Fife

Where is it from?
Kingsbarns, Fife

What's in it?
Juniper, lemon peel, coriander seed, angelica root, elderflower and orris root.

What's the damage?
£25 for 70cl

Is it Strong?
40% ABV

What makes it interesting?

Darnley’s Original was created by the Wemyss Whisky Company from a family recipe. It represents the moment in 1565 when Mary Queen of Scots first saw her future husband, Lord Darnley, through the courtyard window of Wemyss Castle. The botanicals are traditional and four-times distilled.

Gins in the Darnley's family:
Darnley's Original Gin
Darnley's Spiced Gin
Darnley's Spiced Navy Strength

Distilled in Kingsbarns, Fife, Scotland.

Where is it from?
St Andrews

What's in it?
Juniper, angelica root, coriander seed, lemon balm, sea buckthorn berries.

What's the damage?
£30 for 70cl

Is it Strong?
42% ABV

What makes it interesting?

The original gin from Eden Mill. Local botanicals, such as sea buckthorn berries, have been added to a traditional recipe of juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seed and lemon balm. As Scotland's first single-site brewery and distillery, the second gin in the range was Hop - a beer-lovers' gin. Then came Oak Gin, marrying ex-bourbon and ex-bourbon beer barrels with a classic gin recipe to complement this fresh, still-young wood. And it was no surprise that the team wanted to bring out a craft gin to celebrate what their home town is most famous for: golf! This gin is influenced by the ancient methods used by makers of golf clubs as it contains hickory wood - a botanical which gives the flavour a bit of extra spice. Love Gin was launched on Valentine's Day 2015, featuring red rose petals, marshmallow root, goji berries and hibiscus flowers. Later the same year, in November 2015, Eden Mill brought out a 12 Gins of Christmas Hamper. It featured a Naval Strength Sea Buckthorn at 57%, plus six additional gins (the last six featuring in the list below), each derived from the original Sea Buckthorn and infused with an eclectic selection of botanicals, fruits and spices.

Gins in the Eden Mill family:
Eden Mill Sea Buckthorn Gin
Eden Mill Sea Buckthorn Naval Strength
Eden Mill Hop Gin
Eden Mill Oak Gin
Eden Mill Love Gin
Eden Mill Golf Gin
Eden Mill Rosemary Gin
Eden Mill Mulled Gin
Eden Mill Vanilla & Cinnamon Gin
Eden Mill Chilli & Ginger Gin
Eden Mill Blueberry & Vanilla Gin
Eden Mill Elderberry & Lemongrass Gin 
Eden Mill Pear & Cassia Gin Liqueur 
Eden Mill Stawberry & Black Pepper Gin
Eden Mill Lemon & Raisin Gin ​

Distilled in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland.

Where is it from?
Leven, Fife

What's in it?
Juniper, coriander, ginger, cassia oil and nutmeg.

What's the damage?
£15 for 70cl

Is it Strong?
37.5% ABV

What makes it interesting?

Owned by the British spirits company Diageo, Gordon’s gin is very junipery and lemony with a clean, sharp aftertaste that works well in a G&T – which is mostly how it’s drunk. Following the flavour innovation of craft distillers, Gordon’s jumped on the bandwagon with launches of Crisp Cucumber and Elderflower gins in 2014. In 2017, inspired by an original Gordon’s recipe from the 1880s, came Gordon's Pink Gin, crafted to balance the refreshing taste of Gordon’s with the natural sweetness of raspberries and strawberries.

Gins in the Gordon's family:
Gordon's
Gordon's with a spot of elderflower
Gordon's Crisp Cucumber
Gordon's Pink Gin 
Gordon's Sloe Gin
Gordon's Export Gin

Distilled in Cameron Bridge, Fife, Scotland.

Where is it from?
Lundin, Fife

What's in it?
Juniper, elderflower, chamomile, caraway, grapefruit, bitter orange, cinnamon and locally foraged gorse.

What's the damage?
£37.00 for 70cl

Is it Strong?
43.1% ABV

What makes it interesting?

Produced by Lundin Distilling, this gin has locally foraged gorse as its dominant botanical. Working in collaboration with a renowned distiller who has previously collaborated with Sipsmith and Arbikie, Gorse Gin is the combination of a love of the Fife coast and the science of botanical profiling. The gin is both fruity and floral. 

Distilled in Fife, Scotland. 

Where is it from?
Fife

What's in it?
Juniper, sake, yuzu and cherry blossom

What's the damage?
£35 for 70cl

Is it Strong?
41.3% ABV

What makes it interesting?

This hybrid spirit is the marriage of British gin with the delicate flavours of cherry blossom and yuzu citrus fruit, finished by smooth Japanese sake. It was invented by the winner of Diageo's 2013 Show Your Spirit bartender competition and is now part of Diageo's Reserve Brand portfolio, alongside Johnnie Walker and Ciroc. The winning bartender receives 5% of the net sales of Jinzu from its first five years on the market, while a further 5% will go toward funding bartender initiatives. 

