It scooped the best gin gong at last year’s Scottish Bar and Pub Awards, organised by DRAM, and an online survey of Scotland’s gin lovers has revealed that Isle of Harris Gin is the nation’s favourite Scottish gin for the second year in a row.
The consumer survey is run by The Scottish Gin Society, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes and celebrates the Scottish gin industry.
In total, 6435 unique votes were cast, almost double that of the responses received in 2018.
The voting public overwhelmingly selected Isle of Harris as the top Scottish gin with 21% of the votes. Self-described as ‘The Social Distillery’, Isle of Harris Gin is only available directly from the island distillery in order to support local jobs and the island economy. After receiving 1 in 5 of the votes cast, this unique distillery ethos has clearly captured the imagination of gin lovers across Scotland and built impressive customer loyalty for this award-winning brand.
Simon Erlanger, MD, Isle of Harris Distillers commented, “Everyone at the Isle of Harris Distillery is really excited to hear that our Isle of Harris gin has been voted the nation’s favourite in The Scottish Gin Society’s survey for the second year in a row. It is especially good news to know that our gin, despite being only three years old, continues to gain recognition on a national scale and our ethos has really captured the public’s imagination. We are so pleased and proud to know that gin lovers enjoy the flavour and unique story of our world-class gin as much as we do.”
Smaller gins enjoyed success throughout the survey, reflecting the loyal following of many smaller brands, and the diverse landscape of the Scottish gin industry in general. Whilst brands such as Edinburgh Gin, Caorunn Gin and Hendrick’s appeared in the top ten in 2018, the most recent survey shows a departure from the big names in favour of the rise of smaller distilleries. For example, in 2019 the sustainably sourced Kintyre Botanical Gin takes second place, whilst Redcastle Gin lies in third position.
The full top ten list of gins as voted for by the Scottish gin loving public are:
Isle of Harris Gin (Tarbert, Isle of Harris) Kintyre Botanical Gin (Campbeltown, Argyll) Redcastle Gin (Angus) Kirkjuvagr Gin (Orkney) The Teasmith Gin (Udny, Aberdeenshire) Crag & Tail Gin (Angus) Kinrara Highland Gin (Aviemore) The Old Curiosity Gin (Edinburgh) Lussa Gin (Ardlussa, Jura) McLean’s Gin (Strathaven, South Lanarkshire)
The Scottish Gin Society’s survey also asked consumers what they prefer to drink with their gin. Unsurprisingly, nearly 50% of respondents voted for tonic as their favourite mixer, with a further 21% specifying a diet tonic and 13% selecting a flavoured tonic. With an impressive 65% share of the vote, the nation’s runaway favourite tonic brand is Fever Tree.
Stephen White, Founder of The Scottish Gin Society said, “We believe The Scottish Gin Society survey to be the largest of its kind and are delighted to have received twice as many responses in 2019. The results show that the popularity of Scottish gin is still growing, especially with all the new entrants appearing in this year’s survey. We would like to congratulate the brands involved as they are all producing exceptional products and look forward to the bright future of the gin industry in Scotland.”
The Scottish Gin Society is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to promote and celebrate the wonderful world of Scottish gin. It was the first organisation to produce an interactive online distillery map and an A-Z of Scottish gins in order to educate consumers about where their favourite gins are produced. The Society engages with followers from across the globe with a combined social media following in excess of 120,000.
The Scottish Gin Society’s A-Z of Scottish gins now lists 139 separate gins from nearly 70 separate distilleries. It is estimated that some 70-80% of UK produced gin comes from Scotland[1].
Bacardi has revealed it is stockpiling alcohol ahead of Brexit. Amanda Almond, Bacardi’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, said the group is taking “responsible and sensible precautions” to ward off supply issues to and from Europe. However she dismissed the challenges of the UK’s impending EU divorce as “not even a blip on the horizon” in the firm’s 157-year history.
Speaking to Press Association, she said, “We will take appropriate action to make sure we can secure supply, no matter what the conditions are.”She declined to give details of its stockpiling, but said the group had looked at the possible impact on its supply chain and risks of Brexit.
She also said it would keep its British distilleries regardless of whether the UK agrees a deal with the European Union. “On a scale of what the family has weathered over the last 157 years, Brexit isn’t even a blip on the horizon,” she said. It makes its namesake rum Bacardi in Puerto Rico, but many of its other drinks are made across Europe and the UK. Nearly 800 people are employed across its UK offices and manufacturing sites.
