Our end of month round-up captures some of the exciting news from the wonderful world of Scottish Gin. From new Scottish Gin expressions to distillery openings and more. If you’ve got a story you’d like us to consider for inclusion in next month’s Scottish Gin News Round-Up then email hello@thegincooperative.com.
New Scottish Gins
The Old Curiosity Distillery, Pink Elderflower & Jasmine Gin
From the original pioneers of colour changing gins that demonstrated the magical properties of mother nature’s botanical beauty, comes the latest gin expression, Pink Elderflower & Jasmine Gin from The Old Curiosity Distillery, which is housed in the Secret Garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
The Elder tree is one of the most sacred things that grow on the British Isles, steeped in mystery and folklore and worshipped by our ancestors since we first arrived on these shores. Jasmine is renowned in Eastern history thanks to its unmatchable fragrance; its beguiling scent is synonymous with desire. To match these noblest of plants, the Old Curiosity team distilled them over their crisp dry base, carefully balancing the delicate aromas and flavours to create a sensual and intriguing drink.
Learn more about The Old Curiosity here.
Edinburgh Gin Watermelon & Lime Gin
Edinburgh Gin released a World Duty Free exclusive gin expression that follows in the footsteps of their recently released full strength Rhubarb and Ginger Gin: the new Edinburgh Gin Watermelon and Lime Gin. The release takes the Edinburgh Gin classic recipe and uses watermelon and lime to create a flavoured gin that’s described as the ‘definition of summer’ and ‘Fresh, bright watermelon notes provide a fruity sweetness that’s met with a sharp jolt of tartness from the lime.’
Learn more about Edinburgh Gin here.
Isle of Raasay Hebridian Gin
The newest addition to the family of Scottish Gin expressions comes from the Isle of Raasay Distillery. The Isle of Raasay Distillery is the first legal distillery on the Island of Raasay, a small island between the Isle of Skye and the West coast of mainland Scotland. Translated as ‘island of the roe (ore red) deer’, like other parts of the area, the landscape was shaped by volcanic activity. The geology of the island means the water used by the distillery, which is sourced from a local Celtic well known as the ‘Well of the Pale Cow’, has a high mineral content thanks to the island’s volcanic and sandstone rock.
Isle of Raasay Distillery Co-founder Alasdair Day commented “Our new Isle of Raasay Gin puts island quality first – combining carefully chosen botanicals with water from our well and triple distilled Raasay spirit. Raasay’s remarkable geology and our modern island distillery inspired both the creation and presentation of our exciting new Scottish gin that we look forward to sharing with the growing number of visitors to Raasay and gin lovers alike.”
This is the 300th Scottish Gin to be added to our Scottish Gin directory, which is the world’s largest and most detailed resource for those wishing to discover the wonderful world of Scottish Gin.
Learn more about Isle of Raasay Distillery here.
Events & Experiences
A new Scottish Gin experience in Aberdeenshire
The team at Lost Loch Spirits unveiled their new spirits school and distillery tours. Over 12 months in the planning, the school will officially open on Saturday the 10th of August. Located at their distillery at Deeside Activity Park near Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, classes will run run every Saturday in August, then alternating Saturdays between the school and tours/tastings for the remainder of the year.
Visitors will be welcomed with a welcome drink, a tour of the distillery where they’ll learn a bit more about Lost Loch Spirits and their range of products including their eeNoo Scottish Gin. Visitors will have the opportunity to distill their own gin, absinthe or botanical spirit. Using a traditional five litre copper alembic still, visitors will create their own recipe under the careful guidance of a member of the Lost Loch Spirits team and will have access to the full botanical library that the distillery uses for their own spirit expressions. The final 50cl distillate will be bottled and finished with a with a bespoke label. There will also be a buffet lunch featuring locally sourced produce, a complimentary goodie bag and a £5.00 discount off any distilled products purchased.
The school is priced at £100 per person for a group booking of seven or more, or £115 per person for a group booking of six or less
Micro tours are priced at £15.00 per person and last 45 minutes. They include a tour, a brief history of gin, absinthe and the art of distilling, botanical sampling, tasting of the products and a complimentary Lost Loch Spirits branded glass.
Learn more about Lost Loch Spirits here.
A new chapter in the story of Scotland’s spirits
The opening of the Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh signals another chapter in the story of Scottish Spirits. Officially opened to the public on Tuesday 30th of July, Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh will produce a range of single malt whiskies, Scottish Gins and their recently announced gin liqueurs onsite at the distillery.
The team behind the project have lovingly and sympathetically restored the 180 year old building to create not only a working distillery in the heart of Edinburgh but also a fully immersive visitor experience, with a variety of tours available for both gin and whisky lovers, a tasting room and shop.
There are a variety of tours and experiences available including a Holyrood Gin Experience from £22.00 per person, which lasts approximately one hour along with a special whisky Masterclass with Master Distiller Jack Mayo.
Learn more about Holyrood Distillery here.
International Scottish Gin Day 2019
After close to a year in development and planning, the first ever International Scottish Gin Day takes place on Saturday the 3rd of August. This has been a labour of love, countless lost hours, co-ordinating activations and events around the world with some of the world’s best bars and so much more.
The term Scottish Gin and how it’s shared, cared for and represented is a responsibility we’ve always understood and always made a priority. From photography to editorial and more, we want a global audience’s first impression of Scottish Gin to be one that inspires, excites and leaves them engaged. With ISGD, we’ve created a unique platform for sharing the story of Scottish Gin and what better way than experiencing Scottish Gin at some of the world’s best bars.
With events happening at ATLAS Bar in Singapore, Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour and Merchant House in London, Gin Palace in Melbourne, The Clumsies in Athens, Bobby Gin in Barcelona, Whitechapel in San Francisco plus other amazing bars including The Dead Rabbit in New York and Dry Martini in Barcelona, we’re very excited to see ISGD grow year on year.
Learn more about International Scottish Gin Day here.
The Gin Cooperative Features July 2019
Here’s a look back at the editorial features we published in July 2019.
Scottish Gin News Round-Up June 2019 – read it here.
In The Mix: Claire Rennie, Walter Gregor’s – read it here.
Beautiful Botanicals: Glaswegin, Isle of Harris Distillers, Biggar Gin, The Gael Spirits Company, SOS Gin – read it here.
Our People: The Glasgow Distillery Co. – read it here.
Spirit of Craft: Antony Benton, Joseph Flach & Sons – read it here.
Scottish Gin Awards Finalists 2019 – read it here.
The Future of Gin: Colin McLean, McLean’s Gin – read it here.
Experience Scottish Gin: Kirkjuvagr Orkney Gin – read it here.
Meet the Blogger: Natalie Button, Gin Obsessions – read it here.
Supporting Scottish Gin: The Gin Cooperative – read it here.
Awards Round Up 2019 – read it here.
You can learn more about the many great Scottish Gins by visiting the links below.
