Yva Mckerlich hired a VW Campervan, which Yva nicknamed Jasmine, in 2014 for a few days holiday driving around Scotland. By the end of the holiday Yva made an offer to the owner and tried to buy Jasmine after falling in love with the van. It would be another five years before the owner agreed to sell Jasmine to Yva. Wanting to share her love for the classic VW Campervan and amazing scenery around Scotland Yva established Wee Vintage Campers which provides a range of classic VW Campervans for hire.
Inspired by the fauna, sights, sounds and smells from her time on the road around Scotland and her own travels abroad, along with her herb garden at home Yva bought a small copper pot still that she took on the road with her, distilling various botanicals each evening. The final recipe was developed and refined along with Colin McLean from McLeans Gin and The Jaunty Camper Gin was launched in August 2020.
The Jaunty Camper Gin features juniper, corriander and angelica as the base botanicals, creating a classic gin base along with dulse seaweed, grains of paradise, black cardamom pods and pistachios. The dulse seaweed is a nod to the founder's family hailing from Kyle of Lochalsh, and black cardamom pods add a touch of smoke, reminiscent of evenings spent outdoors around a fire.
Key Botanical(s): Dulse Seaweed, Black Cardamom Pods, Pistachios
Gin Style: London Dry
Strength: 42% vol
Goes great with: A basil leaf, tonic and ice
The Feisty Biker Gin has the same botanicals as the signature The Jaunty Camper Gin, but with the addition of basil. And although you would expect both gins to be very similar in flavour, with the addition of the basil element and bottling at a high ABV of 57% The Feisty Biker Gin features a noticeable freshness and some herbaceous, and at the higher ABV, plenty of bold flavours.
Key Botanical(s): Basil, Black Cardamom Pods, Pistachios
Gin Style: Navy Strength
Strength: 57% vol
Goes great with: A basil leaf, tonic and ice
Learn more about The Jaunty Camper by visiting the links below.