It has regional headquarters in Winchester, the Bombay Sapphire distillery in Laverstoke, Hampshire and whisky distilleries such as Royal Brackla and Craigellachie. Ms Almond said, “It’s hard to make a London gin not in the UK and you can’t make Scotch malt whisky anywhere but Scotland.” Among its other products, Martini is made in Italy, while super premium Grey Goose Vodka is distilled in France.
Following the announcement, John Perry, managing director of supply chain and logistics consultancy SCALA, examining whether stockpiling is really the answer. commented,“The announcement from Bacardi came as little surprise to us, as our survey of Grocery and FMCG decision-makers at the end of 2018 found that 61% were already stockpiling raw materials and/or finished goods. Others were reviewing their levels and sourcing, with plans to build stocks ahead of the 19th March deadline.
“The Wine & Spirit Trade Association has advised its members to carry around 20% more stock than usual as a starting point in preparation for a no-deal Brexit. However, contingency stockpiling is not a decision that can be taken lightly, particularly for the drinks industry.
“The value is higher for alcohol than most other FMCG products, so stockpiling results in drinks businesses having a large amount of money tied up in inventory, which can cause significant cashflow problems. Alcohol’s high value also means that the cost of buying storage is greater than usual, because additional security arrangements are required, and there are costs associated with HMRC requirements and bonded regulations to consider too.
“While stockpiling is potentially one way to alleviate the short-term effects of a no-deal situation, it is hugely costly, and a lot of SME’s simply don’t have the capacity to do so. It’s therefore interesting to note that despite the fact that Bacardi is in the fortunate position to be able to afford to stockpile, its UK and Ireland managing director Amanda Almond suggested that stockpiling is just one of the ‘responsible and sensible precautions’ being taken by the company to prevent supply issues.
“She revealed that Bacardi has also been looking at the possible impact of Brexit on its supply chain, which will be crucial when it comes to mitigating more long-term disruption. We would recommend that all drinks businesses follow suit and review their supply chains to ensure they are as healthy as possible and start implementing risk-reduction strategies now.”
English spirits producer 45 West Distillers, which produces Burleighs Gin, is working with Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir’s charity to create a new gin – with all of the profits going directly to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
It helps fund vital research into the causes and potential cures of motor neurone disease.
The recipe was developed by Burleighs Gin head distiller Ed Gibson and Doddie at the distillery in Leicestershire. The pair combined the Burleighs Signature recipe with specially selected botanicals that pay homage to Doddie’s roots in the Scottish Borders. The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was set up in November 2017 by Doddie and his fellow trustees, five months after he revealed that he was suffering from motor neurone disease himself. Doddie earned 61 caps for Scotland during a successful playing career and represented The British & Irish Lions on their victorious 1997 tour to South Africa.
Doddie has been driven to help fellow sufferers and seek ways to further research into this, as yet, incurable disease since his first diagnosis.
In its first year, the foundation committed to raise £1 million to help find a cure and to support those affected by MND, and they are confident of investing a similar figure in 2019.
Official figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have revealed a strong year for Scotch Whisky exports in 2018, with global growth by both value and volume.
In 2018, the export value of Scotch Whisky grew +7.8% by value, to a record £4.70bn. The number of 70cl bottles exported also reached record levels growing to the equivalent of 1.28bn, up +3.6%.
The United States became the first billion pound export market for Scotch Whisky, growing to £1.04bn last year. The EU remains the largest region for exports, accounting for 30% of global value and 36% of global volume.
Blended Scotch Whisky underlined its position as the bedrock of the industry with global exports of £3.04bn. There was further growth in exports of Single Malt Scotch Whisky, growing by 11.3% in 2018 to £1.30bn.
Commenting on the figures, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association Karen Betts said,”2018 was another year of strong export growth for Scotch Whisky, attesting to its enduring popularity in different countries and among cultures right across the world. Quite simply, Scotch Whisky remains the whisky everyone wants to drink.
“These figures underscore strength of the Scotch Whisky category, which has continued to grow despite the challenges posed by Brexit and by tensions in the global trading system.
“A key driver for global growth is the growing market for premium spirits. Scotch Whisky is in a great position to take advantage of this given its unrivalled reputation for quality, authenticity and provenance.
