Port of Leith Distillery

11 Whisky Quay, EH6 6FH

Reviving Edinburgh’s distilling heritage

Port of Leith Distillery opened to the public in October 2023, following nearly four years of construction. The founders picked Leith due to its historical significance as Edinburgh’s former distilling district, once a major centre for whisky maturation, blending, and bottling. With stunning sea views and proximity to the Royal Yacht Britannia, it is the perfect location for a modern distillery rooted in historic craftsmanship.

At the time of construction beginning, there wasn’t a whisky distillery in Edinburgh, and that was a big motivation – bringing single malt whisky production back to Scotland’s capital city. Now visitors can enjoy all things whisky and gin on dedicated tours.

Port of Leith Distillery is the UK’s first vertical distillery. This means that it has a vertical production process, with grain milling and mashing at the top, leading down through fermentation to distillation at the bottom.

The distillery has observed a trend towards quality over quantity in spirits consumption, which aligns with its philosophy of being deeply committed to crafting exceptional spirits while upholding a strong sense of responsibility towards sustainability and social impact. They focus on producing classic gin profiles, exemplified by their Lind & Lime Gin. This classic robust London dry gin is created from seven botanicals – juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, orris, fresh lime peel and aromatic pink peppercorns. The best cocktail using Lind and Lime Gin is a gimlet, which perfectly complements the gin’s natural lime and juniper flavours, offering a refreshing and zesty drink. It is distilled with 100% green electricity, produced with 100% organic ingredients and packaged with 100% plastic-free materials.

The team has made their whisky accessible for all with the introduction of Table Whisky— a single-grain whisky distilled in Edinburgh, matured in virgin oak and sherry casks, and blended in Leith. It’s delicious, reliable, approachable and rich and is 43% ABV. Its flavour profile is toffee popcorn paired with raspberry pavlova with plenty of buttercream topped with ginger cake, vanilla and cinnamon, making it one of the easiest whiskies for anyone to enjoy and, hopefully, want to taste others.

Exterior of the Port of Leith Distillery

[spokesperson] for Port of Leith Distillery commented:

“Port of Leith Distillery differentiates itself by pioneering new approaches to whisky production, from sourcing barley from a single farm to controlling the seasoning and handling of casks. That production is deeply intertwined with our Edinburgh roots. All grain is sourced from Upper Bolton Farm in Haddington, just outside the city, and they collaborated with Heriot-Watt University on a three-year research project into yeast and fermentation.

“Edinburgh’s influence is also showcased through the incredible panoramic views from our top-floor bar, offering a direct connection to the city’s iconic skyline. The view also connects people to the seafaring history, a link to the early days of distilling in Leith.”

If you want to follow in the footsteps of the Port of Leith team, head to Nauticus in Leith, which perfectly balances the old world with the new and some of the best service in the city. They also shouted out Hey Palu on Bread Street – one of the city’s newest destinations with awesome cocktails.