A double reason for gin distillery to celebrate

A gin and-crafted on Scotland’s wild west-coast has had two reasons to celebrate recently.

Lussa Gin placed at number nine in the top 10 Scottish Gins, at the 2019 Scottish Gin Society Consumer Choice Awards.

The largest of its kind, the Scottish Gin Society survey this year received twice as many responses than in the 2018 vote. Over 6,000 unique voters from across the country picked their favourite gins produced in Scotland from an overwhelming list, putting Lussa Gin in the Top 10.

Adding to the streak of success, Lussa Gin also this week came out on top at this year’s Federation of Small Business Awards.

The hand-crafted gin distilled on the Isle of Jura beat off stiff competition, for the top prize in the ‘Best Start Up Business’ category. Showcasing the very best small businesses from right across the UK, the awards recognise business of all ages from every sector and industry.

Selling its first bottle in August 2016, Lussa Gin has now sold over 15,000 bottles of gin.

Founded in 2015 by three neighbours and adventurers, Lussa Gin is the first and only gin to come from the island, the Isle of Jura. Just off the west coast of Scotland, the island has one road and a population of just over 200 people and 6000 red deer.

Claire Fletcher, distiller and founder of Lussa Gin, said: ‘It’s a delight for us to walk away this week with not just one award, but an accreditation as one of Scotland’s Top 10 Gins as well. On the Isle of Jura, the terrain can be tough and weather unforgiving but luckily for us, we are surrounded by all of the botanicals that we need to make Lussa Gin. Lussa Gin is an expression of our landscape – that’s why it’s an adventure.

‘This is just the start of a very exciting year for Lussa Gin – we already export overseas to Sweden and Germany and we hope to increase international sales in 2019.’

On a mission to create the island’s first gin, Claire Fletcher, (48), Alicia MacInnes, (40), and Georgina Kitching, (43), combined their skills, experience and love to do so. From humble beginnings using a 10 litre still and classroom science equipment to distil gin in their kitchen, the trio now work from their converted stables where they host their own distillery called ‘Jim’ and 200 litre still, called ‘Hamish’.

Lussa Gin is made from 15 locally grown or gathered botanicals which are hand-picked and then frozen. Hills and woods are explored for Scots pine and bog myrtle; sea lettuce is fished from Ardlussa bay and lemon thyme is grown in polytunnels. Water is sourced from a spring in the Lussa glen. Once combined, the distilling process is completed with a basket of flowers and petals sat on top of the pot for the aromas and flavours to be infused.

For more information visit https://www.lussagin.com/.