Edinburgh Gin
Last updated 16 May 2026
Edinburgh Gin Classic is the workhorse — a soft, juniper-light contemporary gin made in central Edinburgh. The brand's flavoured variants (Seaside, Rhubarb & Ginger, Raspberry) get more shelf space and probably more sales than the Classic, for better and worse.
Edinburgh Gin Classic is fine — soft, easy, mild — but it’s not the gin worth seeking out. The Seaside variant is the one to buy. The flavoured Rhubarb & Ginger and Raspberry are flavoured liqueurs sold under the gin name, which is a bit dishonest. Treat the Classic as a perfectly good house G&T gin and look elsewhere if you want excitement.
Tasting notes
Soft and approachable. Juniper takes a back seat to the floral heather note, with a subtle pine resin underneath. Sweet enough to drink without much fuss but lacks the bigger flavour of Hendrick’s or the structure of The Botanist. The Seaside variant is the more interesting bottle in the range.
- Nose
- Heather, soft juniper, light citrus, hint of pine
- Palate
- Soft floral entry, light pine resin, gentle citrus, low juniper
- Finish
- Short, slightly sweet, clean
Flavour profile
- juniper2/5
- citrus2/5
- floral4/5
- herbal3/5
- spice1/5
- sweet3/5
Botanicals
Nine botanicals including Scottish heather, pine, and milk thistle alongside the classics — a mild, easy-drinking contemporary style
How it’s made
- Production
- Edinburgh Gin is distilled in small copper stills at the 1670 Distillery in central Edinburgh. The variants (Seaside, Rhubarb & Ginger, Raspberry) are flavoured liqueurs at lower ABV rather than full-strength gins.
- Still type
- Small copper pot stills
- Base spirit
- Neutral grain spirit
Perfect serve
Mediterranean tonic, fresh strawberry, balloon glass with plenty of ice.
- Tonic
- Mediterranean tonic
- Garnish
- Fresh strawberry or orange peel
- Ratio
- 1:3
- Ice
- Plenty of ice — the gin is light and dilutes well.
For the Classic, a Mediterranean tonic with strawberry brings out the floral notes. For Seaside, switch to Indian tonic and a lemon peel. For Rhubarb & Ginger, ginger ale rather than tonic — it’s a liqueur, not a gin.
Cocktails to make with Edinburgh Gin
Edinburgh Bramble
Rocks
- 50ml Edinburgh Gin
- 25ml fresh lemon juice
- 15ml sugar syrup
- 15ml crème de mûre (or Edinburgh Raspberry liqueur)
- Crushed ice
Shake gin, lemon, and syrup with ice. Strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass. Drizzle the crème de mûre over the top so it bleeds through.
Food pairings
The mild profile means it pairs with most light food without dominating. Better with food than as a sipping gin.
- Seafood platters
- Light cheese
- Cured meats
- Soft fruit desserts
Where to buy
Supermarket availability
| Supermarket | Stocked | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| tesco | Yes | £28 |
| sainsburys | Yes | £27 |
| waitrose | Yes | £30 |
| morrisons | Yes | £28 |
| asda | Yes | £26 |
| co-op | Yes | £30 |
Other expressions from Edinburgh Gin
Edinburgh Seaside
Coastal botanicals lift this above the Classic. Brinier, more savoury, more memorable. The pick of the Edinburgh Gin range.
Edinburgh Rhubarb & Ginger
A flavoured liqueur, not a full gin. Sweet, tangy, easy to drink with ginger ale. Treat it as a flavoured spirit, not a serious gin.
Visit the distillery
Edinburgh Gin runs tours from its 1670 Distillery on Picardy Place — a city-centre location easy to combine with the rest of an Edinburgh trip. Tours include the gin-making process and a tutored tasting of the range.
From £25
Book a tourFrequently asked questions
+Is Edinburgh Gin actually made in Edinburgh?
Yes. Edinburgh Gin is distilled at the 1670 Distillery on Picardy Place in central Edinburgh. The variants (Seaside, Rhubarb & Ginger, Raspberry) are flavoured liqueurs from the same site.
+Which Edinburgh Gin variant is the best?
Edinburgh Seaside is the standout. Coastal botanicals give it a brinier, more savoury character that lifts it above the Classic. The Rhubarb & Ginger is a flavoured liqueur rather than a serious gin.
+Is Edinburgh Gin a good gift?
Yes — it’s an easy crowd-pleaser at a gentle price, and the brand has strong Edinburgh associations for visitors. The Classic is the safest gift; for a gin-keen recipient, Seaside is the more interesting bottle.
+Can you visit the Edinburgh Gin distillery?
Yes. Tours run from the city-centre Picardy Place site (1670 Distillery) from around £25. Booking is recommended in summer.
Cocktails to make with Edinburgh Gin
French 75
The French 75 is the most reliably elegant brunch cocktail there is — gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, topped with champagne. Named after a French 75mm field gun from the First World War (the cocktail was said to hit like one). The right Scottish gin makes a French 75 that genuinely competes with anything served in a champagne flute in Paris.
Bramble
The Bramble is a modern British classic — gin, lemon, sugar, crushed ice, finished with crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur) drizzled over the top to look like a bleeding bramble bush. Invented in London in the 1980s by Dick Bradsell. The Scottish connection runs deep: 'bramble' is the Scots word for blackberry, and several Scottish gin producers make excellent companion blackberry liqueurs (Edinburgh Gin's Bramble Liqueur is the obvious pairing).
Compare with similar gins
Hendrick’s
contemporary · lowland
The gin that kicked off the contemporary-style boom in the early 2000s. Made at William Grant's Girvan distillery in Ayrshire using two different stills — a Carter-Head and a copper pot — before blending. The unusual dark apothecary bottle was designed to stand out, and twenty years later it still does.
Pickering's Gin
london-dry · lowland
Distilled at Summerhall in Edinburgh — the city's first exclusive gin distillery in over 150 years. The recipe is from a handwritten Bombay note dated 1947, scaled up by hand into a London Dry style with notable warmth.
Caorunn
contemporary · speyside
Made at Balmenach whisky distillery on Speyside, Caorunn (pronounced "ka-roon") uses five Celtic botanicals on top of the classic six. Vapour-infused in a unique copper berry chamber, with a clear apple note that sets it apart.
Where to stay near 1670 Distillery (Edinburgh Gin)
Hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering within easy reach of Edinburgh Gin's distillery.
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Plan your distillery visit
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