It might not feel like it quite yet but spring is around the corner, and with it the chance to try a range of new or seasonal Scottish gins.
From new flavours to popular classics, here we take a look at five gins to toast the warmer spring weather with.
Rock Rose Spring Edition is a limited batch of gin made by the most northerly distillery on the UK's mainland near John O'Groats and, as the name suggests, is a light, refreshing gin.
Distilled using ingredients foraged from the local area such as coltsfoot, for sweetness; wild gorse flowers, which introduce a distinctive coconut note; and dandelion, which balances the sweetness with earthy, liquorice notes.
Cardamom and water mint notes help balance the ingredients and bring an exciting freshness.
Available from 8 March in a ceramic bottle or refill pouch, only two 850 bottle batches are made so be quick if you want to try it.
Priced at £37.50 for a 70cl bottle, find out more and buy here.
Pour yourself a refreshing drink thanks to a new collocation between Lussa Gin and Walter Gregor's.
Claire Rennie founded Walter Gregor’s in 2015, a year after launching her lemonade company Summerhouse Drinks.
On an Aberdeenshire farm with a walled garden full of fresh botanicals, Claire spotted a gap in the market for a home-grown mixer to complement the rising number of craft gins being produced in Scotland.
Lussa Gin is distilled on the Isle of Jura off the west coast of Scotland by an all-women team, Alicia MacInnes, Claire Fletcher and Georgina Kitching.
Jura is home to just over 230 people and 6000 red deer and is a two ferry journey from the mainland.
The three of them met as neighbours at the sparsely populated north end of the island and in 2015 they got together to share their love of the island, growing plants and most importantly, gin.
To celebrate all these women and highlight the fantastic Lussa Gin, Walter Gregor’s has crafted a limited-edition mixer that pairs perfectly with the gin for their March Subscription Box.
The Mint and Lemon Soda, which is only available this month, is made with fresh mint infused in lemon juice to give a natural minty flavour with a zesty lemon after taste.
The soft drink is lightly carbonated to let the taste of the zesty, aromatic paired Lussa Gin shine through.
To find out more about the pairing and buy a box, visit the Walter Gregor's website.
Launched last year, Edinburgh Gin's Gooseberry & Elderflower gin is a tangy and refreshing mix of tart gooseberries and sweet, fragrant elderflower bottled at 40% ABV.
The team say: “With a natural light green hue, Gooseberry & Elderflower Gin is the perfect mix for tonic, or a sharp base spirit for a gin cocktail.
Priced at £28 the Elderflower & Gooseberry gin is available here.
Ben Lomond Gin has unveiled its first ever gift pack with its two infused gins: Raspberry & Elderflower and Blackberry & Gooseberry, along with its original London Dry-style premium Scottish gin, Ben Lomond Gin.
The trio pack of miniatures, which is available to purchase from 5 March, provides a choice of refreshing gins to be enjoyed during the warmer spring weather.
The gift pack includes a 5cl bottle of each gin, all of which can be used for a seasonal G&T or as part of a light, spring cocktail.
Priced at £15, the pack will be available to purchase online via the Ben Lomond Gin website.
Picture: Barra Gin
Transport yourself to the seaside with a Barra Atlantic Gin.
Launched in 2017, the island distillery initially contract distilled their spirit in London before opening Barra’s first legal distillery in May 2019.
The team recently welcomed a new addition to the distillery – a 300-litre copper still named Ada,.
The Barra Atlantic gin is made with 17 handpicked botanicals, foraged from the island, and is extremely smooth, so much so, that it’s very easy to drink over ice.
But if a G&T is more your thing, fans of juniper-led gins will love its fresh taste.
The Carrageen seaweed gives the gin a minerality and seaside flavour while the citrus notes ensure there is a juicy quality to the gin.
Served with a premium tonic and a slice of grapefruit orange, it’s a very refreshing G&T and ideal for warmer days.
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