RAISE A GLASS.. T GIN

Enjoy a celebratory drink with 10 top Scots brands

MORE than 83million bottles of gin were sold in the UK last year – and it has become our go-to spirit during lockdown, according to the Wine and Spirits Trade Association.

So what is the big deal with gin?

And why are Scots going crazy for all things juniper?

The story of gin started out with a very different drink, called genever, in the Low Countries of Belgium and the Netherlands.

The spirit then gained notoriety during the Gin Craze in London in the first half of the 18th century, when it was reported that at its height people were

BY SEAN MURPHY consuming 10 litres of gin per person per year.

But now it’s become a modern drink that is a permanent fixture in bars and homes across Scotland.

The second, albeit more refined, gin craze started in the early 2000s, when Hendrick’s burst on to the scene offering a trendy, cucumber-fresh alternative to the bigger brands of the past.

The Scottish craft gin explosion turned the country’s reputation and know-how for distilling whisky to this new exciting spirit and saw small producers up and down the country, from the Borders to the Outer Hebrides, soon follow suit. A small batch of new brands such as The Botanist, Caorunn and Edinburgh Gin were soon followed by gins from remote islands such as Barra, Harris and Colonsay – as well as new releases from experienced whisky distilleries such as Benromach, Tobermory and Loch Lomond.

All across the country, would-be distillers and gin makers were turning to locally sourced botanicals, such as bog myrtle, bladderwrack, sea buckthorn and even the common garden nettle, to complement the juniper and create new craft gins that represent the areas in which they are made.

The accessibility of the spirit could not only be seen in the growth of its production, but also in the fact that many more women and younger people were enjoying a drink that didn’t have rules and could be mixed or enjoyed in any way they like.

Scotland now produces more than 70 per cent of all the gin in the UK – and three of the world’s best-selling gins, Hendrick’s, Gordon’s and Tanqueray, are made here.

These days, Scots can enjoy everything from a gin retreat on a beautiful island to a gin spa in one of our biggest cities.

In short, there’s never been a better time to be a Scottish gin fan, so why not join us in trying one of these incredible brands on World Gin Day?