It’s in the water – top Borders hotel launches new range of gins from own spring source
Peebles Hydro aims to become top tourist destination for gin fans with launch of new makers school, discovers Sean Murphy
Apopular hotel in the heart of the Borders has turned distiller as it launches a new gin range, distillery and school, using water from its own hillside spring.
Peebles Hydro announced the launch of the 1881 gin at a special event last Thursday, naming it after the year in which the iconic hotel opened.
The new gin uses the same water from the rolling Borders hills behind the hotel, from a spring known as Shieldgreen, which has been supplying the Hydro for almost 140 years.
At the peak of the popular hydropathic movement, it was this water which drew people from all over the UK for its healing properties.
The team behind the launch of the gin school and distillery, on the site of what was the hotel’s original swimming pool, say that it 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 from within the grounds of the hotel itself.
Four 1881 gins have been included in the new range, with London Dry, Pavilion Pink, Subtly Smoked and Navy Strength available in two sizes – 70cl and 20cl. To match the newly-released set of gins, four tonic waters named Tonic 81 have also been produced, all created using the same water source as the gins, in 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 as well as all things gin. Visitors can also get up close to the school’s copper still which makes up to 220 bottles of 1881 gin every day.
Following tradition, the Peebles Hydro 1881 gin still is named Felicity after the daughter of general manager Patrick Diack.
Budding distillers can also indulge in their own unique gin experience, in which they can enjoy a distilling class, creating and crafting their very own spirit. The experience doesn’t stop there as the school will keep each person’s unique recipe on file – meaning they can reorder their 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. Jamie has worked in the food and drink industry for around 35 years and in 2017 was named by the Daily Telegraph in their list of the 50 tastemakers who are changing the way we eat and drink.
The hotel distillery will also have its own 1881 Gin Bus, a converted classic truck with a fully-equipped bar on board and eight mini-stills for catering at events around the area.
Stephen Leckie, chairman and CEO of the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels said: “We’re delighted that our dream of creating a gin school and distillery at Peebles Hydro has finally been realised. We have 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.”