“However, the industry does not take continued growth for granted. We operate in a competitive global marketplace and so a competitive business environment in Scotland and across the UK is vital to Scotch Whisky’s success.
“For Scotch, that means fair and balanced regulation and taxes, including excise duty, to give distillers the confidence to invest in future growth. We also want to see the UK and EU agree to an open and positive future relationship, which delivers frictionless trade with the EU, and the UK to secure ambitious trading relationships with key markets around the world.
“In that context, it is important to our industry, as to many others, that the UK does not leave the EU without a deal at the end of March. We are urging the government and Parliamentarians to work together constructively and pragmatically to ensure that an agreement is reached as quickly as possible.”
YStirlingshire-based true craft spirit brand McQueen Gin has announced year-on-year revenue growth figures of over 300%.
In the businesses latest financial reports, revenue growth from first half FY18 to first half FY19 was 342% with sales totaling £970,000.00, whilst revenue growth over the same period FY17 to FY18 was 282%, with sales totaling £283,500.00.
In recent months, the family-run brand, established by Dale and Vicky McQueen (pictured) in July 2015, announced the opening of a brand-new, state of the art 6,200²ft distillery facility on its premises this April 2019. McQueen Gin has invested in the region of £750,000 in this development which will see its overall manufacture, bottling, pack, and ship capacity increase by greater than 1,000%, as the brand looks to build on recent successes and further expand its operation.
Co-founder and Managing Director, Dale McQueen, said,‘’Our growth has been unprecedented in the last few years and we want to take advantage of that by not taking our foot off the gas. We are investing in the build of the infrastructure required to equip us to keep innovating, growing and developing exciting and desirable products for the fast-evolving and demanding gin market.
‘’With increased demand and capacity comes increased opportunity. When open and in full operation, we expect the new distillery to create as many as 12 new jobs in our local area, if not more. We have already filled three new positions since the build began and we will be looking to bring in more staff imminently as we make the official move to the new facility and our demand continues to increase. Our location is an area which we hold dear to us and which has played a central part in the building of our brand, so it’s great to be able to give something back as we expand our business.’’
The new facility, built alongside the current distillery, is planned to be opened in April by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
A long-held dream to distill fine single malt whisky in the East Neuk of Fife has become a reality for the founders of Kingsbarns Distillery, as they toast the launch of their first flagship expression: Kingsbarns ‘Dream to Dram’. Named to mark the Wemyss Family’s vision to bring malt whisky distilling to their Fife home, the new release is a truly local dram, having been slowly crafted with barley harvested exclusively from the golden fields of East Fife. The East Neuk enjoys high levels of sunshine, good soil and not too much rain, which creates the perfect growing conditions for barley. Every drop of Dream to Dram is made from barley harvested in these sun-soaked fields. The addition of pure, rich mineral water drawn from an aquifer 100 metres below the Distillery adds to the local character and light, fruityflavour profile of the whisky. A long, slow production process in copper pot stills is at the heart of distillation: a 3 – 5 day fermentation period, wash stills that run for 8 hours and a slow running spirit still with high cut points. That will never change and the stills will never run any faster, say the company.
Diageo has delivered its 2019 Interim Results, to the half-year ended 31 December 2018.
Reported net sales (£6.9 billion) was up 5.8% with organic growth partially offset by unfavourable exchange. Reported operating profit (£2.4 billion) was up 11.0%, driven by organic growth.
Organic operating profit grew 12.3%, ahead of top line growth, as cost inflation and higher marketing investment were more than offset by improved price/mix and efficiencies from the company’s productivity programme.
Cash flow continued to be strong, with net cash from operating activities at £1.6 billion, up £356 million and free cash flow at £1.3 billion, up £317 million.
Basic eps (earnings per share) of 80.9 pence was down by (1.6)%. Pre-exceptional eps was 77.0 pence, up 13.6%, driven by higher operating profit and lower finance charges, which more than offset an increased tax charge largely as a result of lapping the positive impact of US tax reform in the prior period.
The interim dividend increased 5% to 26.1 pence per share.
Commenting on Diageo
GB’s half year results, Dayalan Nayager, Managing Director, Diageo
Great Britain, Ireland and France, said, “We’ve experienced a
very strong half in GB, with net sales up 14% and our key brands,
including Guinness, Tanqueray, Gordon’s and Smirnoff, all
performing well.
