Top Ten Scottish Gins
We've rounded up our top ten best selling gins of the past 12 months to give you all some juniper laced inspiration for mixing delicious cocktails and long, cool drinks.
We've rounded up our top ten best selling gins of the past 12 months to give you all some juniper laced inspiration for mixing delicious cocktails and long, cool drinks.
It has been such a long time since our last Wee G & T Festival - September 2019 is, in fact, a different lifetime ago - that I felt the urge to pull together a blog all about Scottish Gin!
I know. You're welcome!
We currently stock around 100 different gins and gin liqueurs and with a few exceptional exceptions the majority of our gins are Scottish. From straight up London Dry recipes, to infusions using the best of our local, seasonal fruits, I can guarantee we have a mix to please everyone. Even my friend who doesn't like gin!
There have been a few new varieties in recently - noted below - but unsurprisngly, there are some hard and fast favourites that you lush old gin lovers keep coming back to. And I proudly include myself in that statement!
From right here in the city of Perth, to Glasgow, Edinburgh and all around the Islands, we are proud to represent so many amazing small batch distillers and hard working craftsmen and women.
If there's one you haven't tried, why not give it a go? Or, if you have a favourite with a unique twist on mixing, send us your recipe and we'll pop it up on the Facebook page. I do feel as though 2024 could be awash in juniper soaked loveliness!
The Perth Distillery Co is a small but perfectly formed independent distillery founded in 2017 and located right next to the banks of the River Tay just round the corner from us.
Their award winning brand has already been recognised nationally at various Awards, being chosen as a finalist in a total of four categories with recognition for Perth Gin Original, Winter Spiced Gin Liqueur, Best Newcomer Distillery and last but certainly not least in winning the Pink Gin of the Year Gold Medal with their Perth Pink!
All of their gins are hand-crafted in two beautiful copper alembic stills - affectionately named Meg and Bel after the founders' mothers - created by artisan craftsmen in Viana do Castelo in Portugal.
Small batch, handcrafted Perth Gin Original contains 15 premium botanicals to produce a quality finish and super smooth Scottish dry gin. The combination of sun-ripened juniper and coriander is followed by a burst of citrus in the form of lemon and lime, the addition of spicy and aromatic star anise and cardamon, and is topped with elements of fennel and ginger. Their latest variety, Blood Orange Full Strength is available to buy now.
Lind & Lime set out to create the very definition of what a London Dry Gin should be; to do something very simple but do it to perfection.
With juniper at its core, they use fresh lime peel and a hint of pink peppercorns to create a classic benchmark expression that is balanced, dry and intensely refreshing. Lind & Lime Gin is forged from the talent, heritage and industry of Edinburgh and its historic distilling district of Leith.
Starting with a base of organic grain neutral spirit, the Lind & Lime team re-distill it with a carefully curated recipe of seven botanicals to ensure that each of them is working in delicate harmony. They decided early on that they wanted a lime flavour in our gin. Not fruit pastel, confected lime, but zesty refreshing lime. They extract this from the rind, or skin of the lime. FInally, the lime needed something to counterbalance it and the answer was a gentle addition of spice from pink peppercorns.
The remarkable geology, island shores, and unique water source about the Isle of Raasay inspired both the creation and presentation of the island’s first Scottish gin which was the first legal spirit from Raasay, an island rooted in centuries of illicit distilling.
Their handcrafted Scottish Hebridean gin combines ten carefully chosen botanicals, including Raasay juniper, sweet orange peel, lemon peel, and triple distilled spirit, putting island quality first. Each bottle is lovingly distilled, bottled and shipped direct from the Isle of Raasay. Bottled at 46%, serve with ice and thin strips of orange zest.
Simon and Chrissie Fairclough launched the world’s first touring gin club in 2013 with the sole purpose of hearing the voice of the customer. The game-plan? To use these insights to make a gin that hit the spot!
And that’s what they did. They found three styles of gin were consistently most popular: fruity, savoury and sweet. In May 2016 Persie’s Distillery Originals range was born: Zesty Citrus Gin; Herby & Aromatic Gin; and Sweet & Nutty Old Tom Gin.
These award-winning gins are hand-crafted in small batches on the site of the former Persie Hotel at the foot of Glenshee in Highland Perthshire. Dubbed Phil the Still, the 230 litre copper pot still is a thing of beauty, and the first in Scotland from Müller in Germany.
