St Valentine was a real person named Valentinus – from the Latin word meaning worthy, strong and powerful – who was martyred in 270 AD, but there is some confusion around his true identity. One account from the 1400s describes him as a priest who was beheaded near Rome for helping Christian couples to marry. A second account claims he was a Bishop who was also martyred on the outskirts of Rome. The similarities between these accounts could mean that they refer to the same person.
In all there are about a dozen St Valentines, and even a Pope Valentine but the one we celebrate on February 14 is known as St Valentine of Rome to differentiate him from the others on the list.
The most recently beatified Valentine is St Valentine Berrio-Ochoa, a Spaniard who travelled to Vietnam and served as a bishop there until he was beheaded in 1861. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1988.
Little is known about Pope Valentine – perhaps because he served just 40 days in AD 827.
Cadenhead’s Old Raj Gin is distinctive in that it contains a measure of saffron, the rare and costly spice derived from the crocus flower. In addition to a slightly spicy flavour, this also imparts a pale yellow colour to Old Raj. The addition of saffron is undertaken personally by the Company master blender in order to ensure a consistency in flavour and colour each time Old Raj is bottled. Being a much loved Scottish gin, it’s definitely a brand worth stocking.
In South Korea it is women who give their men chocolates on this day. In return, men give them gifts on March 14 – which is known as ‘White Day’. The tradition has been extended to include a ‘Black Day’ when singles who didn’t receive a Valentines gift mourn their solitary status by eating bowls of black noodles a month later, on April 14.
In Denmark lovers exchange pressed snowdrops and men also give women a funny poem or rhyming love note – called a Gaekkebrev – which is signed with anonymous dots representing each letter of the sender’s name. If the woman correctly guesses who the card is from she earns herself an Easter egg later that year.
In South American countries like Colombia, Mexico and Costa Rica people perform ‘acts of appreciation’ for friends and loved ones rather than giving cards or gifts on Valentine’s Day.
Women in South Africa pin the name of their love interest on their shirt sleeve on Valentine’s Day.
we love Prosecco Prosecco sales overtook Champagne sales for the first time in 2014, and Prosecco sales are still in growth, with 2/3 sparkling wine drinkers in the UK drinking it at least once per month. Mind you that is hardly surprising when you see the effort put, not just into producing a great drink, but fabulous bottles too. The most glamourous of all is Bottega Gold and Bottega Rose Gold. They have been created by Bottega Sparkling Spa, a family owned wine business, based in Veneto. It produces 10 million bottles every year, with sales in 110 countries, 400 customers and 380 distributors worldwide. Bottega Gold is a DOC Prosecco while Bottega Rose Gold is a sparkling 100% Pinot Noir. Both bottles get their stand out looks because they are dipped in a molten metal base coat, then covered in their respective coloured metallic paint. Talk about stand out. both bottles have bar and table presence. We love them. To enquire about stocking Bottega contact Catalyst Brands on 0845 856000
The Welsh celebrate St Dwynwen’s Day (the patron saint of lovers) on January 25, instead of St Valentine’s Day. Wooden love spoons, carved with special designs, were traditionally given by men to ladies whom they wished to court or marry. A key signifies a man’s heart, wheels his hard work and beads the number of children he would like to have.
Single women in England used to place five bay leaves in their pillows – one at each corner and one in the centre, on the eve of St Valentine’s Day, in the hope that it would bring dreams of their future husbands.
Around 7% of Scots send a card to someone who is not their spouse or partner – either a platonic friend or a family member. Meanwhile just 2% have are likely to send a card to someone they would like to be in a relationship with, but are not currently. Around 35% of Scots will send a Valentine’s card to their spouse or partner, and 15% will cook a special romantic meal at home (YouGov).
