Drink like a fish: how Scottish seaweed became the final word in gin revolution
Foragers pluck pine needles, thistles and gorse to feed blooming gin market
Originally
crafted in illegal stills and smuggled into Edinburgh’s Leith port in the 1700s to sate the country’s thirst for illicit alcohol, Scotland has a long-held love affair with the humble gin.
And news this week suggests the gin revolution shows no sign of slowing down, with UK exports sky-rocketing to £612 million in 2018.
As a result, gin distillers – small and large – are looking for increasingly unique ingredients to set themselves apart in a crowded market. From seaweed sourced in the waters off the Hebridean coast, to Scots pine needles, and milk thistle, artisan gin brewers are scouring the fruits of the land to give their brand a competitive edge.
Ashleigh Gibbs, writer for website The Gin Kin, believes we’re at a crucial point in the rising “gin-naissance”, for which Scottish brands make up 70% of overall UK production.
She said: “There’s been a notable rebirth in the image of gin from being something many will fondly recall their grannies drinking to a hip and cool drink people want to be seen with today.
“Scotland has a rich history of gin making, and that has definitely influenced some of the smaller distilleries we’re seeing come to the market, particularly when it comes to heritage and botanical choices. Red Door Gin – from the Scottish Highlands – for example, is very much inspired by Scotland’s mountains, forests and coastal fringes and features the likes of sea buckthorn, heather and rowanberries.”
She added: “You can see ‘ginnovation’ happening in all areas of the industry from the tiniest producer in Scotland creating the craziest flavours all the way to the large scale producers offering something different.”
Here, we speak to three foraging fanatics who are pouring their passion into gin.