Edinburgh Hotel launches new gin

The Apex Waterloo Place Hotel opened in 2009, but the building it occupies has a rich and exciting history.

To mark the building’s 200th birthday, the hotel launched a new Scottish Gin, “The 1819” that also co-incided with World Gin Day on 8th June.

The Gin draws inspiration from one of the hotel’s famous guests – the world-renowned botanist Asa Gray, who apparently counted Charles Darwin as a close friend, and who frequented the hotel in the 1800s.

The new gin was created by hotel staff members and is distilled by Eden Mill in St Andrews.

Alan, who has been the hotel’s general manager for ten years, said:

“Waterloo Place Hotel has seen a rich history throughout its 200 years here in Edinburgh. Many famous faces have resided in the property, from royalty to film stars and everyone in between. Our new gin, ‘The 1819’, seemed a fitting way to not only celebrate its anniversary but give a nod to one famous guest in particular – botanist Asa Gray – whilst marking the day of one of the world’s trendiest tipples.”

The category A listed Georgian building was designed by the Scottish architect Archibald Elliot and constructed between 1815 and 1819.

It contained fifty bedrooms, a coffee room, three dining rooms and a large ballroom but ceased trading in 1898 and became offices for the next 120 years.

The hotel also boasts that it was the residence of Charles Dickens at the time he was writing Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities.