Edinburgh Gin has collaborated with Phoebe Waller-Bridge to release a special limited-edition gin that tells the inside story of her iconic work and its connection with the brand’s legendary home city. Every penny of profit will be donated to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, creating a new fund for artist talent and their craft.
Phoebe’s breakthrough Fleabag moment took place in the city back in 2013, when rave reviews at the Fringe quickly led to sell-out shows, then global recognition.
But with the arts badly affected by coronavirus, and the festivals unable to take place as they normally would, performers continue to lose more than a rite of passage; they miss out on opportunity.
Determined that others should also be able to enjoy the wonder of Edinburgh, Phoebe has created an original Fleabag bottle, sharing her perspective on the journey from one-woman theatre production, to iconic, multi award-winning T.V. show.
Specially screen-printed, the hand-drawn illustration features Phoebe looking into an Edinburgh night sky. Amongst city streets, the spot-lit solitary chair she would use to perform on stage is painted on the glass, as well as the bittersweet exchange from Fleabag’s final scenes: “I Love You” is handwritten by Phoebe, whilst “It’ll Pass” has been penned by Andrew Scott, the iconic actor who played the character of Hot Priest, Fleabag’s complicated love interest.
Designed by Phoebe, the bottles will be filled with the distillery’s Classic London Dry gin, which is rooted in the wonder of Edinburgh – with botanicals chosen to capture the landscape, the history and the inimitable spirit that lives there.
All profits from the ‘Edinburgh Gin Presents…’ initiative will contribute to the arts’ recovery by creating subsidies that will help the next generation of talent to return to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022, its 75th anniversary. More than £150,000 is hoped to be raised.
Only a few thousand screen-printed bottles will be available to buy, the first of which will go on sale on July 20 to those who sign-up in advance at edinburghgin.com. Applications for the subsidies will open next year.
With a very limited run of bottles, demand is expected to be high. Fans are being asked to register at edinburghgin.com/phoebe-waller-bridge for exclusive access to the pre-sale, which takes place on July 20.
The bottles, priced at £48, are then expected to go on general sale from late July before being delivered in August, during the Festival.
