I could say it’s the fresh pure Scottish waters, or the love of foraging for botanicals in the stunning scenery, but for me it’s the people!
Something amazing happens between strangers when you talk about gin, something I’ve never experienced with any other spirit. Their eyes light up and the chat moves to “which gin are you drinking at the moment?”, which mixer works with what and “have you tried this one?”. As you chat you find out where they’ve travelled to, which bars or gin festivals they’ve been to, and before you know it you’ve made a gin friend, a camaraderie that I think is unique!
I love seeing couples enjoying gin together, they often describe it as their “thing” attending gin festivals and buying new gins to share together. Friends plan road trips to include new gin tastings as their weekend activity, maybe it’s a new sport! I don’t know about you but I can’t wait till we can have these gin chats face to face again!
People love sharing their stories, their gin cupboard or shelf pictures, their unique finds and where their gin journey is taking them.
For visitors to Scotland (or virtual visitors at the moment) the romantic ideals of our glens and mountains, wide open spaces and fresh air, steeped in history, tradition and stories of old are a pull to explore.
Our whispers of the past fuel the love of a simple life and nostalgic view. Our landscape in rural Scotland has remained unchanged for hundreds of years, and we often say at tastings in the Bothy that we used to use alcohol and music to make life better and really nothing has changed. I guess that’s our heritage and certainly what makes me passionate about keeping our Scottish ways alive.
It’s special for me because as a small country we have amazing gin from the islands to the borders. Each producer, from families to commercial giants, create something unique with their own story to tell. For me gin is like cooking and whatever you add brings out a flavour, so adding freshly picked gorse, heather and milk thistle for example is a culinary experience bringing Scotland’s legendary food and drink to a glass near you.
Enjoy your Scottish gin journey!
- Kim