Exclusive Edinburgh Gin tasting experience at The Real Mary King’s Close
Tickets are on sale now for special gin tasting experiences taking you into the heart of historic Edinburgh at The Real Mary King’s Close.
Held on Fridays and Saturdays until the end of July, the heritage visitor attraction has teamed up with Edinburgh Gin to launch its new “Stories and Wonders” gin tours beneath the cobble streets of the Mediaeval old town.
The unique events are part of Scotland’s official Year of Stories 2022.
What to expect
Perfect for lovers of history and gin, the storytelling and tasting experience in this five-star attraction will be popular.
As well as learning about the authentic dark history of The Real Mary King’s Close with a dedicated guide, visitors will also have the chance to sample four unique gins from the Edinburgh Gin range, each having a historical link to Edinburgh’s medieval Old Town, Royal Botanic Gardens, and Edinburgh Castle’s one o’clock gun and gin trade at the port of Leith.
The classic Edinburgh Gin and tonic features botanicals such as lavender, which was commonly used by the city’s plague doctors. Expect botanicals such as pine buds and lemongrass, fruity mulberries, oranges and limes, all adding to a smooth and deep flavour.
Edinburgh Gin’s 1670 is inspired by the same time period as Mary King’s Close itself and will be served with a light tonic. Visitors will learn more about how Edinburgh Gin’s 1670 has emerged from a treasure trove of over 14,000 plants that are grown in Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
The peppery, yet smooth, Navy Strength Cannonball Gin will be served neat. Visitors will find out about its homage to Edinburgh’s wondrous seafaring past, links with Edinburgh Castle’s one o’clock gun and the history of gin imports at Edinburgh’s Port of Leith.
To complete the Stories and Wonders gin tasting tours, visitors will also get the chance to sample a measure of Edinburgh Gin’s Pomegranate and Rose Liqueur. Inspired by grand bazaars, filled from end-to-end with delicacies and flavour, this delicious gin liqueur combines classic botanicals with soft, rose aromatics and an extraordinary pop of pomegranate. Rose is also commonly associated with the medieval plague doctors of Edinburgh.
Paul Nixon, General Manager from The Real Mary King’s Close said: “We’re really excited to be teaming up with Edinburgh Gin to launch our new Stories and Wonders gin tasting tours this July, as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories. Authentic storytelling is at the heart of everything we do at The Real Mary King’s Close.”
Jennifer Houston, Distillery Supervisor for The Edinburgh Gin Distillery, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for us to share and compare our love for history and storytelling with the team and guests of The Real Mary King’s Close, alongside being able to share our passion for showcasing our range of creative gins and gin liqueurs.
“This partnership has allowed us to create a tailor-made tasting offering, allowing our passionate team to deliver this history-led tasting session, diving into Edinburgh’s historical gin ties, and creating the inspiration for these hand-selected gins, which we hope will complement the tour offering from The Real Mary King’s Close team.”
How to book
The one-and-a-half hour guided Stories and Wonders tour and tasting will start at The Real Mary King’s Close, Warriston's Close, at 5pm, 5.30pm, 6pm and 6.30pm on eight separate dates during July, including Friday 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th, and Saturday 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th.
Tickets are priced at £35 per adult (aged 18 and over only) and are available to buy online here.
Other key events for your diary
Even if you can’t make one of the special gin experiences, The Real Mary King’s Close still delivers a rich and authentic flavour of old Edinburgh. Normal tickets are available seven days a week from 9.30am to 10pm, with tours running every 15 minutes.
The Real Mary King’s Close is located at Warriston's Close, 2, High St, Edinburgh EH1 1PG.
For more information on The Real Mary King’s Close, visit www.realmarykingsclose.com and follow on social media, including Instagram @marykingsclose, as well as Facebook and Tiktok @realmarykingsclose.
For more information about Edinburgh Gin, visit www.edinburghgin.com.