The gin made in the Secret Herb Garden just outside Edinburgh might just transform your Christmas this year. Certainly when you put it in a glass with tonic water it changes colour from a festive blush to vibrant pink!

The change comes about as a result of a natural reaction and adjustment of the PH levels with the addition of tonic. To make it a little more festive they have added some ginger, cinnamon and cardamom, all individually distilled and added to the base.

There are only 500 bottles of the limited edition gin on sale in the latest project by Hamish Martin Scottish herbologist and owner of the Secret Herb Garden.

Herbologist Hamish Martin shows off his colour changing Old Curiosity Gin at Bar Prince. Photo Ian Georgeson

Hamish said : “Christmas is a time for bringing a little sparkle, and what could be more magical than a festive gin that transforms itself before your very eyes? It’s the best way to bring Christmas to life, and tastes as good as it looks.

“We’re known for creating all manner of weird and wonderful colour-changing gins and we think this one, with its twist on the traditional Christmas colours, may just be our best yet.  It was a drink which first turned Santa from green to red, so this year his favourite colour will definitely be pink!”

Each Old Curiosity gin is made using botanicals grown, picked, dried and infused by the Secret Herb Garden team in Scotland. A bottle of Old Curiosity costs £49.95 per 500ml bottle, and Bar Prince at The Balmoral have some on offer at their still relatively new cocktail bar where the photos were taken this morning.

The distillery released its first trio of colour-changing gins in October last year, comprising Apothecary Rose, Lavender & Echinacea, and Chamomile & Cornflower.


Gin goes in the pink for Christmas
Luxury gin brand, Old Curiosity, will be in the pink this Christmas with its first, colour-changing festive gin.
Rather than the classic Christmas reds, this year the innovative distillery’s unique new tipple transforms from a festive blush to a vibrant pink when mixed with tonic water. Hamish Martin poses Calton Hill with his latest tipple. Photo Ian Georgeson
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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