“The gin category
continues to boom in GB1 . Tanqueray and Gordon’s remain firm
favourites amongst consumers, with both brands delivering strong
double-digit growth over the last six months.
“In beer we are
outperforming the category2 .Guinness delivered net sales growth of
6% and increased its market share, driven by a strong performance
from Hop House 13 lager. In December, Guinness was announced as the
new title sponsor and official beer of The Six Nations from 2019,
reinforcing the Guinness brand’s position as one of rugby’s
biggest supporters.
“Smirnoff returned to
growth with net sales increasing 4% despite the category being in
decline in GB3 . It also cemented its position as the UK’s biggest
spirits brand4 . Summer saw the launch of the ‘Smirnoff Soda Smash’
which encouraged consumers to put a modern twist on the classic vodka
and soda.
“Johnnie Walker grew
6% partially driven by the launch of the limited-edition ‘White
Walker by Johnnie Walker’, in collaboration with HBO® and Game of
Thrones, which was released in GB in October 2018. The launch proved
hugely popular, selling one bottle a minute on Amazon UK in the first
24 hours of it being available5 .
“We’ve seen a host
of exciting activations by our brands over the half. The Guinness
Open Gate Brewery opened its doors in London, giving consumers a
chance to sample some of Guinness’s unique and innovative beers. We
showcased seven of our Reserve brands at London Cocktail Week in
October, which saw around 25,000 people attend, and the Baileys Treat
Bar Christmas Pop-up returned to London for a second year in a row.
Diageo has also confirmed it is in talks to secure the former Frasers department store in Edinburgh’s west end as its base for a major new Johnnie Walker “immersive visitor experience.”
The group said
negotiations with the owners of 145 Princes Street were at an early
stage.
House of Fraser moved out of the landmark building in September. It is understood the talks with property developers Parabola involve a leasing arrangement for the entire building.
We’re celebrating the Bard’s birthday with a ‘Make it Blush’ cocktail courtesy of Glasgow’s Rogano restaurant.
Why Make it Blush? Because he refers to blushing in several of his poems, like the poem Bonie Jean, an ode to his wife Jean Armour, in which he writes,
‘At length she blush‘d a sweet consent, And love was aye between them twa’
Then there’s On a Bank of Flowers in which he writes,
Her robes, light-waving in the breeze, Her tender limbs embrace; Her lovely form, her native ease, All harmony and grace; Tumultuous tides his pulses roll, A faltering, ardent kiss he stole; He gaz’d, he wish’d, He fear’d, he blush’d, And sigh’d his very soul.
Enough already with poetry. Here’s the recipe for Make it Blush:
50 ml Old Curiosity Gin (Rose)
12.5 ml of St. Germain
12.5 ml Lillet Blanc
12.5 ml Citric Syrup
It’s then served in a stemless Martini glass filled with crushed ice with the gin served on the side. It turns pink when the gin is poured over the rest of the ingredients.
MONIN Syrups has reintroduced
speciality liqueur MONIN Original- Lime Citron Vert back to the UK.
Developed after years of research,
trials and testing, MONIN Original was the very first recipe of the
syrup brand. It was first sold in France in 1912 and has since become
a French national treasure, and it is now available for bars in the
UK. Olivier Monin, whose grandfather founded the business says,
“My grandfather Georges Monin loved
hosting his family for dinner. He was inspired by flavour from the
very beginning and at family gatherings, he would experiment with
different flavour combinations. This drink was one of the first he
brought to market and the lime citron vert has remained a French
speciality ever since.
While the range has grown to offer
hundreds of products for multiple applications, MONIN Original
remains in its original bottle cut and like the rest of the range,
the label virtually untouched. We wanted to share this wonderful
drink with the UK – to enjoy a little taste of our heritage.”
Teeling Distillery has named Maverick
Drinks as its exclusive UK distributor. Led by Master Distiller Alex
Chasko, the Teeling team produce up to 500,000 litres of spirit every
year. Their aim is to craft expressive modern whiskies using
time-honoured techniques. Commenting on the new partnership, Jack
Teeling, Managing Director & Founder of Teeling Whiskey, said, “I
would like to thank Marussia Beverages UK for all their hard work on
our portfolio since 2013. As both of our businesses are evolving we
felt it was time for a change and feel that Maverick Drinks are best
placed to evolve our business in the UK market for the years to
come”.
