FIRST JOURNEYS - THE HIGHLANDS TRAIL- PIN 17 OF 22
OLD POISON DISTILLERY, Edinburgh, Scotland
A JOURNEY EXPLORING THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND
Our next stop takes us into the heart of Edinburgh, to a hidden world of craft spirits, cocktails and folklore.
Established in 2017, Old Poison is a small-batch craft distillery founded by Italian mixologist Fabrizio Cioffi, bringing together his passion for cocktails, traditional techniques and unusual flavour combinations.
Working from a tiny 30 litre copper pot still, Fabrizio created a collection of handcrafted spirits, including gins, liqueurs, amaro and limited-edition releases that reflected both his Italian heritage and his love of Scottish ingredients.
Rather than following the path of large-scale production, Old Poison embraced the art of experimentation. Each spirit was created by hand, with a focus on character, flavour and the stories behind the ingredients.
For today's stop, I couldn't resist exploring Old Poison's Selkie Gin, named after one of Scotland's most intriguing mythical creatures.
Found throughout the folklore of the Scottish islands and northern coastlines, selkies are said to be magical beings that can transform between seal and human form. Unlike many mythical creatures, selkies are often portrayed as neither entirely good nor evil, but as tragic figures caught between two worlds—the land and the sea.
The best-known tales tell of a fisherman who discovers a selkie woman’s discarded seal skin and hides it away, preventing her from returning to the ocean. Forced to remain on land, she becomes his wife, but the pull of the sea never disappears. Should she ever find her hidden skin, she is destined to return to the waves, leaving behind the life she created on shore.
Male selkies appear in folklore as equally mysterious figures, often described as charming and alluring visitors who emerge from the sea in human form. Some stories tell of them seeking out those who are lonely or unhappy, reminding us that selkie legends have always been stories about longing, transformation and the irresistible pull of another world.
It feels like the perfect inspiration for a gin—something that captures the idea of crossing boundaries and discovering something unexpected.
For this post, I decided to focus on another of Old Poison's creations, Exotic Old Tom Gin, a spirit that reflects Fabrizio’s Italian cocktail heritage alongside the Scottish setting in which it was created.
I’ve used it to create a classic cocktail with a Scottish twist.
From handcrafted gin to ancient folklore, Old Poison creats spirits that invite curiosity—where every bottle offers a glimpse into Scotland’s landscapes, legends and imagination.
Exotic Negroni
- 30ml Exotic Old Tom Gin
- 30ml Knightor Rose Vermouth
- 30ml Campari
Stir over ice and serve with an orange garnish.
A beautifully balanced cocktail, with the sweetness of the Old Tom style gin adding another layer to the classic Negroni.