Wine with Gerard Richardson

SCOTLAND is becoming well known for its wide variety of gins and it’s fast becoming a rival to England’s dominance of the spirit.

I used to describe gin as vodka’s sexy sister or vodka with perfume but it’s a much more nuanced product than that.

The Scottish producers have really stepped up when introducing new botanicals such as heather gorse and myrtle.

You can serve gin in cocktails and many distilleries are producing easy to drink liqueurs but for me, one of the greatest inventions in life wasn’t the wheel, it was the gin & tonic.

Here are two of my current favourite gins and a cracking nonalcoholic option.

Ginsignia, Solway Spirits

Oh wow. Sometimes cask strength products become all about how to temper the alcohol but this one is just sublime. Add a tonic and a slice of lemon and sit back and relax in a myriad of crisp, refreshing juniper and citrus. Solwayspirits.co.uk £39.95

Pickerings Gin with Scottish Botanicals

Pickerings have produced a Scottish classic. Heather, thistle, myrtle and pine botanicals combine to add a level of genuinely pleasing complexity that I’ve never experienced in a gin before. Pickerings recommend serving it with a slice of tart green apple.

Pickeringsgin.com £32.95

Wild Eve Recipe No 1

I tried this Scottish non-alcoholic blend of botanicals with little hope but how wrong can one man be? For the odd occasion where you need a relaxing drink but alcohol just can’t be included, you won’t find a better product anywhere in the world. Serve with a twist of grapefruit and a dash of tonic.