Honours Gin 1881 Fine Hydro Spirits

Honours Gin – 1881 Navy Strength Gin

Regular price £45.00

Peebles Hydro once served as a Military hospital during WWII. Our award-winning Navy Strength Gin is named Honour of those injured, our heritage of hospitality preserved in waves of citrus and cardamom.

Honours Gin won two awards within its first year of release. The Cardamom and dry citrus notes are all highlighted by the heightened alcohol content, this is unimaginably smooth.

Our Distiller Says:

At 150 L our still ‘Felicity’ may be small but she can pack a punch. Our Navy Strength Gin is testament to that. Serve with our or your favourite tonic, a few dashes of Angostura bitters, a slice of orange and surrender to its irrepressible character.

Nose: Juniper and grapefruit in abundance with a peppery, woody backing supplied by birch bark and angelica root.

Palate: Robust pine flavours with pronounced spice, ginger and grapefruit character held at the fore by the heightened alcohol content.

Finish: Despite its 57%ABV strength, this is an extremely smooth gin, with a rounded and creamy finish that stretches into the distance of the Peeblesshire hills.

Serve: a dash of angostura bitters and tonic water let this navy strength gin’s character shine – garnish with orange peel.

70cl/20cl/5cl – 57% ABV

Today is Armed Forces Day.

We show our respect for serving men and women who bravely protect us all.

Our connection to the military is strong because our home, Peebles Hydro, served as a military hospital in World War II.

Thank you.

Peebles Hydro Hotel

Our History

Not many hotels are host to a distillery being built upon their Victorian swimming pool, but that didn’t stop our minds from wondering. The idea for the 1881 Distillery came from our history and heritage of tennis. Standing on the steps in front of Peebles hydro, overlooking the old tennis pavilion, reflecting on the days of gin and tonic being a popular tipple on the lawn. Could we use our pavilion to turn our private spring water into Gin?

Absolutely, we could.

Peebles Hydro – an iconic resort in the rolling Borders countryside – Scotland on Sunday Travel

By Janet Christie

Published 27th Feb 2022, 04:55 BST

Updated 2nd Mar 2022, 11:58 BST

An iconic resort in the rolling Borders countryside has something to put a smile on everyone’s face

Dating back to the early 20th century, Peebles Hydro sits in its own mature grounds and has welcomed generations of families to kick back and relax in the tranquility of its Borders setting. With its own gym, pool and spa, as well as daily activities to keep every member of the family smiling and a choice of eating options, it’s a popular destination for groups to gather and couples to use as a base to get outdoors and explore. With wheelchair access, free wifi, free parking and a welcome for dogs, it’s a stress-free holiday destination with everything laid on.

Budget or boutique?

It’s a four star resort with space to relax in comfort, both indoors and out.

Tweeddale’s History: How Peebles Hydro became a landmark in the town

18th December 2016

After the fire at the Peebles Hyrdopathic (Photo: Live Borders Museum & Gallery Service, Tweeddale Museum)

Tweeddale’s History: How Peebles Hydro became a landmark in the town

IN the latest feature in looking into the history of Tweeddale, the team at Live Borders Museum & Gallery Service, Tweeddale Museum, delve back in the archives to uncover the history of the Peebles Hydro Hotel.

THE original Peebles Hydropathic Hotel was built in 1878-80 on the side of Venlaw Hill on the edge of Peebles, having succeeded in attracting investment when Innerleithen, which had hoped to build a Hydropathic on the site of St Ronan’s Wells, had failed.

Upwards of £80,000 was required to create the Hydropathic and it was a great act of faith in the future of Peebles as a town worthy of such a venture.

The first building, was described as a ‘ handsome, palatial edifice…..in point of style, position and surroundings ’.

This original building was destroyed by fire in 1905. In 1907 it was replaced by the present building which was designed by James Miller, the architect of the Glasgow Exhibition of 1901.

The Peebles Hydro Hotel soon established an identity for the town as a leading centre for visitors to the Scottish borders.

It has outlived the other major factors – railways and textile mills – which contributed to the growth of Peebles in the 19th century.

During the first world War the Peebles Hydro was requisitioned as a Naval Hospital and in 1939 it was requisitioned once more and taken over by the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Military General Hospital.

The main building provided 1,200 beds, with X-ray facilities and two operating theatres.

In spite of this it was re-opened and functioning as a hotel once more by August 1946 and has remained a significant landmark in Peebles ever since.

In the book, History of Peebles by Brown & Lawson, page 94 states: “In the same year, the skill and enthusiasm of Peebles Fire Brigade was tested to the full. The fire which destroyed the Hotel Hydropathic was apparently caused by an electrical fault started in the roof space.

“In consequence, the fire was almost out of control before the fire brigade was in attendance, although they turned out very quickly. In fighting the fire they were hampered by a lack of water-pressure, the sheer size of the Hydro building and the shortage of hoses which would have been required for such a situation.

“Despite assistance from other brigades, the fire literally burned itself out. All this was duly minuted along with the thanks conveyed to Peebles Fire Brigade for their efforts.

“Within two years, the Hotel Hydro had been rebuilt albeit in a different architectural style. The present building is substantially the same as the one rebuilt and reopened in 1907.”

Read more from our Tweeddale’s History page in the Peeblesshire News, out every Friday or get in touch if you have a historical story to share at kristofer.tatum@newsquest.co.uk