Esker Gin – Premium Scottish Highland Dry Gin | 42% ABV, 70cl Bottle | Distilled in Aberdeenshire with Locally Sourced Silver Birch Sap, Pink Peppercorns, and Rosehip | Ideal for Negroni and Martini

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Why tea? Because Scotland has many historical links with the tea trade with several stemming from Aberdeenshire which is where the Founders are based. When they discovered the story of James Taylor – a young man from the area - who grew the very first commercial tea plantation in British Ceylon, they worked with tea consultant Beverly Wainwright to source a special loose leaf tea from the Amba Estate in Sri Lanka. I do prefer a citrus or herbaceous style of gin, but a juniper-led gin will always be the best after a hard week’s work when you need a gin to be a GIN! Their Sweet Citrus Gin includes Grapefruit, Lime, Kaffir Lime and Lemongrass in its recipe, sounds like it will be distinctive and refreshing. Thankfully, experts like Jayne are on hand to keep us from missing out, and here she introduce us to 10 of the newest Scottish gins around: No. 1: Persie Gin

The team at Kirkjuvagr tell me its incredibly smooth and can be sipped neat over ice with a piece of orange rind. Their "Perfect Serve" for Kirkjuvagr is Fever Tree tonic with a twist of orange peel. Sustainability drives Phil and Tabatha’s ethos. The distillery uses solar energy, water rises on the land and juniper has been planted to help the regeneration of the berry which is key to all gin distillation.I have so many Scottish Gins that I love. My favourite serves tend to vary based on different circumstances – the weather, my mood and the fruit I have in the house! Simon has been using his expert knowledge to host gin nights all over the country, and he knows what goes into a truly great gin.

They plan to do this by using spent grain waste as the main fuel source. Forth Bridge Brewery estimate by doing this they will save an estimated 28,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in their first year. That is truly amazing. I'm sure their end product will be just as interesting. The bright, silver bark of silver birch trees makes them a notable feature across Scotland and especially across Royal Deeside where the Esker distillery is located. Silver birch is a generous tree – it’s widely spread roots bring otherwise inaccessible nutrients into the tree, which are recycled on to the soil surface when the tree sheds its leaves. It has links to Celtic mythology, symbolising renewal and purification – in Scottish Highland mythology, it is used as symbol of love. Using gorse as a botanical didn’t immediately spring to mind when I began making gin, but as my palate and skill as a distiller developed it began to make sense as I looked to create a unique London Dry gin, which met my own personal preferences as a gin-drinker i.e. juniper-led with floral elements without becoming perfumey. Gorse was perfect. During her 44 year career, Britannia travelled 1,087,623 nautical miles, calling at more than 600 ports in 135 countries. Situated in Edinburgh’s historic port of Leith, visitors enjoy an insight into The Queen’s former floating palace, and the lives of those who lived and worked on board. This tasty looking gin has just opened its doors. For many years there has been only one gin distillery on Orkney; at the end of this year we will have three.Tiree is a fertile and remote island, famed for sunshine and stunning scenery, and is surrounded by the vast Atlantic Ocean. In the eighteenth century, the island was home to around fifty distillers with each farm on the island operating at least one still producing whisky.

A brand new Premium Scottish Gin Producer based in Callendar, they have really set out to be authentic and different.Also added to Teasmith is juniper, coriander, orange peel, grains of paradise, angelica, calamus and orris root. Hand-in-hand with the explosion of craft gins and premium tonics over last few years, there has been a sharp rise in the use of creative gin garnishes. With gin brands and gin fans choosing to embellish their favourite tipple with everything from pink grapefruit to frozen asparagus tips (yes asparagus!) the days of the humble “ ice & slice” appear to be a distant memory. Try these two in a Negroni. Makar Mulberry Aged, the sweet, smoky flavour quietly cuts through the Campari and really makes for a super enjoyable and very easy-to-drink Negroni. Next up is the slightly sweeter Garden Shed Côte-Rôtie Aged Gin. This is aged in an old wine barrique. This, honestly, is one of the best Negroni gins I have found. Nestled deep in the western Pentland Hills, Tarbraxus Distillers is home to the award-winning Pentland Hills Gin. The gin is also offered at Navy Strength – 58% abv. Despite this big mouthful of alcohol, it is remarkably smooth and can be happily sipped naked! As a G&T it offers hints of toffee and citrus, for the adventurous try mixing a Vesper – you won’t be disappointed.