The Spirit of the Highland Boundary
Using handpicked, local botanicals from Perthshire, Highland Boundary's spirits and liqueurs capture the essence of Scotland’s wild plants.
Using handpicked, local botanicals from Perthshire, Highland Boundary's spirits and liqueurs capture the essence of Scotland’s wild plants.
Based in Alyth, just down the road from us, Highland Boundary distillers tick all the boxes you could ever want from a small batch, independent distillery. Local, artisan, award winning, sustainable, delicious and with eye-catching packaging, we are huge fans.
The spirit is similar to gin but without the juniper. All the botanicals come from their own farm or adjoining land and as there is no juniper there (and very little in Scotland) they decided not to include it. Technically, this means it’s somewhere between gin and a good European schnapps or aquavit.
It's also incredibly good, with their new flavour, Highland Boundary Larch & Honeysuckle Spirit winning a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020. That’s quite a bit deal as it needs to be unanimous across all the judges!
The distillery itself is based in a refurbished milking shed on Kirklandbank Farm, near Alyth. Located on the Highland Boundary Fault, the geological dividing line between the highlands and lowlands of Scotland, the landscape has given them so much more than a name.
The team is focused on the environment, harvesting sustainably and using only recyclable materials in their bottling and packaging, and renewable energy sources for their business. They have also increased biodiversity on the farm in response to climate change.
Win a bottle of Larch and Honeysuckle in this month's competition >
Since its launch in 2018, Highland Boundary has developed a range of wild and wonderful spirits, all created and distilled by Dr Marian Bruce and her passionate team. Using handpicked, local botanicals from right here in Perthshire, this truly unique brand captures the essence of Scotland’s wild plants, distilling them into natural spirits and liqueurs, bursting with new and remarkable flavours.
Using specific processes and techniques to maximise flavour, they are proud of their connection to the land and herald their distinct Scottish provenance as the key to their success.
If you’re a gin, vodka or cocktail lover you will love this new generation of Scottish spirits and liqueurs.
Marian explains, “Botanical spirits are a new category to the UK but exist elsewhere in the world. We use carefully hand-picked leaves, flowers, fruits and berries to make our spirits and liqueurs. They are a bit like gin without juniper but use different techniques, processes and time periods to maximise flavour capture and quality.
“We are careful to only harvest a small amount of foliage, flowers or berries from any single plant, taking in one season only what would be browsed naturally. This means plants stay healthy and we leave plenty for the wild animals, birds and insects that also rely on mother nature.
“Importantly, our process is very different in ethos and approach to a rapidly distilled gin or simply flavoured gin liqueur; we rely on ancient distilling techniques fused with a flair for hand-picked Scottish wildlife and nature.
"We combine our Scottish botanicals with grain spirit and mineral-rich spring water from Alyth Hill which has been naturally filtered through the 450 million year-old Devonian sandstone bedrock of Strathmore.
“The end result is a range of versatile drinks that allow our customers to choose how they want to drink them.”
Still: copper alembic still
Processes: Pre-distillation maceration and post-distillation infusion
Whip up a new twist on an old favourite with these delicious cocktail recipes.
A cocktail like a citrus tangy kiss from your favourite kilted Scotsman.
In a cocktail shaker add the Larch and Honeysuckle spirit, the Birch and Elderflower Liqueur, lime juice and ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into a martini glass that has had the rim salted.
Come to the wild side of Southside with our twist on this classic cocktail.
In a cocktail shaker muddle the mint and then add the Larch and Honeysuckle spirit, lime juice ice and elderflower syrup. Shake vigorously and strain in to a martini glass and garnish with mint.
Our twist on a Cosmopolitan, with a stylish addition from the forests of Scotland.
In a cocktail shaker add ice, Larch and Honeysuckle spirit, Cointreau, lemon juice, cranberry juice and elderflower syrup. Shake vigorously and strain in to a martini glass. Hold a 3cm round piece of orange zest about 10cm above your cosmo and very carefully wave it over a lit match or lighter flame. Bend the outer edge of the zest in towards the flame so that the orange oils are released, then drop the zest into your drink.
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