Where is it from?
East Dunbartonshire
What's in it?
Juniper and locally foraged botanicals
What's the damage?
£38.00 for 70cl
Is it Strong?
43% ABV
What makes it interesting?
Hazell & Hazell Bardowie Gin was created by husband and wife team Mark and Alison Hazell at their home in Bardowie. Following success with their micro-brewery, founded in 1998, they have used botanicals foraged from around Bardowie Loch in this small batch, London Dry style gin. Their next expression, Tideline Gin, uses bay leaves hand-picked from the family garden. This gives the gin a savoury character when combined with the other botanicals of coriander and celery.
Gins in the Bardowie Gin family:
Bardowie Gin
Tideline Gin
Distilled in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Where is it from?
Biggar, South Lanarkshire
What's in it?
Juniper, coriander seeds, cardamom, cassia bark, orris root, orange, rosehip, rowan berries, nettles, pink peppercorn and lavender.
What's the damage?
£32 for 50cl
Is it Strong?
42% ABV
What makes it interesting?
A family business started and owned by two brothers, Biggar Gin is the result of small batch philosophy; the combination of tradition and innovation and a sense of place. Named after the Scottish town of Biggar at the foot of the Tinto Hills, the team claims that the small batch gin has a Biggar Mentality: small-scale and rare, but with big ambitions. Several of the botanicals are locally-sourced, including rosehip, rowanberry and nettles.
Distilled under contract in Perthshire, Scotland.
Where is it from?
Glasgow
What's in it?
Juniper and Rosehip
What's the damage?
£38 for 70cl
Is it Strong?
43.8% ABV
What makes it interesting?
Crossbill is a handcrafted dry gin produced uniquely with 100% Scottish juniper and rosehip. It is distilled in a copper pot still. The gin takes its name from the Scottish Crossbill, a native bird, which, like its juniper supply, can only be found in the ancient Caledonian pine forests of Scotland. Formerly produced in Aviemore, in 2017 the team moved to a purpose-built facility at Barras Art and Design in Barrowlands, Glasgow, allowing them to expand and increase the volumes of each batch produced. On discovering that one of the Crossbill's juniper specimens was over 200 years old (very rare in Scotland), the team brought out a single specimen juniper gin - Crossbill 200. As a result, the release was extremely limited and each bottle cost £85. It has an ABV of 59.8% which enables maximum flavour penetration with fresh pine and juniper essence.
Gins in the Crossbill family:
Crossbill Gin
Crossbill 200 Gin
Crossbill Staghorn Sumac Gin
Crossbill Pineapple Gin
Crossbill 3D Juniper Gin (for That Boutique-y Gin Company)
Distilled in Barrowlands, Glasgow, Scotland.
Where is it from?
Forth, South Lanarkshire
What's in it?
Juniper, citrus fruits, thistles, heather, pink peppercorns and allspice.
What's the damage?
£36.00 for 70cl
Is it Strong?
40% ABV
What makes it interesting?
The Wee Farm Distillery is found in a small livestock farm in the hills of Forth in South Lanarkshire. The first product is Drover’s Gin, created in ‘Morag’, a 30 litre micro still. This gin celebrates Scotland's rich agricultural heritage with a locally produced Scottish gin that brings the natural flavours of the hill to your glass. The spirit is distilled, bottled and labelled on site.
Distilled in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Where is it from?
Glasgow
What's in it?
Base gin infused with brambles or butterfly pea
What's the damage?
£30 for 50cl
Is it Strong?
40% ABV
What makes it interesting?
Ellis Gin is a hand-crafted Glaswegian brand that creates small-batch gin infusions. Originally created as the base for a Ready-to-Drink pre-mixed gin cocktails, it was launched with two coloured, flavoured gins. Designed to appeal to both the sight and taste senses, vibrant tones change colour when tonic is added. Scottish Bramble Gin is (oddly enough) made by macerating Scottish brambles with gin; the red colour changes to bright orange when tonic is added. The other profile, Butterfly Pea, is an Asian ingredient which change the gin into a lilac colour when mixed with tonic or another carbonated mixer.
Gins in the Ellis family:
Ellis Gin No2 Scottish Bramble
Ellis Gin No3 Butterfly Pea
Distilled under contract in Glasgow, Scotland.
Where is it from?
