A Scottish spirits manufacturer has made it to Hollywood after its gin was selected to go into the $125,000 gift bags at the Oscars.
Gin Bothy, distilled in Angus, has been chosen as part of a lavish offering that will be hand delivered to the top 25 Oscar nominees in February.
The exclusive gift set has been described by creators Distinctive Assets as ‘the ultimate swag bag’.
In the past it has gone to nominees for Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor – including the likes of Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis and Steven Spielberg.
Well known likely nominees at this year’s glamorous 96th Oscars ceremony could be Cillian Murphy, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone.
There are around 60 items in each bag that have previously included plots of land in Australia and Scotland, and luxury stays in an ancient Scottish castle.
Gin Bothy, which uses Scottish heather and Scots’ pine and rosemary, has distilled an exclusive batch that will be uniquely numbered 1-25 for the Hollywood superstars.
Owner Kim Cameron became an ‘accidental gin-maker’ after discovering her talent while making jam in her bothy kitchen in Glamis in 2015.
She said she grew up watching the Oscars and is delighted with the chance to showcase her product to global superstars.
‘This is incredible news for us,’ said Kim. ‘It’s giving us a chance to showcase Scottish spirits with our award-winning gin.
‘We are taking a little piece of Scotland to Los Angeles with an exclusive small batch distillation of our gin for the Oscar nominees.
‘It will be a high end gin made with Scottish heather, Scots pine and rosemary, essentially a real taste of Scotland in a bottle.’
The opportunity to pitch for a place at the Oscars came after a chance conversation with the owner of Turin Castle, near Forfar, who previously offered exclusive private use of Turin for the gift bag.
Owner Yvonne Corbett was asked to recommend a Scottish gin and Gin Bothy was selected after a taste test.
‘I’m proud of the fact that Gin Bothy has been selected ahead of other brands that weren’t deemed to have the same credibility or provenance as Gin Bothy,’ added Kim.
‘I’m also really passionate about the Scottish food and drink industry and will do anything I can to promote our fantastic products and taking our product to the Oscars is really special.
‘The Oscars and Hollywood is another world. I’m from a generation that grew up watching them and it meant a lot to my dad.
‘Silver screen stars were the icons of the film industry so it’s a real honour for a small Scottish independent brand to be part of that evening.
‘But the beauty of the Oscars is that people can emerge from anywhere to become stars.
‘Unknowns can become legends of the screen and, similarly, if I can get my product to the Oscars then I hope it inspires others in the Scottish food and drink industry to think big.’
Read our full interview with Kim Cameron here.
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