Slàinte Mhath
Ardross Distillery’s new gin is just as enigmatic as the lost civilisation of Picts which inspired it
Euan Duguid swaps whisky for a gin with links to the Picts
THEODORE PICTISH GIN has a potent whiff of enigma about it. Perhaps a bit like the eponymous tribe of “painted people” who lived in eastern and northern Scotland during the late British Iron Age. And perhaps, for that matter, a bit like Barth Brosseau the entrepreneurial Frenchman who sparked the gin’s creation.
“Theodore Pictish Gin represents a journey of curiosity, as we forge links between ancient legends and the world we live in today,” he says, somewhat mystically.
In a veritable one-man Gallic version of Grand Designs, Barth worked for years with historic properties, overseeing their refurbishment and repurposing.
He was attracted to the world of spirits following a chance meeting with Scotch whisky master blender Andrew Rankin. Inspired by the exploding potential of the Scottish gin market, Barth and Andrew teamed up, looking for potential sites to produce gin in traditional whisky-making areas. The pair settled on an abandoned farm in Ardross, some 38km (24 miles) north of Inverness.
In 2018, Barth coordinated a sympathetic renovation of the 20-hectare (50-acre) site which included an early 19th-century farmhouse, steading buildings and cottage.
He salvaged stone from the earth to reuse, and commissioned local stonemasons to replace those they couldn’t recover. And it was at this shovel-and-pick stage, Barth began to unearth the area’s mysterious past.
“While immersing myself in the history of Ardross, I found that some of the earliest inhabitants were the lost civilisation of the Picts,” Barth said.
“Here was a confederation of tribes that once made it its home amid the ancient rocks and glens until the 10th century.”
It was an apparent historical injustice that further enlivened Barth’s imagination – leading the gin to be named after Theodore de Bry, a 16th-century Belgian engraver and artist.
“I was particularly interested by the contrast between the savage Roman perspective of the Picts – and the archaeological discoveries that show the creativity and sophistication of Pictish society,” he continued.
“The artefacts they left behind seem to contradict the portrayals of a blood-thirsty tribe but rather a sophisticated, advanced civilisation.
“Theodore de Bry brought the Picts to life through his art. While he had never met a Pict, his representations powerfully captured their intrepid, creative identity.
“Inspired by his drawings, we followed in his footsteps
“Theodore life” de Bry brought the Picts to
by commissioning our own Pictish illustrations for the branding, which meant it was only right to give him some credit in the name.” Livery for the bottle taking care of itself, the gin itself is made up of botanicals including pomelo, pine, damask rose, honey and oolong tea. The producers say it’s a medley the Picts may have encountered on their travels. Yet the narrative has real substance behind it. The Ardross Distillery – worth £18 million and owned by parent company Greenwood Distillers – features a still house, tun room, mash house and mill room, housed in the main building. It’s one of the few distilleries in Scotland to own and manage its own Loch, Loch Dubh. Theodore Gin, the company’s first brand, launched in February last year and has secured listings in top city bars and restaurants. The team sold some 50,000 bottles in the UK by December 2019 and the brand’s three-year plan forecasts 250,000 bottle sales. This remote yet industrious distillery will also add Mezcal, Armagnac, Bourbon and luxury Scotch to its portfolio. And perhaps influenced by the notion of tribe ethos, people power is the fulcrum of this venture. Chairman and master blender, Andrew Rankin comes with 45 years’ experience at Chivas Brothers and Morrison Bowmore Distillers. He combines his Scottishgleaned
expertise with the olfactory vavavoom of Barnabé Fillion, a master perfumer turned whisky consultant.
With 38 years’ experience under his belt, Willie Dobbins, is the operations manager distillery manager. Sandy Jamieson, started working in spirits in 1979 in London, as commercial director, Ciaran Mcnicholas, previously worked with more than 40 top drinks brands.
“We’re home to a collective of classically trained distillers and master blenders, untrained dreamers and impetuous doers. We are old and young and we rarely agree – except when it comes to quality,” Barth said.
Continental flare, solid Scottish production techniques and teamwork are the components of this new spirit. After our conversation, Barth and his produce seemed much less of a mystery.