Stock up on pink on February 14 Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Pinkster is a premium gin produced with fresh raspberries. It’s deliciously dry, with a hint of fruit and an exceptionally smooth finish For a refreshingly different G&T, serve Pinkster with a premium tonic, a raspberry and a sprig of fresh mint. Be sure to spank the mint first to release the aromas. Last year Pinkster was voted the UK’s third favourite gin in a Craft Gin Club poll featuring over 100 gin brands. Pinkster is available from leading wholesalers including Gordon and MacPhail, Master Of Malt, and Royal Mile Whiskies. www.pinkstergin.com @pinkstergin #spankthemint
Music by Celine Dion is apparently the top choice for almost a quarter of romantic Brits on Valentine’s Day – followed by tunes by Phil Collins and Frank Sinatra
(Ipsos MORI).
1/10 People have never sent a Valentine’s Day card or gift
1/5 People send Valentine’s Day cards to friends and family members to make them feel good about themselves (Ipsos MORI).
Not surprisingly, Valentine is the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages but he is also called on for interventions regarding such diverse issues as beekeeping, epilepsy, the plague, fainting and travelling.
2016 will see one of Scotland’s most popular beer brands, McEwan’s, reach 160 years old. Lovers of the McEwan’s range of beers will have the chance to join in with the celebrations with a number of events and giveaways throughout the year. For instance McEwan’s Export drinkers will have a 1 in 4 chance to win a limited edition 160th anniversary pint glass, and there will be a number of other giveaways across McEwan’s social media throughout the year. There will also be celebrations at McEwan’s Party at the Palace – the Linlithgow music festival which takes place on 13th and 14th August.
The ongoing success of McEwan’s is also down to the evolution of McEwan’s beers to keep up with the demands of modern drinkers. The latest result of this is McEwan’s IPA which was launched last year. Tara Karimian, Marketing Manager for McEwan’s Beers, “It’s a great time to be a McEwan’s drinker.”
St Valentine’s skull, adorned with flowers, is on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome, but part of his arm is in Glasgow.
In the early 1800s skeletal remains and relics associated with St Valentine were unearthed in a catacomb near Rome and many were later distributed around the world. One of these relics – thought to be one of his forearms – now lies in Blessed John Duns Scotus Church in the Gorbals, encased in a 3ft-wide wooden chest, or reliquary. Men sometimes bring their partners to the church to propose beside it on February 14. Other relics belonging to the saint are to be found in Ireland, England, France, Malta and the Czech Republic.
Valentine’s Day is only the third sexiest night of the year – behind wedding anniversaries and birthdays (Ipsos MORI). In Scotland, couples say they are more likely to get passionate with a partner on Christmas Day.
The most popular choice of Valentine’s gift is a weekend getaway – with 30 per cent of adults saying that is the gift they would most like to receive.
However, most are likely to be disappointed as 42 per cent of men usually buy flowers for their loved one, while women are more likely to give their man aftershave (11 per cent) or chocolates (eight per cent) according to an Ipsos MORI poll.
Around 1.3 million adults (3%) in Britain have proposed, or been proposed to, on Valentine’s Day and nearly a million adults have said ‘I love you’ for the first time on the day (Ipsos MORI).
Scotland may be famous for its whisky, but it could equally be as famous for its gin … as the bulk of the UK’s gin production is here. Gordon’s with more than 40% of the market is distilled at Leven as is Tanqueray, while Hendrick’s is made at Girvan. More lately however its Scottish craft premium gins that have been making bartenders and consumers throughout the country stand up and take notice.
Certainly Hendrick’s could be credited with starting the gin renaissance in the UK much in the same way Magners kicked off the cider revival, but today its craft gin distillers who are making great strides.
At the start of the the year drinks analysts CGA said that premium gins were among the drinks to watch in 2015, certainly craft gin sales are up 49% in the past two years with craft gins now claiming 28% of the UK gin market.
