Gin Festival Edinburgh has become a sold out success and this year is likely to be no different. We caught up with Jym and Marie Harris founder of Gin Festival to find out more about the festival which will be taking place this 7th – 9th October at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange.
Where did the idea for Gin Festival come from?
We set up Gin Festival at the tail end of 2013 because we love gin and we couldn’t find anything going on that actually catered for what we wanted! We wanted to be able to go to one place, try plenty of new and unusual gins, have a good chat with people who know about gin or like it, as well as great entertainment and some decent food. We know, we wanted to have our cake and eat it.
Win tickets to the Gin Festival in our competition
When we couldn’t find anything like that, we put our heads together, called on some friends and threw the first Gin Festival! Fab gins and live music – and it’s just grown from there!
What can a guest expect to experience at one of your festivals?
What can you expect from a Gin Festival? Well, wherever we are (and the festival does get around the UK a bit, with events as far south as Bournemouth and as far north as Edinburgh), we have 4 fantastic gin bars, each showcasing some of the best UK and international gins, as well as a cocktail bar and other seasonal pop-ups, gin experts, makers and distillers who love to have a natter about all things juniper as well as hand out some samples. You can take part in masterclasses or just enjoy some great music and delicious food!
How do you select which gins, which recipes make the cut?
We’re always looking out for new gins! Be that word of mouth, trade shows, in bars, online, some of those samples that we’re sent. There are new gins everywhere so really the tricky part is deciding what’s good enough to make the cut!
Win tickets to the Gin Festival in our competition
Once we’ve got hold of a gin, we’ll try it in a few different serves, as well as giving the guys in the office a chance to sample – then it just depends on what that particular gin brings to the table!
Tell us more about using the right garnishes – what makes one right?
We like to use a garnish that brings out the best in that particular gin – so take a lot at the ingredients and the flavours that you get from it, then choose a fruit, herb, flower or even something a little more vegetal, that you think helps to accentuate or complement the gin.
What’s your favourite gin tipple and why?
Marie – I like smooth and floral gins; at the moment I’m really enjoying Slingsby Gin with Fever-Tree Light Tonic, although, sometimes I’ll mix it up a bit and have it with Elderflower tonic. I’m a big fan of Sikkim Bilberry, which is a really fruity, Spanish gin, perfect on a hot day.
Jym – I’m really lucky in that every gin that comes to Gin festival, I try, so my favourite does tend to change quick regularly – at the moment, I’d have to go with Wicked Wolf, an amazing gin from Exmoor.
Which is your favourite gin -serving bar in Edinburgh and why?
It’s got to be Heads and Tales! We are massive fans of Edinburgh Gin (and all of the liqueurs) and the cocktails they do are absolutely lovely.
