Think whisky and gin in Scotland and you might imagine having to haul up to the Highlands. Think again. Today Edinburgh has reclaimed its throne as one of Scotland’s whisky capitals. With gin and beer too it’s a glorious, world-class cocktail that all mixes together with Forever Edinburgh’s ‘Meet Edinburgh’s Makers’ tastebud-tingling new initiative. Come with me as we take a deep dive into Edinburgh’s vibrant, thrilling drinks scene.
Edinburgh Forever have put together a map of whisky and gin distilleries, as well as breweries and brilliant pubs and bars, to celebrate the city’s drinks renaissance. There are passionate people to take you on tours that link various sites together as too. And there is plenty to see and do with 50% more distilleries in the capital today than where were in 2019 and 25% more breweries! Hop on their website to see the real strength in depth, with 64 local businesses highlighted on their handy map. You can just choose how many venues you want to suit your own adventure. I recommend getting to as many as possible as they are gloriously different.
Innovation down at Holyrood
I head straight into a world of passion and local pride at the Holyrood Distillery, which was set up in 2019. Guide Broy Blood meets me with a huge smile and sweeps us off on a tour of their characterful distillery in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat. “We’re dramatically different with small batch recipes. Edinburgh these days has a real spirit of innovation. We’re not trying to replicate anything else so we experiment with myriad types of yeast, and with barley too.”
Holyrood Distillery are indeed different. Not for them apologetically selling a few bottles of new make spirit – here they proudly flag up a quintet of new make spirits with labels telling you how they were crafted. They’ve superb whiskies too since 2023 and have issued three flagship releases. “We like to keep experimenting so we’ve used Champagne and Burgundy yeasts, even Tequila,” adds Broy. I try their new makes, whisky and gin – all are excellent and really take the tastebuds on a journey. I love that they big up other Edinburgh producers – something I find across the city.
Deliciously Devilish
The Devil’s Advocate brings lunch with haggis kicking things off, backed up by a local Cannonball Gin, then a Scotch beef burger spiced with a cocktail on the side with sherry from the Port of Leith Distillery. The waitress proudly tells me too about the range of local beers they have, including the excellent Pilot from Leith. I love what those guys do and their famous Peach Melba Sour ale actually works really well with dessert.
The Devil’s Advocate is a brilliantly moody old town haunt, the sort of place J. K. Rowling might could seek inspiration for a modern Harry Potter update in. Even at lunch it’s dark, mysterious and lots of fun. It gets really lively at night in a good way, the sort of place you can pop into for quality food and drink whenever you like and not be disappointed.
Striding with Johnnie Walker
I saunter across Edinburgh now from old town into new town to visit a global icon. Johnnie Walker is justifiably world famous and this has to be their most fun site to visit anywhere. This multi-storey whisky emporium is the whisky equivalent of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It’s my third visit and it says it all a local keeps coming back, this time for their Whisky Makers’ Cellar Experience.
Delving below Princes Street, guide Lorna Murphy, takes me to another world, into a bijou bonded warehouse that has 26 casks and six whiskies lying down. We are treated to a dram of the exclusive Blue Label Elusive Umami and then an ultra-rareRoseisle drawn straight from the cask. You just cannot get this anywhere else. Another highlight is the Mortlach matured in a Sangiovese cask – dark, rich and utterly delicious.
I’ve visited a lot of distilleries and whisky experiences and it’s hard to do something different. Johnnie Walker manage it with aplomb. The experience culminates as we chip in ideas for making our own blend. We then leave it to the Johnnie Walker experts who talk us through the blend we try – a sheer joy. And if that wasn’t enough I also head back up to the first floor to watch my very own bottle of Johnnie Walker’s seasonal blend being engraved for me and bottle myself.
We’re not finished with Johnnie Walker. Not when they have the wonderful 1820 Rooftop Bar, named to celebrate the origins of the brand. I savour whisky cocktails that change what I think about whisky cocktails. In a very good way! There is a tasting menu but I opt for gorgeous sharing dishes like buttermilk chicken with a fiery buffalo sauce and comforting croquettes.
Cool Cocktails at The Caledonian
Handily my grand abode for the evening is just across the road at The Caledonian Edinburgh, Curio Collection by Hilton. Like the 1820, my room also sports epic views of Edinburgh Castle. I always feel in good company here as I heard that the hotel used to be Sean Connery’s favourite. It also used to be a railway station. Today this grand dame is a landmark five star that is back to looking its best after an impressive refurb.
I’m tempted just to stay in to enjoy the view, but that’s impossible when The Court has just opened downstairs. They’ve done a great job of making this cavernous indoor space seriously stylish, yet intimate at the same time. The mixologist serves me a spiky Caledonian Wild Negroni with local gin and then his favourite – a berry concoction that is as fabulous as promised. These are serious cocktails made with creativity. And love.