Gin is cool and more specifically premium craft gins are the coolest brands of all. The good news is that not only are many of the mainstream brands made in Scotland, but the Scotland’s premium craft gins are making their mark and not just in Scotland but throughout the UK – Atlas Bar in Manchester recently unveiled their top ten selling gins and half of them were Scottish (including Hendrick’s). They were Edinburgh Gin, Rock Rose, Darnley’s View and Caorunn while they also tweeted out their love of Boë gin, Eden.Love and Daffy’s for Valentine’s day.
North Berwick Gin, NB was sampled by the biggest names in pop at the recent Brit Awards after show party hosted by Sony. The brand managed to secure the opportunity to mix up gin cocktails and have a bottle of NB on every table at the party. The cocktails included Bees Knees, made with honey and rosemary.
NB Gin is produced by Vivienne and Steve Muir in a custom-made copper still at their micro-distillery in North Berwick, East Lothian and has a blend of eight botanicals.
Daffy’s with an ABV of 43.4% is the very latest gin to launch (mind you by the time we publish there could be another one…) its got a pretty cool bottle and is run by Chris Molyneaux. It hosted a launch party recently at the Devil’s Advocate and has on its bottle Daffy the Goddess of Gin. The company say their gin is unique because it is “created from the finest French grain spirit, distilled on an ancient copper pot whisky still with Lebanese mint and the finest botanicals”… and it can be enjoyed “straight over ice like the finest of malt whiskies.”
Eden Mill, the St.Andrews based distillery and brewery, released what they believe is the first ‘Dry Hopped Gin’ to be made in the UK last year. Hop.Gin, which has an ABV of 46%, is packed in ceramic bottles with a swingtop closure. Paul Miller, owner of Eden Mill said, “The real fun of being an authentic ‘small batch’ brewer and distiller is that we can be innovative and experimental with what we produce. The additional dry hopping on Dry Hopped Gin really sets it apart from other conventional gins.”
Since Hop.Gin have produced a further two gins in the ceramic bottles with swingtop closures – Oak.Gin and Love.Gin with the latter going down a storm at St Valentine’s day.
Claire Nicoll of The Keys in St Andrews, told DRAM, “We like to stock Scottish products for our customers and our gins go down very well. I particularly like the range of gins from Eden.”
Caorunn, which has been produced at at Balmenach Distillery in Speyside since 2009, also has a distinctive bottle, uses pure grain spirit, not molasses like most gins, and promotes its own unique serve… Caorunn Gin with a freshly cut red apple. Caorunn (Scottish Gaelic for rowanberry) boasts 11 botanicals (five Celtic) and was named one of the UK’s Cool Brands in 2013/14.
Darnley’s View Gin from Wemyss Malts was launched in 2010 and celebrates the meeting of Mary Queen of Scots and her husband Lord Darnley at the Wemyss family home, Wemyss Castle, in 1565. Darnley’s View sits alongside the Wemyss family’s spirits portfolio which includes Wemyss Malts. Darnley’s View is a classic gin with balanced juniper and citrus, and a surprising twist in the form of fruity and floral elderflower. The family launched the Kingsbarn Distillery and Visitor Centre at the end of last year.
Rock Rose is a Caithness distilled gin from Dunnet Bay Distillers – and it is distilled in a traditional copper still called Elizabeth. (Edinburgh Gin call theirs Jenny). It was recently the runner up at the Speciality Food Show in the best product award category and is owned by husband and wife team Martin and Claire Murray. The gin which launched last year is made using locally derived botanicals, including the rock rose, from which the brand takes its name, sea buckthorn, rowan berries and blaeberries.
Makar gin was released late last year – the Glasgow gin from the Glasgow Distillery Company at Hillington, is another premium handcrafted gin produced in small batches in it’s own copper pot still (called Annie). and has seven botanicals.
Look out for a new gin from Angus-based Arbikie Distillery – which has just launched a vodka. Gin is expected to be produced come the Spring.
