Named after the year the construction of Peebles Hydro Hotel was completed, the 1881 Distillery and Gin School officially opened its distillery doors in October 2019. The idea for this came about after the current owners, Crieff Hydro, who own and operate several hotels and hospitality venues, had seen a growth in the number of Scottish Gins behind the bars and restaurants at their various venues.
Having taken over the Peebles Hydro Hotel in 2014, the owners saw the opportunity to launch a new Scottish Gin brand that could draw on the hotel’s rich and varied history and provide unique inspiration for the 1881 range of Scottish Gins and spirits. Their experience and industry insight also taught them the importance of creating memorable guest experiences. With more distilleries offering visitor experiences, they knew that a distillery and a gin school in the hotel would provide something unique, enjoyable and memorable.
The 1881 distillery uses water from The Shieldgreen Spring, connecting the past to the present. The original hotel offered a variety of water therapies when it opened in 1881, with guests visiting from around the world to try and alleviate their aches and woes thanks to the claimed healing powers of hydrotherapy treatments. The Shieldgreen Spring, a mineral rich spring that runs through the hotel’s grounds, was the primary water source for all the hydrotherapy treatments offered. Other activities at the time included tennis, shooting, croquet and cycling.
From a dramatic fire in 1905 and the construction of a new hotel completed in 1907 or supporting the war effort in World War Two, the hotel has a rich and varied history, providing plenty of inspiration for the 1881 range of Scottish Gins and spirits.
1881 Hydro London Dry Gin is the signature Scottish Gin from from the 1881 Distillery and features twelve botanicals in its distillation, with several grown in the Peebles Hydro Hotel's botanical garden. Some of the botanicals in 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin include bay leaf, birch bark, cardamom pods, fir needles, grapefruit peel, hawthorn berries, juniper berries and milk thistle, along with fresh spring water from the local Shieldgreen Spring.
On the nose, piney juniper, citrus and aromatic cardamom notes.
On the palate, waves of fresh forest notes with piney juniper that transition through citrus and spice notes.
On the finish, citrus, green herbaceous, earthy notes and subtle warming spice.
The 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin name and the recipe were inspired by the original Peebles Hydro Hotel, which offered a variety of hydrotherapy treatments, thanks to The Shieldgreen Spring, which runs through the hotel's land, providing fresh, clean, mineral-rich water. The Shieldgreen Spring is still used to this day as the primary water source for the 1881 range of Scottish Gins.
Key Botanical(s): Bay Leaf, Fir Needles, Hawthorn Berries
Gin Style: London Dry Scottish Gin
Strength: 40% ABV
Goes great with: A wedge of grapefruit, tonic and ice.
1881 Peebles Pink Pavilion Gin from the 1881 Distillery uses a traditional selection of classic gin botanicals, including angelica root, cassia, grains of paradise, juniper berries and orris root to create a classic gin backbone with the addition of hibiscus petals and raspberries along with fresh spring water from the local Shieldgreen Spring.
On the nose, red fruits and some aromatic spice with subtle floral notes.
On the palate, bright, fresh raspberries balanced with floral hibiscus notes before moving through a warming, slightly aromatic spice note from cardamom and grains of paradise.
On the finish, develops from a creamy fruit mouthfeel, transitioning to citrus and some pine, leaving a pleasant mouthfeel and finish.
The 1881 Peebles Pink Pavilion Gin takes its name and inspiration from the original Peebles Hydro Hotel’s Victorian pavilion. The pavilion once overlooked more tennis courts than Wimbledon, with the hotel hosting several tennis competitions and providing a recreational escape for guests.
Key Botanical(s): Hibiscus Petals, Raspberries
Gin Style: Flavoured Scottish Gin
Strength: 40% ABV
Goes great with: A few fresh raspberries, a sprig of mint, tonic and ice.
1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin from the 1881 Distillery features twelve botanicals in its distillation including juniper, pink grapefruit and hawthorn berries, bottled at 57% ABV, the required minimum ABV for a gin to be classed as a Navy Strength.
Some of the botanicals include birch bark, cardamom, ginger root, grapefruit peel and juniper berries along with fresh spring water from the local Shieldgreen Spring.
On the nose, piney juniper, bright, rich citrus grapefruit, and some spice notes.
On the palate, a big juniper note of fresh, resinous pine that develops into warming spice and balanced citrus.
On the finish, lingering, warming with robust citrus and spice.
Even at this higher ABV, the 1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin remains carefully balanced, with amplified flavours and a pleasant mouthfeel, even when drunk neat over ice.
The inspiration for 1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin comes the Peebles Hydro Hotel history when during World War 2, the hotel became a military hospital where injured veterans could be helped and supported with their recovery.
Key Botanical(s): Ginger Root, Grapefruit Peel, Milk Thistle
Gin Style: Navy Strength Scottish Gin
Strength: 57% ABV
Goes great with: A slice of orange, tonic and ice.
1881 Rafters Subtly Smoked Gin from the 1881 Distillery features signature 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin which is infused with the smoke from fired oak chips, with the smoke being slowly drawn through a water bath, using fresh spring water from the local Shieldgreen Spring, to create a smoked liquid used in the distillation.
The botanicals and original flavour profile of the 1881 Hydro London Dry Gin can be found but underlined in this expression with a subtle, but enjoyable smokey note on the nose and palate. The smoke element also helps add an extra layer of flavour and complexity to some of the spice elements in the gin.
