It’s been eight months since successfully launching in mainland Europe, and now, a new chapter begins for award winning Gin Bothy as the brand confirms export to The USA.
Angus based Gin Bothy, already widely recognised as one of Scotland’s leading gin companies, has now partnered with Total Wine & More, America‘s largest independent retailer of fine wine, to sell Gin Bothy’s Original and Gunshot Gins in 229 of their stores across 27 states.
Founded in 2015, Gin Bothy uses traditional methods of production to deliver their premium gin. The 2021 Scottish Retail Food and Drink Awards saw Gin Bothy win a Gold Award for their Gunshot Gin, alongside a Silver Award for sister company, Hipflask Spirits’ Spiced Rum. The Great Taste Awards in 2021 saw their Rum Bothy win the coveted 3-star Award and Hipflask Spirits win a 2-star Award. Combined with their previous wins, this gives Gin Bothy the highest number of Great Taste awards in Scotland.
This partnership will double Gin Bothy’s current production and a full time Production Manager will be employed to cope with demand. The first export will contain 6000 units, all with Gin Bothy’s personal touch of being numbered, batched and poured by hand in Scotland.
Talks originally began at Gleneagles Hotel’s Showcasing Scotland event, organised by Scotland Food & Drink and government agency Scottish Development International (SDI), in 2019, where some of the world’s largest food and drinks buyers were in attendance. Kim Cameron, Gin Bothy Founder, said: “It’s taken time and persistence, but we are finally there…” as the deal came to completion.
With the initial launch taking place in Texas, and a state-by-state launch plan thereafter, Kim is thrilled to launch her ‘Gunshot Gin’ during Texas’ Rodeo Season.
Historically a place of refuge, warmth, stories and Scottish folk songs, Kim hopes to keep the Bothy traditions alive, by sampling her way around America, singing her famous, self-composed ‘Bothy Song’ as she goes.
Revenue in the Gin segment amounts to US$2,826m in 2022 in The United States. The market is expected to grow annually by 5.88%* demonstrating the significant potential of the partnership.
Gin Bothy Founder Kim Cameron said, “We’re thrilled to be growing our Stateside customer base in 2022 and we have set our sights on Canada next. We hope to spread the Bothy love even further afield in the coming years, as we continue to expand our export adventure and develop our global network.”
Daniel Crowe, Co-Founder of Food Export International said, “We’re thrilled to see the gin awakening trickle across from the UK and take hold of the USA. In 2021, over 10 million nine-litre cases of gin were sold in the US, making this the fifth highest sales volume in the spirits industry. With Scotland’s gin accounting for 70% of the UK’s production, it’s clear that the Scots are the experts. The impressive awards and compelling Scottish heritage definitely make Gin Bothy stand out from competitors. We’re pleased that Total Wine & More will be Gin Bothy’s gateway to American customers.”