Renfrew
What's in it?
Juniper, coriander, cassia bark, cinnamon, angelica, orris root, liquorice, lemon and sweet orange peel.
What's the damage?
£55 for 50cl
Is it Strong?
50% ABV
What makes it interesting?
Launched by the House of MacDuff, Fifty/50 Gin has been aged in casks for 20 years. For the first 10, they chose virgin oak casks; this infused sweet vanilla, ginger and strong oak flavours. Then, for the second 10 years, they chose ex-whisky casks, which allowed the wood to impart greater depth of flavour. As a result of this whopping 20-year maturation, the aged gin turned a deep golden colour and the juniper was on the down-low. So, to bring back that piney juniper vibe, the team combined the aged gin with newly distilled London Dry at a ratio of 1:1 (hence the name Fifty/50). Up front there are rich caramel notes, followed by very mellow juniper with a creamy, almost velvety, mouth-feel.
Distilled in Hertfordshire and bottled in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Where is it from?
Glasgow
What's in it?
Juniper, blackberries, dandelion root and lavender
What's the damage?
£41.00 for 70cl
Is it Strong?
45% ABV
What makes it interesting?
Garden Shed Gin was created by two rugby players - Ryan Grant and Ruaridh Jackson - and their wives, who use 14 botanicals in their gin, some of which are home-grown in the west end of Glasgow. The team is passionate about gin and the environment and supports local charities including Trees 4 Scotland and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
Distilled under contract in St Andrews, Fife.
Where is it from?
Glasgow
What's in it?
Juniper, coriander, cloves, angelica, cinnamon, orris root and orange peel.
What's the damage?
£40 for 70cl
Is it Strong?
40% ABV
What makes it interesting?
Illicit Spirits' Illicit Gin claims to be taking gin back to its roots. Made by urban craft distillers in a railway arch just south of the River Clyde, it is a classic juniper-led spirit produced in small batches in a traditional direct-fired copper pot still.
Distilled in Glasgow, Scotland.
Where is it from?
Lenzie, Glasgow
What's in it?
Juniper, bilberry and cranberry
What's the damage?
£37.00 for 70cl
Is it Strong?
42%
What makes it interesting?
Lenzie Gin was created by award winning Billington’s of Lenzie owners Mark & Sue Billington. They were inspired by bilberry and cranberry that grow locally on Lenzie Moss, which makes up the key botanicals. This gives the gin a fresh, fruity nose.
Distilled under contract in Arbroath.
Where is it from?
Glasgow
What's in it?
Juniper, rosemary and black peppercorns
What's the damage?
£39.00 for 70cl
Is it Strong?
43% ABV
What makes it interesting?
It is a new age of distilling for Glasgow with the opening of its first gin distillery in over 100 years in 2014, situated at Hillington Business Park. Named Makar Glasgow Gin after the Gaelic word for poet or bard, it is juniper-led and contains rosemary and black peppercorns among its botanicals. The team also produced two limited edition gins, both with a base of Makar Gin. One has been rested in European Oak virgin casks for 10 weeks, giving the gin smoky notes with a peppery finish. The second gin is a Mulberry Aged Gin, where the mulberry wood adds a hint of lemon, thyme and vanilla with a peppery finish. Makar Old Tom revives the tradition of the old-fashioned, sweeter style of gin which has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years.
Gins in the Makar family:
Makar Glasgow Gin
Makar Oak Aged Gin
Makar Mulberry Aged Gin
Makar Old Tom Gin
Makar Double Cherry Gin
Makar Cherry Flavoured Gin
Distilled in Glasgow, Scotland.
Where is it from?
Glasgow
What's in it?
Juniper, fennel, anise, cubeb berries and orange
What's the damage?
£34.00 for 70cl
Is it Strong?
37.5% ABV
What makes it interesting?
McLean's Gin is one of the smallest commercial gin producers in Scotland with the gin made in a cupboard off the sitting room in a one-bedroom flat in the south side of Glasgow. From start to finish, everything is produced by hand in nano-batches including bottling, labelling, wax sealing and stamping.
Gins in the McLean's family:
McLean's Signature Gin
McLean's Floral Gin
McLean's Citrus Gin
McLean's Spiced Gin
McLean's Cherry Bakewell Gin
Distilled in Glasgow, Scotland.
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