Introducing Watergate Bay x Loveday Gin

“Fortunately, there is gin [...] Do you feel the golden, copper-coloured light it kindles in you?” – Albert Camus

Combining the lively freshness of lemon verbena with the creamy floral notes of coastal chamomile and elderflower, our limited edition Watergate Bay x Loveday Gin is poised to get the party started this festive season…

Bracing dips. Refreshing clifftop walks. Sun-warmed siestas. Mellow golden hours. Bright and zesty, our limited edition Watergate Bay Hotel gin created by award-winning Cornish craft spirit makers, Loveday, distils the essence of the Bay in every sip.

Natural inspiration

It was a soak in Watergate Bay’s ocean view hot tub that first got Loveday co-founder Daisy Hillier’s imagination firing. “Sitting in the water, feeling the sun and the sea breeze on my skin, looking at all the plants growing up the cliff and noticing wildflowers with butterflies on them – it got me thinking about what flavours would best capture those kinds of moments,” she says.

Setting out to bottle the Watergate Bay feeling, Daisy and resident drinks manager and master mixologist, Meg Clark, played with flavour combinations before landing on a vibrant citrus and floral blend.

Tasting notes

Balancing the uplifting zing of lemon verbena with the mellow taste of coastal botanicals chamomile and elderflower, the final gin recipe captures that distinctive Watergate Bay sensation of feeling both energised and relaxed among the elements.

Credit: Meg Clark

“The gin that Loveday has created for us is fragrant and refreshing,” says Meg. “It makes a cracking G&T, but also lends itself to sweet and sour cocktails. It’s our hero Watergate Bay ‘house pour’ this festive season, and you’ll find it in four of the cocktails in our 12 Drinks of Christmas menu – like the zesty ‘Love & Lemons’, where it’s mixed with fresh lemon, orange bitters and prosecco.”

Cornish spirit

Based in Penryn, south Cornwall, Loveday is the work of long-time friends and former chefs Daisy Hillier and Chloe Gillatt, who are forever searching for delicious new things to sip on.

“We never use artificial flavours or sweeteners in our spirits,” explains Daisy. “We draw on the natural landscapes surrounding us, using Cornish spring water and locally foraged botanicals to create clean, bright flavours.”

Hand-distilled in small batches to preserve the seasonal freshness of their ingredients, Loveday spirits are contemporary, carefully balanced and handcrafted. They also reject what Daisy and Chloe call the “fussy branding that seems preoccupied with telling women ‘It’s gin o’clock!’”

Try & buy

Raise a toast to golden hours and warm gatherings with our limited edition Watergate Bay x Loveday Gin, available exclusively from the hotel. Try it in-house at our bars and restaurants throughout the festive season, or pick up a bottle at the front desk and take a taste of the Bay home with you.

Discover 12 drinks of christmas

Hot Honey Margarita

A spicy twist on a classic margarita, with Ocho Reposado tequila, lime, Cointreau and hot honey.

Blackberry & Vanilla Bramble

Discover the recipe for our Blackberry & Vanilla Bramble, featuring our new Watergate Bay x Loveday Gin and finished with frosted blackberries.

Love & lemons

Made with our own Watergate Bay x Loveday Gin; balancing the lively freshness of lemon verbena with the creamy floral notes of coastal chamomile and elderflower

Banana Rum Old Fashioned

Warming flavours of winter spices, toasted banana bread and dark chocolate, this take on an Old fashioned features sustainable discarded banana peel rum.