#FlyWashington Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 29

Strolling around Edinburgh’s City Centre Credit: AlbertPego via iStock DISTILLED EDINBURGH The Gardener’s Cottage Scotland’s renowned skills at distillation have become the namesake of some of the best whiskies in the world — Scotch. Get deep in the peat at The Scotch Whisky Experience, just next to the castle. This great one-stop-shop with six tours covers all aspects of tasting, production, the business and food pairings. A full day course offered once a month covers all the above, and more. A new generation of craft distillers is adding high quality gin and vodka to the mix. Established in 2010, Edinburgh Gin has dedicated itself to “guiding peoples’ discovery of the modern-day gin experience” at their distillery and visitor center in West End. Tours geared to the novice and aficionado run daily with ample opportunity to sample the goods, from classic dry to infusions of rhubarb, elderflower and pomegranate. A gin masterclass teaches you to make your own, using miniature copper stills, the head distiller’s range of aromatics and botanicals and a tutor to help you create your own recipe. Rockpool from The Kitchin Credit: Marc Millar Photography Summerhall Distillery makes its gin inside a beautiful arts venue hewn from an old veterinary college built in 1916, with exhibitions, stand-up comedy, cabaret and traditional Scottish ceilidh gatherings. Still, it’s a virtual crime to leave Edinburgh without tasting some Scotch. SPRING 2018 27 FLYWASHINGTON.COM