The unique smoke element can also help elevate classic cocktails that feature gin in the recipe. 1881 Distillery's Rafters Subtly Smoked Gin works well in the Negroni and the Martinez, adding further complexity and flavour to these classic cocktails.
In the summer of 1905, a spark from a chimney landed in the roof space of the Peebles Hydro Hotel, causing an inferno that engulfed the original hotel, leaving nothing but some brickwork and ashes. Thankfully, due to the resolve of the owner and staff, the hotel was rebuilt in its current form and reopened its doors to guests in 1907. 1881 Distillery's Rafters Subtly Smoked Gin is a nod to this moment in the hotel's history.
Key Botanical(s): Juniper Berries, Pink Grapefruit Peel, Smoked Oak Chips
Gin Style: Distilled Scottish Gin
Strength: 40% ABV
Goes great with: A wedge of lime, tonic and ice.
1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin from the 1881 Distillery is a seasonal, limited edition release Old Tom Scottish Gin. Old Tom gins are traditionally slightly sweetened with either sugar or honey. For the 1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin, the 1881 team worked closely with the Scottish Bee Company, sourcing the finest Scottish blossom honey. 1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin features fourteen botanicals, including chilli, lime peel, lemon peel, orange peel, hibiscus petals and Scottish blossom honey.
On the nose, floral and citrus notes with a subtle vanilla note.
On the palate, complex aromatic spices and bright citrus with a subtly sweet note throughout.
On the finish, full of life with spiced, candied citrus fruits and a warming spice.
The inspiration for 1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin and the recipe came from the former greenhouses and conservatories at Peebles Hydro Hotel. The greenhouses once grew oranges, lemons, limes and other tropical plants and vegetables.
The Gin Cooperative Awards for 1881 Garden Blossom Honey Gin include:
• Bronze - Old Tom Scottish Gin Award 2022
Key Botanical(s): Chilli, Hibiscus Petals, Scottish Honey
Gin Style: Old Tom Scottish Gin
Strength: 40% ABV
Goes great with: A wedge of lime, sliced chilli, tonic and ice.
1881 Hydro Garden Gin from the 1881 Distillery is a limited edition release of only 200 bottles and uses a variety of locally foraged or grown botanicals alongside a selection of classic gin botanicals. Locally foraged botanicals include gorse petals and elderflower along with rose petals from the hotel gardens.
On the nose, light summer florals with some subtle coconut notes.
On the palate, the nose is replicated but with deeper and distinct florals with hints of vanilla and coconut, balanced with some earthy notes.
On the finish, further floral notes balanced with some citrus and a warming, sweet floral spice.
Key Botanical(s): Gorse Petals, Elderflower, Rose Petals
Gin Style: Distilled Scottish Gin
Strength: 40% ABV
Goes great with: A few fresh raspberries, tonic and ice.
1881 Tiffin Eastern Spiced Gin from the 1881 Distillery features a range of rich, aromatic botanicals including cumin, cardamom and kaffir lime leaf alongside a selection of classic gin botanicals including juniper.
On the nose, bold, rich and aromatic spices.
On the palate, hearty, aromatic spices are balanced with classic gin flavours providing a warming, rich spice note throughout.
On the finish, complex spice notes, evoking the essence of Indian cuisine, with warming spices that linger.
This special edition gin was crafted by former head distiller Dean McDonald, who was looking to create a unique and original Scottish Gin that would prepare the palate for the boldly aromatic flavours associated with Indian cuisine.
Key Botanical(s): Cardamom, Cumin, Kaffir Lime Leaf
Gin Style: London Dry Scottish Gin
Strength: 45% ABV
Goes great with: A wedge of lime, ginger ale or bitter lemon and ice.
1881 Winter Gin is a seasonal, limited edition release and features a number of festive inspired botanicals including ginger root, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel and fir needles along with a number of classic gin botanicals.
On the nose are notes of Christmas and winter, with rich aromatic ginger and spice. The palate provides layers of candied fruit, warming spices of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and a fresh pine note. The long, lingering warming finish is full of rich festive spices.
Key Botanical(s): Cinnamon, Fir Needles, Ginger Root
Gin Style: Distilled Scottish Gin
Strength: 40% ABV
Goes great with: A wedge of orange, ginger ale and ice.
The 1881 Distillery was designed and built with the help of Jamie Baxter, a distillery designer and a renowned distiller in his own right, and is home to a 250-litre Arnold Holstein engineered still called ‘Felicity’.
Four core gin recipes were initially developed, along with four bespoke 1881 tonics, created to complement each gin. They were part of the initial launch of the brand and distillery. Since launching the initial core range of Scottish Gins in August 2019, the distillery team have created several new limited edition and seasonal gins to complement the core range.
There are a variety of visitor experiences available at the distillery, including distillery tours, tasting events and the 1881 Distillery Gin School, where visitors can take part in a gin masterclass, picking from an abundance of botanicals and tutored through the distillation process, ultimately creating a bespoke gin you can take home; all the while sampling the 1881 Gin expressions.
Please note distillery experiences may have changed since this information was published. Please check the booking link or brand website for the latest distillery experiences.
Tour: Yes
Gin School: Yes
Cafe: Yes
Bar: Yes
Shop: Yes
Booking: Book an 1881 Distillery experience online here
Learn more about 1881 Distillery by visiting the links below.
