PR images shot for Surgeon’s Quarter. In 1505, the Barber Surgeons of Edinburgh were granted the first ever licence to distil alcohol within the city, giving them the monopoly to distil medicinal Aquae Vitae. This is a tribute to the original recipe, created with five of the original herbs and spices hat were used to treat patients, including: Hedge Mustard, Pink Peppercorn, Gillyflower, Fennel and Cumin.