Distilled in Cameron Bridge, Fife, Scotland.

Where is it from?
Rosyth, Fife

What's in it?
Juniper, citrus, lavender, elderflower and angelica.

What's the damage?
£30 for 70cl

Is it Strong?
33% ABV

What makes it interesting?

Despite juniper being one of the nine botanicals, the team behind Minus 33 opted for an ABV of 33% - below the 37.5% minimum requirement for gin. So technically this isn't gin; it's a 'botanical-infused spirit'. The core message is that while it is full of flavour it is lighter in calories, with only 46 cals per measure - so a slim serve. Created in a lab in Rosyth, it is distilled in Silent Pool Distillery south of the Border. The result is a fresh and floral profile. 

Distilled under contract in Surrey, England.

Where is it from?
St Andrews, Fife

What's in it?
Juniper, coriander, angelica, grapefruit, liquorice and blackcurrant.

What's the damage?
£39.50

Is it Strong?
40% ABV

What makes it interesting?

The ancient spring found on Balmungo Estate is thought to have been used by weary pilgrims arriving at St Andrews during medieval times. So, to honour this welcome act of liquid refreshment, the team brings you Pilgrim’s Gin. The gin is refined with Scottish spring water, naturally sourced and drawn from a sustainable spring, then lovingly blended with blackcurrant. Due to the high concentration of grapefruit, at lower temperatures the gin goes cloudy.

Cold compounded in Fife, Scotland. 

Where is it from?
St Andrews, Fife

What's in it?
Juniper, with a range of botanicals

What's the damage?
£35.00 for 70cl

Is it Strong?
43% ABV

What makes it interesting?

The flavoured gins are the brainchild of the team behind the successful brewery St Andrews Brewing Co. They currently make three flavour profiles. The Pink Grapefruit is inspired by Tanqueray 10. The Orange, Cardamom and Tonka Bean expression was inspired by a recipe created by the former Seafood Restaurant in St Andrews where a reduction of orange, cardamom and vanilla was served with scallops. Finally, the Lemongrass and Ginger Gin is the team’s answer to sake: they were keen to create a style gin with hints of Asian cooking which would work well drunk neat with sashimi.

Gins in the St Andrews Gin Co family:
St Andrews Gin Co Pink Grapefruit
St Andrews Gin Co Orange, Cardamom & Tonka Bean
St Andrews Gin Co Lemongrass & Ginger

Distilled in Methven, Perthshire.

Where is it from?
Leven, Fife

What's in it?
Only four botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica root and liquorice.

What's the damage?
£22 for 70cl

Is it Strong?
43.1% in the UK (47.3 in US and 40% in Australia)

What makes it interesting?

Owned by the British spirits company Diageo, Tanqueray originated in England and is now produced in Scotland. It is one of Diageo's 16 ‘strategic brands’ earmarked for prioritisation in promotion and distribution worldwide – and as a result is better known in export markets rather than its home country. For example, it is the biggest gin imported to North America. Tanqueray No. 10 (47.3%) was introduced in 2000, taking its name from the still in which the 'citrus heart' is produced, Tiny 10. It is distilled four times and is targeted at the martini market. Tanqueray Rangpur's unique selling point is the rangpur botanical; this citrus fruit tastes very much like a lime, but is a hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin orange. Tanqueray Old Tom is a style of gin dating back to 18th century England, falling between malty Dutch genever and biting London Dry. This slightly richer and sweeter version of gin was eclipsed by London Dry but now, as part of the modern cocktail renaissance, mixologists are keen to recreate authentic old-school recipes with Old Tom. Tasted next to Tanqueray's London Dry, the difference is stark: the London Dry is bold with juniper and spices while the Old Tom is sweet and the juniper is subtle. Tanqueray Malacca was originally released in 1997 as a lighter, easier style companion to the iconic Tanqueray London Dry Gin. It was pulled from the market around 2001 but relaunched in 2013 by popular demand. A sweeter gin with less juniper emphasis and more citrus than the classic style, it has been resurrected after gradually assuming cult status among cocktail revivalist bartenders as a good substitute for the original Old Tom styles of gin. In 2015, Diageo launched Tanqueray Bloomsbury, a double-juniper, heavy gin created from a Tanqueray family recipe dating back to 1880 in Bloomsbury, London. Finally, in 2018, Tanqueray launched Flor de Sevilla, chock-full of famously zesty Seville oranges.

Gins in the Tanqueray family:
Tanqueray Gin
Tanqueray No 10 Gin
Tanqueray Rangpur Gin
Tanqueray Malacca Gin
Tanqueray Old Tom Gin
Tanqueray Bloomsbury Gin
Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla
Tanqueray Lovage Gin

Distilled in Cameron Bridge, Fife, Scotland.