Summerhall Distillery
Summerhall Distillery is the home of Pickering’s Gin. This small distillery is located within Summerhall, a former vet school turned arts complex in the Newington area of Edinburgh. There are regular buses from Princes Street up to this area, or you can walk there in about 25 minutes. The whole gin-making process takes place here, from distillation to filling and labelling of bottles. And you can now take a tour of the distillery to see it for yourself, and sample a few gins from the Pickering’s range.
Pickering’s Gin
Pickering’s Gin is a London Dry style gin, launched in 2014 from the Summerhall Distillery. Based on a hand-written Indian recipe dating from 1947. The recipe was an old family secret, inherited by co-founder Marcus. He and business partner Matt used this fragrant recipe as the basis for their gin. Trying, testing and tweaking it for a modern palette. Pickering’s Gin has 9 botanicals; Juniper, coriander, cardamom, angelica, fennel, anise, lemon, lime and cloves. Distilled in highly engineered copper stills for a soft, smooth finish.
‘I have done a few distillery / winery / brewery tours I in the past and this was one of my favorites! What made this tour unique is that they take time to tell you the story of Pickering’s, which I loved..’
– Summerhall Distillery Tripadvisor Review
Gin Jolly Tours
The distillery offers tours, which take you on a “gin jolly” around the whole gin-making process. You’ll enjoy a refreshing gin and tonic as you learn more about Marcus and Matt’s story, and how they created this unique gin in their hand-crafted workshop. Then, after touring the small distillery, you’ll get to sample a further four award-winning gins. There is also the option to upgrade your tour to the VIP experience, which includes a cocktail tasting in the boardroom. Please note, Summerhall Distillery tours are for over 18s only.
This is a great experience for gin lovers looking to discover more about their favourite tipple. You can find out about their tours and book online here. Peas also see our Edinburgh attractions guide for further ideas of things to see and do during your stay with us at Parliament House Hotel. Including more gin tours and experiences.