It’s not just Scottish gins that have stand out on the back bar, Butler’s Gin is a new, British, artisan spirit produced in East London which is hand bottled and comes in a squarish bottle. Originally inspired by a Victorian recipe, the gin is placed in a 20-litre glass jar with infusion bags containing fresh lemongrass, cardamom, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel, lemon and lime. Each bottle is then signed by The Butler personally to ensure the highest quality. The light green-meets-yellow tint is achieved by the Butler’s addition of lemongrass and cardamom – a unique blend that aromatherapists consider both refreshment and a relaxant. It’s award winning too having picked a Silver award at the International Spirits Challenge and a Silver at the International Wine & Spirit Competition.
Then there is Cadenhead’s Old Raj Gin it is distinctive in that it contains a measure of saffron, the rare and costly spice derived from the crocus flower. In addition to a slightly spicy flavour, this also imparts a pale yellow colour to Old Raj. The addition of saffron is undertaken personally by the Company master blender in order to ensure a consistency in flavour and colour each time Old Raj is bottled.
Says Iain Pert of Edinburgh’s newest gin bar the Jolly Botanist, “Edinburgh Gin has been selling really well. So has The Botanist, Caorunn as well as Hendrick’s. I think the latter sells well because everyone knows Hendricks.” He continues, “But all our gins are selling. I’ve had to totally restock three times since we opened – just over a week ago! We’ve also got through 70 cases of Fevertree an 40 cases of Fentimans. That’s because we actually recommend the serve to go with the gin. Some of more suited than others. I’m learning as we go along, but I find that consumers are really interested in gin. They ask lots of questions and then try them.”
He continues, “The great thing about gin is that distillers can really experiment with it by adding different botanicals. I think they find that quick good fun too. And you don’t have to wait years to taste it you can taste it two days later.”
There is a common thread running through most of the gin launches in that the owners also are planning to distill whisky or have whisky. Creating gin is a much quicker process – for instance it only takes eight hours to distill a small batch gin, and it could be on your shelves a week. The sames goes for vodka. However, with whisky is a much more long-drawn process. So by distilling gins and vodka’s new distilleries are able to generate revenue while their whisky matures. So technically our love of whisky is driving our passion for gin…
It also helps that for licensees, it is not prohibitive cost wise, to have a reasonable range of gins. And most bars do. Gin also crosses the spectrum of bars – independent traditional bars are just as likely to have a good a range of gin as independent style-orientated bars. The Ben Nevis in Glasgow stocks ten gins.
Elaine Scott licensees of the Ben Nevis says, ‘People tend to come in and ask about new gins. At the moment Makar is proving quite popular. Probably because it is a Glasgow gin.”
As well as a great range of craft gins Scottish consumers are also flocking to its gin bars. In Glasgow Gin71 and the Alston Bar and Grill, in Edinburgh – 56 North, Bramble, Heads and Tails, One Square, Mothers and now Jolly Botanist. But we have a way to go before we match Spains enthusiasm for Gin – says Iain Pert, “Spain leads the way when it comes to gin bars – they are everywhere.”
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Cadenhead’s Old Raj Gin is distinctive in that it contains a measure of saffron, the rare and costly spice derived from the crocus flower. In addition to a slightly spicy flavour, this also imparts a pale yellow colour to Old Raj. The addition of saffron is undertaken personally by the Company master blender in order to ensure a consistency in flavour and colour each time Old Raj is bottled. Being a much loved Scottish gin, it’s definitely a brand worth stocking.
we love Prosecco
Stock up on pink on February 14
2016 will see one of Scotland’s most popular beer brands, McEwan’s, reach 160 years old. Lovers of the McEwan’s range of beers will have the chance to join in with the celebrations with a number of events and giveaways throughout the year. For instance McEwan’s Export drinkers will have a 1 in 4 chance to win a limited edition 160th anniversary pint glass, and there will be a number of other giveaways across McEwan’s social media throughout the year. There will also be celebrations at McEwan’s Party at the Palace – the Linlithgow music festival which takes place on 13th and 14th August.