Laphroaigh, Talisker, Glenfiddich, Highland Park and Glenmorangie. Most people can name which famous Scottish drink these belong to.
Now try Shetland Reel, Rock Rose, Strathearn, Old Raj and Crossbill. Any clue? Perhaps not.
In a country obsessed with whisky, it’s a bold step to break from the norm when it comes to ordering your favourite tipple.
But for the Sheraton Grand in Edinburgh, what else would you do?
In a city famed for its beauty around the world and boasting probably the UK’s strongest tourism market outside London, you have to stand out from the crowd to get noticed.
And with one of the coolest small gin distilleries just down the road, the Sheraton’s One Square Gin Experience seems almost natural.
Overlooking the expansive Festival Square, and just a two-minute walk from Princes Street, the hotel is in an enviable location.
Our top floor room had sweeping views of the majestic Edinburgh Castle and a king-size bed that provided one of the best sleeps I’ve ever had.
After a quick rummage round our room for the night, and a complimentary gin and tonic whilst gazing at the castle from our window, we jumped in a taxi for the five-minute ride to Pickering’s Distillery.
Tucked away round the back of Summerhall, you wouldn’t know it was there. Founders Marcus and Matt have transformed what was once a grimy dog kennel into a quirky, charming micro-distillery in the middle of Edinburgh.
Matt showed us around and talked us through the distillation process before moving on to the bit we’d been waiting for – the good stuff.
Now, I have a collection of 26 different bottles of (mostly Scottish) gin in my drinks cupboard. And I like to think I’ve done not too badly when it comes to tasting my fair share of them – becoming a fairly seasoned gin-taster as a result.
So when I say Pickering’s Gin is something everybody should get a taste of, I mean it. It’s smooth and refreshing, and it’s no wonder The Sheraton was keen to pair up with Matt and Marcus to develop their own drink.
After the tasting, Matt showed us to the Summerhall Bar (it backs onto the distillery) for another Pickering’s Gin and tonic before we got a taxi back to the hotel.
My partner got changed whilst I went through to the Club Lounge, to make the most of the two hours of free snacks and drinks before our gin cocktail evening at the hotel’s One Square bar.
Although the Club Lounge was busy, there was more than enough room to get a seat and catch up with the football results. The lounge staff were very attentive and made sure I never went looking for a drink.
Moving to the bar, we were given seats at the window.
One Square bar is not somewhere I’d have pinpointed as a must-go in Edinburgh before. But with the castle views, a chilled-out vibe and cocktail-cool bar staff, it was fast feeling like a great place to hang out before a night on the tiles.
The One Square Gin cocktail was beautifully presented to us in his and her glasses – it certainly looked the part. The barman talked us through the drink, where it was made and described the botanicals that give their gin its flavour.
My partner loved the cocktail, I wasn’t so sure – but one thing I can say is, it had some serious kick.
Seven gins and one gin cocktail into our Sheraton experience, and it was now time for dinner.
The restaurant setting is fantastic, you can sit and watch the world go by with the castle ever present in the background – exactly what you want from an Edinburgh destination.
And the only thing rivalling the view was the food. At first glance it looks a bit on the pricey side, but the excellent dining washes away any bank account worries.
Between us, we had Shetland mussels and Roast Gressingham duck breast to start – the duck a particular highlight.
For main, I had homemade burger and my partner had the fillet steak (rare), which was cooked to perfection.
By the time we finished our meal, we were ready for bed. We’d been lapping up the finest food and drink the Sheraton could throw at us for the past eight hours. And it had been wonderful, but we were entering food coma territory.
A full cooked breakfast in the peaceful surrounds of the Club Lounge got us going in the morning. But it was the One Spa experience that really cured the gin hangover.
After a day of indulgence, there was no better way to finish off our stay than to indulge some more.
Sitting back in the heated rooftop hydro pool, with a cool breeze and the scent of Edinburgh brewing in the air. That is how you spend a Sunday morning.
Rates for The Sheraton’s Gin Discovery Experience in Edinburgh start at £230 per night, based on two people sharing, with tours of Summerhall Distillery available Monday to Saturday.
PICKERING’S DISTILLERY
Summerhall Distillery was built on the site of an old animal hospital, which was once part a veterinary school in the centre of Edinburgh.
Pickering’s Gin founders Matt and Marcus have lovingly brought the site back to life, turning it into a really visual, DIY gin-making operation, that will have the Edinburgh trendies purring.
The gin itself is based on an original Bombay recipe, handwritten on a tattered piece of paper dating back to 1947.
A little disappointingly, they don’t quite follow the original recipe and have adapted it to the modern palate. But that’s quickly forgotten when you taste the gin.
With nine botanicals of juniper, coriander, cardamom, angelica, fennel, anise, lemon, lime and cloves running through their 500-litre copper still named Gert, they have come up with an incredibly smooth, aromatic drink.
ONE SQUARE GIN
When not producing Pickering’s Gin, the guys at Summerhall Distillery are working on The Sheraton’s One Square Gin.
Although used primarily in cocktails, One Square is touted by the hotel as best served with a slice of grapefruit.
Compiled with 15 different botanicals from across the world, One Square has a really citrusy flavour and packs a serious punch.
Look out for its distinctive cuboid-shaped bottle and gold labelling.
