Scottish gin industry hits a new milestone

The Scottish gin industry has hit a new landmark, as more than 250 gins currently in production across the land.

The Gin Cooperative, a Scottish business that was established to help gin drinkers discover, explore and learn more about Scottish Gin have just added their 250th Scottish Gin profile and 100th Scottish Gin brand to their website.

The website was launched in late April 2018 and started life with 150 Scottish Gins and 70 Scottish Gin brands in The Gin Cooperative’s online directory of Scottish Gin.

In a little under a year, almost to the day, the directory now stands at over 250 Scottish Gins expressions. These range from traditional style London Dry gins and Old Tom gins, a sweetened style of gin, to contemporary flavoured gins.

Natalie Reid, co-founder, said: ‘We’re delighted to say that in just under one year since our website launched, we’ve now added our 250th Scottish Gin, Highland Liquor Company’s signature gin, Seven Crofts, which also brings our directory to 100 Scottish Gin brands.

‘With another 10 gins soon to be added and a number of new brand profiles currently being worked on, we anticipate by the end of 2019, our directory will be sitting at a staggering 300 Scottish Gins and 115 Scottish Gin Brands.

‘With the dramatic increase in the number of Scottish Gins and new brands demonstrates that Scottish Gin as a category is here to stay.

‘And the recent publication of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) figures shows a record 73 million bottles of gin were sold in the UK in 2018. With the value of the category almost doubling between 2016 and 2018, topping out at over a staggering £2 billion, the popularity of gin shows no sign of stopping.’

Martin Reid is co-founder of The Gin Cooperative

Martin Reid, co-founder, added: ‘We are confident that as long as Scottish Gin makers continue to produce premium, quality gins, continue to incorporate their own stories and personalities in their products, weave local folklore from their respective regions into their brand and gins and above all continue to respect and value the consumer, then Scottish Gin brands will continue to flourish and grow.

‘We are also passionate about, and will continue to promote, Scottish Gin as a category in its own right and as a vital part of Scotland’s food and drink portfolio. If the time does come when the demand for gin levels off, we strongly believe that Scottish Gin will be in a very strong position as being something more than just part of the gin craze, rather positioning Scottish Gin as being clearly recognised as a product of Scotland.

‘From the shores of Loch Ness to Scotland’s capital city Edinburgh, from rural Aberdeenshire to the most northernly tip of mainland Scotland, the islands, the lowlands and the borders, Scotland’s former industrial heartland of Glasgow to small rural communities, Scottish Gin can be found far and wide across the Scotland.

‘The fact we have so many talented people working in Scottish Gin and the wider drinks and spirits category, gives us cause for celebration.’