Think gin, and you immediately think of England, or to be more specific, London, says Craig MacLellan. William of Orange first introduced gin to the UK from Holland when he took the British throne in 1689. The tipple remained popular right through to the early 20th century, hitting its peak in the 1920s and 1930s, when it was the drink of choice for many mandarins in far-flung corners of the Empire.
The spirit went through several rocky years in the second half of the 20th century, but since the turn of the millennium, its popularity has exploded, with much of this being driven by Scottish distillers.
William Grant & Sons — better known for Glenfiddich and The Balvenie — kick-started the current gin revolution with the introduction of Hendrick’s, which brought something completely new to the UK gin market. Today, 70% of the gin consumed in the UK comes from Scotland, thanks to the fact that both those gin mainstays, Gordon’s and Tanqueray, are produced in Scotland by drinks giant Diageo.
Recent figures show that, by 2020, sales of gin in the UK will top £1.5bn, whilst whisky sales are expected to remain flat at £1.2bn (although the latter has its massive export market to fall back on). Whilst much of this demand is being met by the big boys, there is a raft of distillers across the country hoping to tap into this popularity, with many successfully carving out their own niche and distinctive market share.
The choice between the dozens of new gins entering the market can sometimes be overwhelming, so here are three of my (current) favourites.
Pickering’s Gin Navy Strength
Pickering’s gin hails from Scotland’s capital and lays claim to being Edinburgh’s first gin distillery for more than 150 years. Founded in 2013 by friends Marcus Pickering and Matthew Gammell, the distillery is located in the heart of the city, in a building which once served as Edinburgh University’s veterinary school.
Like many new distillers, the Pickering’s team gets hands-on during the production process, with the spirit produced in a handbuilt still before being bottled and wax-sealed by hand.
According to the founders, the distillery’s recipe comes from a scrap of paper handed to Marcus, which details a nine-botanical gin recipe jotted down by a spirit distiller in the last days of the Raj at Mount Mary, Bombay. Although the gin has been tweaked and polished to appeal to modern tastes, it still maintains this original recipe at its heart. Although its standard bottling is fantastic, I like my gins to have a bit of power, so I’ve plumped for its navy strength expression.
Pickering’s Navy Strength
was first released in 2014 as the official gin of the historic Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (hence the charming bearskin hat) and clocks in at a hefty 57% ABV — a historic oddity from a time when sailors would mix a small sample of spirit with gunpowder, before trying to ignite it in a bid to determine the alcohol’s strength. Less romantically, the term has also been attributed to a branding consultant who devised the term ‘navy strength’ in 1993 on behalf of Plymouth Gin. I’ll leave you to decide which story you prefer.
As the name suggests, this is a gin that packs a punch. Smooth and clean, it uses the original Pickering’s recipe as its base, with initial juniper and aromatic spice flavours giving way to a surprising and distinctive burst of sweetness.
Silent Pool Gin
It would be churlish — and just plain incorrect — for me to claim that Scotland is the only part of the UK producing fantastic gin. New gin distillers are popping up across the country; one of the most impressive is Silent Pool in Surrey.
The distillery is located in an extraordinary location on the Duke of Northumberland’s Albury Estate. This prime location allows the distillery to draw its water from the legendary Silent Pool, which lends its name to a tale of King John and an abducted woodcutter’s daughter who supposedly drowned in the water. Folklore says the fair maiden can still be seen at midnight, so buyer beware, as after-hours drinkers of this gin might just fall foul of her.
As the founders were keen to have sustainability at its heart, the gin is made in small batches using a custom-made still, which is heated by steam from a reclaimed boiler that is fired using local hardwood. A very labour-intensive process, but it’s well worth the effort.
The inspiration for Silent Pool gin came from a desire to replicate the success that whisky makers have had in creating a spirit that encapsulates the romance and narrative of its place of origin by using local botanicals to tell the story of that place. With their brandy and grappa already on the market, this is a distillery to watch.
Bringing together a mind-boggling 24 botanicals, from angelica, cardamom and juniper to rose petal, lavender and lime, they all combine to create a gin with fresh flora and clarifying citrus notes, which are grounded by earthy and spicy flavours, and a smooth finish, thanks to the help of some local honey.
Lonewolf Gin
This new boy to the market comes from one of Scotland’s most well-known and ‘disruptive’ companies — Brewdog. Since being established in a garage by James Watt and Martin Dickie back in 2007, the brewer has taken the beer world by storm by creating beers which put flavour before volume. And now, they’re turning their attention to the spirits world.
LoneWolf Distillery has been brewing (excuse the pun) for almost two and a half years now. Other distillers have brought their products to market quicker, but LoneWolf is aiming to do things slightly differently. A whole range of spirits is planned for the future, including vodka and whisky, amongst others.
Even with something as well-established as gin, LoneWolf is taking a different approach. Whilst the vast majority of distillers will buy their spirit in bulk and then re-distil it using their selection of botanicals, LoneWolf is creating its own base liquid from scratch — using BrewDog’s vast brewing equipment and knowhow — allowing them to control every part of the production process.
The final recipe has been through more than 150 iterations before hitting the market. And they’ve installed a colossal 19m high 60-plate rectification column to get the purest, cleanest spirit possible.
Unlike so many gins on the market at the moment, LoneWolf Gin has a strong juniper berry backbone, with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves giving it some zest. Delicate notes of coriander, pink peppercorns and mace come through on the palate, along with some good old Scots pine needles.
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