were initially developed, along with four bespoke 1881 tonics, created to complement each gin. They were part of the initial launch of the brand and distillery. Since launching the initial core range of Scottish Gins in August 2019, the distillery team have created several new limited edition and seasonal gins to complement the core range.

There are a variety of visitor experiences available at the distillery, including distillery tours, tasting events and the 1881 Distillery Gin School, where visitors can take part in a gin masterclass, picking from an abundance of botanicals and tutored through the distillation process, ultimately creating a bespoke gin you can take home; all the while sampling the 1881 Gin expressions.

Tour : Yes Gin School : Yes Cafe : Yes Bar : Yes Shop : Yes Booking : Book an 1881 Distillery experience online here

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Learn more about 1881 Distillery by visiting the links below.