Teeling’s core range features three
distinctive bottlings. Its Small Batch Whiskey is finished in Central
American rum casks, which impart a subtle dried fruit character on
the spirit, while the Single Grain has a distinct red grape and berry
profile from time spent in red wine casks. The Single Malt bottling
is intensely fruity with bitter chocolate notes.
Brora distillery, which last operated in 1983, is set to reopen and back in production by 2020. The copper pot stills have been transported 200 miles to Diageo Abercrombie coppersmiths in Alloa for a meticulous refurbishment by coppersmiths. Diageo Abercrombie has a heritage of crafting copper stills, dating back to 1790.
Although in good condition the stills require refurbishment to prepare them to return to fulltime distillation. The team at Abercrombie will refurbish Brora’s stills by hand and prepare them to once again produce whisky.
Senior Chargehand Coppersmith Jim McEwan, who oversaw the moving of the stills, said, “Abercrombie coppersmiths last worked on these very same stills in the early 1980s before the distillery closed its doors, so it’s a great priviledge for us to work on them now and to get them ready to produce spirit again.
“They are beautiful stills and they are actually in really good condition, but after 35 years of rest they do need a bit of loving care to get them ready to distill again. It will be a real pleasure to work on these stills.”
Stewart Bowman, Brora Distillery Project Implementation Manager, said, “This is another important milestone in our journey to bring Brora Distillery back to life. Work is now well underway to meticulously restore the distillery buildings back to their former glory, and it is quite an emotional moment to see the stills beginning their journey back to fulltime spirit production.”
The restoration of Brora Distillery is part of a £35million investment programme that will also see the Port Ellen Distillery on Islay brought back into production.
Loch Ness Spirits came home with the gold medal at the Absinthiades Festival in Pontarlier for its Absinthe Blanche. The Absinthe is distilled using homegrown botanicals, including wormwood, on the banks of Loch Ness by Highland GP Lorien Cameron-Ross husband Kevin, a former detective.
In another first, Lorien is also the first-ever female distiller to win a medal in the history of the competition.
Lorien first visited Pontarlier in August 2017 with two female friends, one a distiller and the other a fluent French speaker, as part of her research on absinthe, and it was then that she recognised a gap in the market for one made in Scotland.
Loch Ness Absinthe was up against 25 entries in the competition, split into Verte and Blanche categories. Three panels of judge’s blind tasted each one (professional jury, public jury, VIP jury) over a three-day period.
Happy Halloween! For our final Halloween Cocktail special, Emma ventured out to Treacle Bar & Kitchen in Edinburgh where the charming Andy made up their Gorilla s’mores Cocktail. With its firey kick and marshmallow syrup, this cocktail is the perfect Halloween treat. (ingredients bellow)
Jack Daniel’s Fire
Marshmallow Syrup
Lemon Juice
Amaro
Egg White
The £140million Macallan distillery on Speyside has been commended as the ‘building of the year’ at the Institute of Civil Engineers’ Saltire Awards in Edinburgh.
The distillery, which opened in June this year, is sunk into slopes on the Easter Elchie estate overlooking the River Spey at Craigellachie, and was built by Elgin-based construction firm Robertson.
More than 500,000 tonnes of earth was moved for the project in order to create the building, which has an undulating grass-covered roof.
The complex timber top has about 380,000 individual components that move according to the conditions inside the distillery.
Commenting on the distillery at the time of opening, Ian Curle, chief executive, said “This is an exciting occasion for Edrington and The Macallan. The unsurpassed quality of The Macallan is in high demand and we face the future confidently with this new distillery. It’s an authentic, abiding, ambitious investment that will match consumer expectations for generations to come.
“We expect this new Macallan enterprise to deliver significant benefits for the tourism industry, Scotch whisky exports, and the economy.”
Trick or treat? Emma headed out to Topolabamba and found herself a wee treat with The Bloody Maria. You may know her sister, The Bloody Mary? Thanks to the lovely Donald for creating this wonderful cocktail made with Tequila Fuerza and Tabasco Especial. It certainly spices up a spooky night out (ingredients below).
Mezcal Union Tequila
Tomato Juice
Lemon Juice
Celery
Celery Salt
Tabasco
Chipotle
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