Hensol Castle may be relatively new to distilling, having only been running for two and a half years, but its history with the spirit goes right back. One former resident was one of the signatories involved in the infamous Gin Act of 1751, which was created to curb the gin craze which had gripped the country.
Without juniper, there’s no gin. It’s the one continuous aspect of the spirit we love that makes up its heart and soul. So much so that it’s the law for something to be called ‘gin’ it has to have juniper as its predominant flavour (and have a minimum strength of 37.5% ABV).
Kinrara Distillery, based in the heart of the Cairngorms national park in Scotland, really want to make it the star of the show and not just a legal necessity or tick box exercise with their Estate Juniper Edition Wild Juniper gin. While most British gins feature juniper from places across continental Europe, Kinrara have only used juniper berries foraged from the picturesque area around the Aviemore distillery for this gin.
Everyone’s favourite gin festival is back after a pandemic-induced year off! Junipalooza from Spirits Society brings together gin makers and fans and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in again at the events’ home in Tobacco Dock. This was my first year attending more than one session, taking on both the first session on Saturday and returning for my usual Sunday session too. Being able to pace things a bit more gently while getting used to seeing people in real life again was a big help and meant that I could take more time with each distiller, getting to know more about what they’re doing and why.
The Biggar Gin Co, founded by brothers Stuart and Euan McVicar in 2018, has been on my radar for a while. Its bold eye-catching typography, and rave reviews had drawn me in so I was really excited to be introduced to Stuart as part of my support of International Scottish Gin Day.
While I was gifted a Biggar Gin glass and mug as part of my collaboration, this has in no way affected the views in this blog.
As a supporter of International Scottish Gin Day I was introduced to a new gin brand, Snawstorm Scottish Spirits, founded by Leon and Susan Chessor. While I was gifted a bottle of Snawstorm Gin as part of a collaboration, this has not influenced my views.
You will be hard pushed to find a bottle of gin more lusted over than that of Isle of Harris gin. Its iconic twisted, rippled glass look has been adored all over the internet. As part of International Scottish Gin Day I’m taking a look at some of the incredible gins that Scotland has to offer.
I’m proud to support International Scottish Gin Day, and this year I’m continuing my support by taking a closer look at a few of Scotland’s incredible variety of distilleries and their gins. Nàdar means ‘nature’ in gaelic, and with this gin Arbikie Distillery near Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland, have created the world’s first climate positive gin – taking more carbon in, that it puts out.
Rosé Sainte Marie is the latest release from South Devon’s Salcombe gin distillery. The rosé gin joins the star-studded line-up of incredible gins they’ve produced; from the flagship Start Point gin (a favourite of mine) to the collaborative Voyager series gins created together with chefs Michael Caines MBE, Mark Hix MBE, Monica Galetti, and port producer Dirk Niepoort.
I’ve been exploring batch making cocktails, in particular: negronis. The idea of making up a cocktail can often feel like a bit too much effort after a long day so sometimes you just want something chilled and ready to go. Inspired by negroni nights with friends, I decided to give it a go myself…
Chances are you’ve seen this copper and blue design before. It’s incredible how fast the intricate pattern that adorns Silent Pool gin has grown to reach such recognisable status across bars, homes and supermarkets.