Words by Leigh Andrews
Great Scot it’s Scottish gin day! It’s 1st of October and it’s time to celebrate International Scottish Gin Day! We have chosen some absolutely fantastic Scottish gins for you to celebrate with! With gins from the mystical beauty of the Highlands and Islands all the way to the stunning Scottish Borders there’s something here for everyone!
Great Glen - Pink Gin
What could be more Scottish than a gin made from the pure waters of the breathtaking Loch Ness itself? Hailing from Drumnadrochit on the western shore of Loch Ness is this wonderfully complex pink gin. Initial citrus gives way to the beautiful crisp fruitiness of pink lady apples and Scottish raspberries, with the luxurious floral finish of vapour-infused hibiscus and rose petals. Unlike Nessie, these glorious botanicals definitely do not want to stay hidden! Serve it simply with lots of ice, premium tonic and some fresh raspberries or boost that pink even more with some hibiscus petals!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £39.95
Smugglers Gin
It may be new but this award-winning gin was inspired by age old tales of 18th century Edinburgh’s devious drinks smugglers. Thankfully there are now much easier ways to bag the perfect tipple! This fantastic gin was created using sustainable distilling and organic botanicals including vibrant lemon verbena, lemon balm and Scots lovage. This superbly balanced combination creates a gorgeous, exceptionally smooth, citrus-led gin that any smugglers of old would be desperate to cache. So if, like us, you don’t want to share, keep it under lock and key! Serve neat over ice, with tonic and a squeeze of fresh lemon or if you love a cocktail we reckon it would be sublime with any recipe using lemon and thyme …..which doesn’t necessarily have to be picked wild from a Scottish mountain!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £37.95
Biggar Herbaceous Gin
Biggar by name, even bigger by nature! This award-winning, incredibly bright, bold, and gorgeously herbaceous gin hails from the South Lanarkshire town of Biggar at the foot of the Tinto hills. It is packed full of harmonious herbal flavours. With its array of beautiful botanicals such as sage, lemon verbena, dandelion root, clivers herb and elderflower this gin is a herb lover's delight. Although everything else about this gin is big it’s made in small batches of just 140 bottles at a time! Ensuring those smooth, sensational flavours are kept as colourful as a Scottish tartan! Serve with plenty of ice, premium tonic and a generous twist of orange peel.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £36.00
Rutland Square Chai Spiced Gin
Spiced gin fan? Or a spice fan in general? You will LOVE this beautiful gin! It’s nspired by the wonderful history of Edinburgh founder, Nishant Sharma’s Great-Grandfather in 1940’s India. While working on a tea estate, he became fast friends and subsequent moonshine maker with a Scottish Army Officer who taught him how to distil. Fast forward to 2021, using Oolong white tea from that very estate his Great-Grandfather worked on, Rutland Square Gin was born! Wonderfully balanced aromas, warm comforting spice from cardamom and star anise, with a delicious floral sweetness from the white tea… what’s not to love?! Try it neat over ice, in a spiced negroni, or with premium tonic, orange peel and star anise!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £36.95
Foghouse Small Batch Gin
Foghouse invites you to ‘Escape the ordinary’ and we can wholeheartedly verify there’s nothing ordinary about this gin! Multiple award winning Aberdeenshire based Foghouse Gin is in short…sublime! It’s incredibly smooth, with subtle creamy sweetness giving way to citrus notes and depth a deep sea diver would be proud of! With rosemary and olive for a beautiful Mediterranean finish, this gin is escapism at its best. The goal was to produce a gin that could hold its own in a classic Martini and also make a perfect gin and tonic. You could also, most definitely, have it neat over ice…so we’d say that’s a hat trick! For a classic Martini create with just a swirl of dry vermouth or a classic G&T with a sprig of rosemary and a twist of orange peel
Size: 700ml
ABV: 42%
Find here: £38.99
Misty Isle Gin
This gin is distilled in Portree, one of the most colourful villages in Scotland, on the dramatically beautiful Isle of Skye, the misty Isle. Inspired by their incredible surroundings, Isle of Skye Distillers has produced a spectacular spirit. It has been expertly blended using the crystal clear waters drawn from the nearby Storr Loch, juniper, lemon, grains of paradise and one secret botanical hand-picked from the breathtaking mountains of Skye. The beautiful floral dryness of the juniper, the citrus spark of the lemon, and the perfect wild edge of the peppery grains of paradise make this a stunning gin. If you’re looking for the breathtaking beauty of the Scottish Islands in a glass, this is it! Serve with plenty of ice, premium tonic and a twist of orange for the perfect gin and tonic!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 41.5%
Find here: £35.99
Shoogle Junniperous Gin - Navy Strength
Any self respecting Scot will have heard of the phrase ‘a wee shoogle’ For those unfamiliar, it means ‘a little shake’, often used when dancing! There is absolutely nothing little about this incredible Navy Strength gin. Juniper rules, with orange citrus and intriguing botanicals like kumquat and tonka bean giving a beautiful sweetness. Almonds and pink peppercorns give an incredibly smooth, creamy mouthfeel with a superb spicy finish. This is no wee shoogle on your tastebuds, it's more like an explosion! It’s difficult to believe this is a Navy strength. Serve it with plenty of ice, a slice of orange and a premium light tonic and go on, have a wee shoogle!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 57%
Find here: £45
Alexander’s Gin
Handcrafted in the beautiful area of Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, from natural highland mountain spring water comes the superb Alexander’s Gin. Although only founded in 2018 it has the profile of a gin that surely must have taken decades to perfect! Being a London dry, juniper is prominent, followed by classic citrus, beautiful sweetness from Royal Deeside honey and a gorgeous warming spice finish. Mixing with tonic only adds to the pleasure, and lifts it to almost sherbet-like freshness. Quite simply this has to be one of the smoothest London Dry gins we have ever had the pleasure of tasting, it’s not Alexander’s gin now …it’s OURS! Serve as a classic G&T, in an espresso martini, or with cloudy apple and a cinnamon stick, sit back and dream of Scotland!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 44.4%
Find here: £37.95
If you’re looking for more tasty gin goodness to feast your eyes upon then head over to 8 Delicious Gins for a G&T or The Best Eco-Friendly Gins!