Seriously Creative Summerhall
The next day after Eggs Royale at The Caledonian I’m back on the Meet Edinburgh’s Makers trail at Summerhall Distillery on the other side of The Meadows. This wonderfully quirky distillery is woven around an old veterinary hospital. Brilliant guide Alyssa Engel starts well, handing me a Pickering’s Gin and tonic. They’ve been conjuring up gin here for a decade and their experience shows. Alyssa talks of “lots of overlap with other local drinks companies, collaborations with local bars and food relationships across Edinburgh too,” which is so encouraging to hear. Their tours are such fun – I won’t spoil the surprises of the secret room and who exactly Ginny is.
Matt Gammell and Marcus Pickering are the founders behind Summerhall Distillery. I sit down with Matt, who tells me about the gin’s romantic origins in India and how things have changed: “When we started off there were 20 gins on the market in the UK and now Scotland has over 800 gins. We were the first exclusive Edinburgh gin distillery in over 100 years with it all made here.” I could talk to him all day with his colourful stories and deep knowledge. He explains how they tie into the Edinburgh gin scene and touches on the future: “Our Tattoo gin in 2014 really put us on the map, coming after they legalised small batch gin production in 2009. Today we sell our own gins and provide quality gins for the Tattoo and Cunard. We’ve also started maturing and selling whiskies too, one a blend and the other a single malt. It’s great to see so many businesses in Edinburgh going for it with their drinks. Edinburgh consumes more gin than anywhere outside London so the people here and visitors have a real interest in it.”
Head North for the South Loch
Matt steers me to lunch at 56 North, which they really rate. Northern Irishman Garry Bradley is a joy here, enthusing me about their range of over 300 gins, the majority Scottish, with Edinburgh appearing heavily. “We produce our own gin here too,” he smiles. “Those stills you see are not just for show like some visitors presume. We have a core range of six South Loch Gins, a mix of classic and flavoured.”
Lunch comes a with a gin flight of all six. My favourites include the lovely cranberry and clementine spiced gin and a tastebud sensation alive with the real taste of raspberries. 56 North does not disappoint on the plate either. I enjoy spicy chicken skewers, before a more traditional heaving plate of haggis, neeps and tatties complete with the chef’s famous creamy pepper sauce. Divine.
Down to The Vaults
Hopping on the tram extension down to Leith – I use Edinburgh’s excellent public transport and two feet to get between all the venues – I arrive back in time at The Vaults, the spiritual home of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Under the pioneering guidance of the legendary Pip Mills the society pretty much created Scotland’s single malt whisky boom, selling them direct to the public at a time when blends were pretty much the only show in town. I’m delighted to learn they now offer £19 day memberships so, you don’t need to be an annual member to come in and enjoy the experience.
Day or annual membership is massively worth it. This has to be one of the world’s classiest, finest places to drink whisky. Their exclusive cask strength whiskies tower above the whole wall behind the plush bar. I settle in for a tasting with American manager Miguel Treleani. He knows his whisky, taking me through three stunners – the highlight being a surprising light Caol Ila. He throws in a wildcard with an American whisky (note not bourbon) and a startlingly good 25-year old Laphroaig softened by a sherry finish. The food is top notch in here too.
The UK’s First Vertical Distillery
My last port of call on the Meet Edinburgh’s Makers map is the unique Port of Leith Distillery, the UK’s first vertical distillery and the only one currently in production globally. I toured here hard hat before it opened, so it’s joy to see it open and enjoying great views of the city and the Firth of Forth. It’s thrillingly unique, unlike anything I’ve experienced around the world.
Guide Emery Schaffer is as excited about the building as me – “It’s one of kind and everyone loves it. It’s a great place to work and to visit and to enjoy a dram.” I certainly agree on the last two and trust Emery on working here given how enthusiastic she is. I learn about the “gravity distillation”, and about how all their barley comes from a local farm they supply the draff back to as cattle feed, as part of their sustainability drive. The suspended washbacks welded to the floors are like nothing I’ve ever seen too.
They will have whisky here when it matures in 2026. For now you can try their new make and buy it too. The great guys behind the distillery also make their own excellent Lind and Lime gin and import excellent sherries, ports and other drinks you can pick up here too. Quality – as it always is in the Edinburgh drinks scene I explore – remains paramount. I feel that again in their rooftop bar and restaurant. I tuck into beautiful king scallops followed by venison loin. I, of course, wash them down with a whisky, before dessert with a glass of their Pedro Ximenez sherry. It’s a delicious, life-affirming end to a couple of brilliant days exploring just a handful of the innovative Meet Edinburgh’s Makers venues. I thoroughly encourage you to check the map and get out to savour some of them too.
*This post comes in conjunction with Edinburgh Forever. All views expressed are independent and are our own. We encourage sensible drinking, drinking only in moderation. I nosed and tasted many of the drinks in this article rather than consumed them.
