Whether you are a novice or an experienced imbiber of the juniper spirit, these bars will cater for you, with advice on the best Scottish gins, what tonics complement them and which garnish will best complete the drink.
(71 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 1LP - Virginia Court, 48 Miller St, Glasgow, G1 1TN - House of Fraser, Buchanan Street, G1 3HL)
Probably the first name on anyone's lips when thinking of a Scottish gin bar and with three locations and a great focus on Scottish gins as well as having a great global selection (something we feel is very important), you'll be spoiled for choice on where to go.
With a huge range of juniper spirits on offer, a helpful menu and plenty of cocktails, Gin 71 is one the best places in the city to celebrate World Gin Day.
(Central Station, 79 Gordon St, Glasgow G1 3SQ)
Squirreled away beneath Central Station is a bar and steak restaurant that invokes the very best of New York's vibrant nightlife scene.
Enjoy a great selection of over 120 gins from around the UK (though we'd like to see more Scottish gins) while you tuck into some delicious dry hung cuts of meat from the Tweed Valley.
(1 Festival Square, Edinburgh EH3 9SR)
A bar with its own gin you say? Well clearly One Square is serious about all things juniper and it shows, the real stars here are the staff who are highly knowledgeable and most importantly, happy to share their passion.
The bar has a huge selection of gins from all over the world (from the UK to Japan) and have a carefully curated selection of cocktails to match - best of all they are so serious about their G and Ts that they have no less than seven tonics to choose from!
(1a Rutland Place, Edinburgh EH1 2AD)
Relax with a cocktail or two as you watch Flora & Caley do all the hard work (that’s Edinburgh Gin’s stills and not the bar maids) in this excellent little bar hidden away beneath the Rutland’s Hotel, which allows guests to get up close and personal with one of Scotland’s top gin production sites.
(256–260 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8DT)
It wouldn't be a gin celebration without a little Victoriana and a trip to the Jolly Botanist in the capital's west end near Haymarket will definitely fulfil that need.
A winner of multiple awards it has a gin list with more entries than a botanist's notebook and is also a great place for cocktails.
(2 W Crosscauseway, Edinburgh EH8 9JP)
Now complete with a working distillery, 56 North is the epitome of what a gin bar should be with great service, relaxed vibes and delicious grub all sitting side by side with one of the best gin ranges in the city.
And, whisper it, they also have a secret gin garden, that is the perfect place to go when the weather is as good as it's been of late.
(Unit 17, The Academy, Belmont St, AB10 1LB)
If you are picky about gin, look no further than Rye & Soda, which offers one of the biggest gin selections in Aberdeen.
A hybrid café bar-restaurant, it has plenty of excellent drinks on offer as well as some fun dishes but it is gins that are the highlight here with over 50 available and should you enjoy one of the options a little too much, they even have a bottle shop for when you might want to take some home.
(10a Broad Street, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, AB43 9AH)
Having conquered the worlds of whisky and beer, for which they've won a slew of awards, the team at Cheers have turned their attention to gin, amassing a huge collection with a keen focus on Scottish gins (what we like to see).
So pull up a pew, peruse the gantry and when you decide there's perhaps just too much choice, ask the bar staff for some friendly advice, which they'll be more than willing to oblige you with.
