USP: “A lightly-peated single malt whisky from a small batch vatting of American and French oak casks, the spirit has been fully matured in predominantly STR casks (re-conditioned casks that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred) with a significant element of ex-bourbon. The use of these casks compliment the White Peak house style of fruit forward new make,” the company said. USP: The wine is produced with Syrah grapes from dryland farmed vineyards in Darling, South Africa and dealcoholised to 0.5% abv “using a gently spun cone technology under vacuum and at low temperature to ensure that the wine retains its distinctive body, colour and flavour”. Seven Crofts, which is a small batch dry gin hand distilled in Ullapool, is a vibrant gin with notes of perfumed forest fruit, spicy hints of coriander and pink peppercorns - giving it a long, warm finish. The Scotsman’s own food and drink web editor, Sean Murphy, tells the tale of Scottish gin in his book, Gin Galore. It was a very nice surprise when Business Gateway introduced us to Scottish Development Interational. I thought you had to be quite a good size company to attract their attention, but they really helped us from the beginning.

Our Rum has entered its second year of ageing and we will be releasing a single cask one-year old limited edition this year and moving forward a six-month aged rum and then a 2+ year. We have The Lab Collection (TLC), which will create a vintage in gin - these will be limited releases over the year that follow certain events and then never to be repeated. Thus, creating a style of vintage within gin. Something a bit different. Their gin comes in three core bottlings – navy-strength, original and the 1947 – as well as the occasional limited edition. Business Gateway helped him get started with advice on digital marketing, product design and applying for funding. Oro Gin was given a place in Business Gateway’s pipeline system for predicted high growth businesses, which led to a meeting with Scottish Development International and the first export opportunity. He has also been advised by Dumfries & Galloway Chamber of Commerce. Fordhead Farm has recently announced the launch of, GINTÌ, Scotland’s first premium gin infused with Scottish tea leaves which are both grown and harvested on the family’s farm in Stirlingshire. Made using foraged island botanicals, including gorse and wild mint, the dedicated gin tour offers visitors the chance to visit the still room and find out more about the gin making process.

Farming couple who turn unwanted spuds into spirits open Scotland's first potato vodka visitor experience While a conventional tour isn't available, it is well worth visiting the distillery's gin school, which offers visitors the chance to sample straight from the still and to create your own custom Crossbill blends. The tour concludes with a full tasting of the distillery's gins, vodka and rum, and a drink of choice will be poured to enjoy with a selection of canapés. Visitors can see the gin still, Big Don, and try some of the products available before ending with a gin and tonic in the tasting room. Drivers will be given a 5cl miniature to take away and enjoy later. Owners of Persie Gin, Chrissie and Simon have focused their gin production on the adage that 75 per cent to 95 per cent of a gin’s flavour profile is based on smell, creating a Zesty Citrus Gin, a Herby & Aromatic one and their Sweety and Nutty Old Tom Gin.

The dedicated tour, which lasts an hour and 15 minutes, lets visitors see the inner workings of the distillery as well as being given the chance to sample some of their wonderful, award-wining gin. USP: Tapping into the demand for RTDs, the canned spritzers are made by blending The Uncommon’s white and rosé wines with sparkling water and botanical extracts, resulting in a lower-abv and lower-calorie alternative to wine. Once macerated we slow distil them both. We don’t use the term “slow distil” for marketing, in fact, we run the equipment over a longer period of time 15-17 hours, compared to 7-9 hours, we get a better differentiation of flavour fractions. This means each flavour profile can be more defined. These are all collected together in a tank and then diluted with demineralised water to bottle strength – 43%. We use demineralised water for consistency - Scottish water is wonderfully soft but demineralised water ensures a minimum concentration of ions, such as, Calcium hydrogen carbonate. These ions interact with flavour compounds and can affect final flavour. Instead of having to constantly test the water table for fluctuations in ions we strip them via demineralisation. From March until November, husband-and-wife team Martin and Claire Murray welcome guests for a tour of their distillery, including an introduction to Elizabeth, their copper still. USP: This release is “set to become the pinnacle of The Dalmore Principal Collection”. The single malt is a new annual release, limited to 8,000 bottles. The expression rests for an initial period in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels. The whisky is then matured in casks that were previously used within the solera system to produce Gonzalez Byass’ 30 Year Old Matusalem oloroso sherry.

USP: Bobby’s, the Dutch-Indonesian gin and jenever company, has launched its first ever RTDs – a gin and tonic and a gin and pink lemonade. The pink lemonade comes from lemonade syrups company Pinkyrose. If you're a fan of gin but want to know more about how the spirit is made, there are plenty of Scottish gin distilleries that you can visit for a tour or as part of a day trip. Visitors are invited to an interactive tour and tasting at The Glasgow Distillery Company, where you can see first hand the craftsmanship and care that goes into each bottle.

USP: This is the company’s first certified organic and vegan Côtes de Provence rosé. Nude Pink, which is bottled in 100% recycled wild flint glass, is stoppered with local cork and finished with a paper collar instead of a tin capsule. The new release “reflects Mirabeau’s consumer-centric strategy and is in line with the brand’s pending B-Corp status”. USP: “Crafted Lemonade combines the citric bite of lemon with an exhilarating hit of zesty lime. The flavour is further elevated by the juicy roundness of kumquat and a slight twist of orange,” the company said. Suggested serves include with vodka, gin, whisky, white wine or Pimms. USP: Sunlight is the brewery’s “first-ever lite lager” with a lower abv than regular lager. Brewed with summer in mind, the lager is said to be “light, mega sessionable, and easy-drinking” with a blend of wheat, flaked torrefied maize and lager malt.

Wildcat Gin

This three hour experience includes a complimentary tutored tasting, instruction and talk from Crossbill’s founder, a personalised 50cl bottle of your own recipe gin and a discount at the distillery shop. Home of Makar Gin, the Glasgow Distillery Company also produces the first malt whisky in the city in over 100 years, 1770 and the Banditti Club spiced rum. USP: Dead Man’s Fingers has announced that it is expanding into the RTDs category with three new launches – Spiced Rum & Cola, Spiced Rum & Ginger Beer and Passion Fruit Rum & Lemonade. USP: The rum is from the new distiller’s first batch. Manatii was established to help Hurricane Dorian relief efforts, and 5% of each sale will be donated to the charity IDEA Relief – a Bahamian-based marine disaster response and preparation organisation. Tours are held in collaboration with Tennent's, so it's worth making a day of it to find out more about one of the best-loved names and the newest in the drink scene in Glasgow.