Buy: Persie Zesty Citrus Gin >
An explosion of limes and blood oranges with piny notes on the nose. On the palate there is a sharp citrus cut-through with a long, zingy finish. Key botanicals are juniper, orange zest and lime zest. Serve with full-fat tonic or rose lemonade and garnish with a little torn mint. Or a Hugo is perfect: just add Prosecco and a splash of elderflower cordial.
Bottled and distilled in the heart of Glasgow's Tradeston area, the most important thing for the team at Glaswegin when they were thinking about their recipe was to create a gin that was unique, enjoyable to drink and reminded us of the city of Glasgow and its people.
They needed a gin that was all flavour; not fussy or faddy and dependent on garnishes. They wanted a gin that you could enjoy glass after glass. And as they were voted Scotland's Best London Dry Gin at the 2021 World Gin Awards, we think they've done just that!
Strong juniper and lime notes provide freshness with delicate orange flower notes for complexity. Locally sourced milk thistle and pink peppercorns round out the spirit for a finish so smooth that can be drunk with or without garnish. G&T serving suggestion: Premium tonic, slices of green apple and a sprig of mint.
Situated off the north coast of Scotland the Orkney Islands with their rugged cliffs sit dramatically in the (occasionally!) stormy Atlantic Sea. It is here that the team at Deerness produce their truly unique multi-award winning gins, created to reflect the rich variety of sea and landscapes of the Islands. This small, family-run business produce a beautiful range of Orcadian artisan drinks, including the wonderful Sea Glass Gin.
BUY: Seaglass Gin >
Sea Glass Gin takes you on a pleasurable journey through warm spices, hints of citrus and of course juniper. A reflection of the Orkney Islands’ ever-changing seascape, we like to garnish with fresh coriander, lemon, Kiwi and blueberries, along with ice and a good premium tonic.
As islanders, Jonny and Kate's families have long held ties to North Uist and they wanted to honour this proud tradition whilst also creating something exciting and new, looking for a way that they could create new employment opportunities, attract more visitors to the Outer Hebrides and bring back distilling to the place they were born.
BUY: Downpour Gin >
Citrus, spice and blossoms of wild Hebridean heather. This very special Scottish Gin is bursting with botanicals, drenching you in big bold flavours you can taste in every drop. Grab a glass, pour over ice, add a citrus twist and partner with a premium tonic, and a fresh sprig of Rosemary. For special occasions finish with wild Heather.
The Botanist is made at Bruichladdich Distillery on the banks of Loch Indaal on the Isle of Islay. Built in 1881, the distillery has been an integral part of the community since it was built and today is no different.
When distilling The Botanist, they are creating something more than a drink. They use the art of distillation and a connection to the land, their home, to create a wonderful spirit that speaks of the place it is from.
Chosen for their incredible bouquet of aromas, the Islay botanicals are foraged responsibly each year from March to October, from the hills, bogs and shores of Islay. It’s not the easiest way to make gin – it takes 7 months to pick and dry each botanical, petal by petal, leaf by leaf, but we think it’s the best way. These ingredients provide the menthol, herbaceous, sweet and floral notes that The Botanist is known for.
The Botanist is relaxed and balanced. Water mint, hawthorn, wood sage, sweet cicely, cinnamon, citrus, soft juniper – a harmonious combination held together with a gentle, satin-soft texture. The viscosity from an achingly slow distillation brings out the delicate essence of Islay, expressing a different balance of flavour, a different combination of botanicals, upon every taste.
The watercolour design that appears on every bottle of Wild Island Botanic Gin depicts the colours and contours of the majestic Kiloran Bay at the northern end of this remote Hebridean Island.
Crafted in a century old copper still at Langley Distillery, using 100% British wheat, pure Scottish water infused with six native hand foraged botanicals growing wild on the island - lemon balm, wild water mint, meadowsweet, sea buckthorn, heather flowers and bog myrtle.
Wild Island Botanic Gin is a superb spirit which was recognised with the award of a Gold Medal in the contemporary gin class at the 2017 International Wines and Spirits Competition.
Wild Island Botanic Gin is incredibly smooth and delicious served simply. We suggest a slice of lemon, a good quality tonic (at not more than 2:1 ratio to gin) and plenty of ice. Finish with a sprig of mint and a twist of lemon peel for added aroma. Stir gently and enjoy.
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