Ginspirational!

There is absolutely no doubt that the art of handcrafted gin-making in Scotland is exploding.

In fact, over 70% of gin consumed in the UK is produced in Scotland, including global bestsellers Tanqueray and Gordon’s. But for craft gins, the game-changer happened in 1998 when William Grant’s sparked the Scottish craft gin revolution with their delightfully peculiar Hendrick’s, with its clever packaging and a perfect serve of cucumber.

But it wasn’t until 2010 that whisky distilleries in Speyside and Islay produced Caorunn and The Botanist respectively, with the makers of Sheep Dip Whisky launching Edinburgh Gin. This was closely followed by Strathearn, Pickering’s and Eden Mill from St Andrews.

There are now more than 100 different gin brands in Scotland and from every single corner of the country. Exciting new Scottish gins continue to emerge each year and the Scottish Borders is no exception, so in this article we raise a glass to some very Borders G&T’s! There’s even a vodka from the Borders added in for good measure too.

THE BORDERS DISTILLERY

William Kerr’s Borders Gin
William Kerr’s Borders Gin is 100% made in Scotland, hand crafted at and by The Borders Distillery in Hawick, from barley to bottle.

William Kerr’s Borders Gin blends eleven botanicals with the new-make spirit from The Borders Distillery – created from scratch onsite. The spirit then goes through a gentle vapour infusion process using the Carter Head still which captures the essence of this delicate blend of botanicals. After an initial malt fruitiness, bright citrus notes of lemon and orange combine with the warming spice of coriander seeds and a subtle hint of liquorice.

As an accomplished botanist, we think William Kerr would have quietly approved of the Carter Head still at The Borders Distillery. Its special feature is a copper basket that suspends the botanicals in the vapour of the original spirit. This gentle steaming captures the subtle aromas and complex flavours of juniper berries, herbs, roots, flowers and spices gathered from near and far.

The result is a classic gin of outstanding depth and taste, best served with quality tonic and garnished with orange.

The Borders Distillery Small Batch Vodka

And for vodka lovers, The Borders Distillery also produce a fantastic small batch vodka. Distilled through copper for purity, then steamed through charcoal for smoothness – this unfiltered small batch vodka has an exceptional creamy mouthfeel.

Nose: Citrus, banana, grass and cereal notes
Character: Malt, lemon & mixed spice
Finish: Smooth and creamy

 “….a game changing vodka” Steve Rush, @thewhiskywire

THE KELSO GIN COMPANY

The Kelso Gin Company is the first distillery in the Borders for 180 years, and the first gin distillery ever in the area, offering 3 distinctive gins including their lead product – Crow Man’s Gin.

Crow Man’s Gin
Their lead gin, the classic juniper, but with a twist… subtle tones of cinnamon, angelica and other secrets from the Crow Man’s hidden recipes make this a deliciously smooth gin, which can be drunk with a mixer or simply on its own over ice. It’s THAT smooth.

Crow Man’s Lovage Gin
A lesser used ancient herb which gives an intriguing and very fresh mouth-feel.  The addition of olives and orange zest make this a unique experience and this particular gin works well with ice cold tonic. It also makes the Perfect Dry Martini. A double measure of Lovage gin, one part Noilly Prat, 5 drops of angostura bitters and plenty ice!

Named by The Scotsman as one of the 6 Best New Scottish Gins

Kelso Elephant Gin
Inspired by the folklore tale that an elephant is buried under Kelso Square, their Elephant Gin is strong on flavour and uses spices gathered from orient, mixed with local ingredients to produce a beautifully complex taste, which works well with ginger ale or tonic garnished with orange slivers or a slice of lime and a nub of fresh ginger.

LILLIARD GINNERY

This tiny micro-distillery is nestled by the River Teviot in the heart of the Scottish Borders, next door neighbour to the award winning Scottish Borders Brewery.

Lilliard Small Batch Dry Gin
This small batch gin is handcrafted in a tiny copper still, using ingredients found and foraged in the Scottish Borders. Light and with a complex floral palette, it reflects the landscape and the abundant natural resources of the Southern Scottish Valleys.

Lilliard Gin is a light, elegant gin with a complex floral palette with botanicals which reflect the four seasons of the beautiful Borders landscape. The distillery sits in the Teviot valley and uses local spring water in their distilling process. With a rich abundance of wild food on the doorstep, Lilliard Gin captures and conveys a true sense of our terroir.

Try Lilliard with a good tonic and a sliver of orange rind. The essential oils in the peel work really well to bring out the flavours in the gin. 

SELKIRK DISTILLERS

Selkirk Distillers produced their first gin in September 2017.

Reiver’s Gin
The main botanical in Reiver’s Gin grows wild on the rolling lowland hills of Selkirkshire.  The whin flower, known as the golden flower of Thor, is handpicked, cleaned and dried by the creators before infusing it within their gin.

Selkirk Gin was developed to be enjoyed over ice, with a slice of orange. The botanicals in Selkirk Gin include juniper, angelica root, grapefruit, lemon and orange peel, liquorice root and the all-important whin flower (Ulex europaeus)

Bannock Gin
Selkirk Distillers’ next creation, Bannock Gin also has its base ingredient deeply rooted in Selkirk. The Bannock used in the process comes from Cameron’s Bakery in Selkirk. The first batch of this delightful ‘bannock in a bottle’ almost sold out in one day.

Selkirk Distillers’ Bannock Gin uses Reiver’s Gin as its base. The traditional Selkirk Bannock fruit bread is added to Reiver’s Gin and allowed to macerate for approximately 12 weeks. The rich, buttery flavour and colours are thus released creating a bannock in a bottle.

CHEERS

‘Gin and Tonic’ has always been a popular tipple in our hotels and it is fantastic to see so many of our visitors enjoying the exciting range of Scottish Gins that we have on offer.

To help you to choose, here is a list of the many gins that we stock at Burts and Townhouse

Beefeater London Dry
Boe Gin
Bombay Sapphire Gin
Brockmans Gin
Caorunn Gin
Daffy’s Gin
Edinburgh Gin
Edinburgh Gin Elderflower Liqueur
Edinburgh Gin Raspberry Liqueur
Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur
Gordons London Dry Gin
Hendricks Gin
Langley’s No.8 Gin
Lilliards Gin
Martin Miller’s Gin
Monkey 47
Pickering’s Gin
Pilgrim Gin
Plymouth Gin
Selkie London Dry Gin
Sipsmith London Dry Gin
Tanqueray London Dry Gin
Tanqueray No. Ten Gin

We look forward to serving you your favourite G&T the next time you visit and of course you must try one of the new Border gins too.

Let’s all raise a glass to the rise of Scottish Gin!