We’re serving up Christmas in a glass in this round-up of the best seasonal gins available now.
Whether you’re getting your partywear on or intend to mill around in your onesie, having a festive beverage is high on a lot of people’s Christmas lists.
And with the demand for gin continuing to boom in Scotland, especially at this time of year, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the top festive gins on the market.
Perfect for enjoying on their own, in a classic gin and tonic, or mixing into a Christmassy cocktail, you can fix up your drink in whichever manner you most desire in the comforts of your own home.
From candy cane to gingerbread, not to mention Brussels sprouts and mulled wine, the choice is endless when it comes to flavours to try your hand at…
Eden Mill’s Candy Cane Gin – St Andrews
Nothing screams Christmas quite like candy canes, and what better way to celebrate the occasion than to toast it with a bottle of this bold, beautiful and very red Christmas gin?
A special release a few years back, Eden Mill now brings this number out every year and has also developed a 250ml cocktail-in-a-can dedicated to this very spirit called the candy cane mojito.
A 70cl will cost you around £22 just now, and at 40% ABV this is a true gin, and not a liqueur.
Mince Pie Gin by the City of Aberdeen Distillery – Aberdeen
Launching around a year ago, the team behind the City of Aberdeen Distillery has released their first festive expression, mince pie gin.
Bottled at 40% ABV the spirit, which is distilled in the distillery in the heart of Aberdeen is priced at £4.99 for a 5cl – the perfect stocking filler size.
Full of warm and fruity seasonal spices, it is an excellent tipple to enjoy over the festive break.
Pearl Mist Gin from Black Thistle Distilleries – Brechin
This may not technically be classed as a “Christmas gin”, but when it sparkles and shimmers more than the baubles on your tree, that’s when this Pearl Mist gin from Black Thistle Distilleries in Brechin becomes festive.
For £37, this 70cl bottle of the 41% ABV spirit could be yours and if you have a sweet tooth it is definitely one for you. Packed with oodles of orange and cinnamon, it screams festive flavours, too.
It is suggested you enjoy it with tonic and a sizeable slice of orange for the perfect tipple.
There’s also a red berry (red), heather mist (purple), green mist (green) and black mist (black), meaning you could quite easily create your own Christmas shimmering gin collection at home.
Gin-gle Gin by El:Gin – Elgin
This gin will leave you jingling all the way to the kitchen with happiness if it makes its way into your festive gin offering.
The flavours of this festive tipple have been inspired by a traditional family Christmas cake recipe dating back more than five generations. The original cake recipe is one that came from an aunt who was a traditional Scottish baker that lived and worked in Aberdeen.
The El:Gin team have taken that original recipe and created a gin which is said to tastes and smells like Christmas in a glass.
Gin-gle gin, which is 40%, is priced at £32 for a 50cl bottle.
Tayport Distillery’s Scots Pine Gin – Tayport, Fife
Tayport Distillery in Fife has launched a new spirit which is bound to put a smile on anyone’s face this Christmas.
Launching their Scots pine gin, the inspiration behind the latest expression comes from the north-east Fife coastline, more specifically the local Tentsmuir Forest.
For this gin, master distiller and director, Kecia McDougall and her son Alasdair worked together to create a gin that captures the juniper and pine evergreen notes with a spicier edge.
At 40% ABV, the Scots Pine Gin boasts eight botanicals including: Juniper, Scots Pine, Coriander, Cassia, Cardamom, Orange, Angelica, and Almond.
Kecia said: “We are really excited to be launching our new Scots pine gin. Our creative inspiration yet again is the stunning locality of north-east Fife, bringing a taste
of the forest to your glass. This is a real treat to warm your palette on the cold nights in front of the fire!”
Pickering’s gin – Edinburgh
The Edinburgh-based gin distillery sent gin fans into pandemonium when they launched their gin-filled Christmas baubles and have continued to add to their festive gin flavour portfolio, with flavours including cranberry, Christmas clementine and even Brussels spouts, too.
Their latest limited edition release has also been proving popular, with their gingerbread gin being purchased by hundreds of people.
With a warming sweet spice, the 20cl bottle is well priced at £12 currently and is excellently paired with ginger ale or clementine tonic for a festive gin and tonic.
Redcastle Gin -Arbroath, Angus
Making its return this year after proving to be in great demand last year, Redcastle Gin‘s 35cl star bottles are great to put under the Christmas tree, or in any gin lovers stocking.
Packed with the firm’s festive cranberry and orange gin liqueur, the bottle is finished off by dipping it in wax to give it that extra elegant touch.
And once you’ve finished the contents, they can also make beautiful candle holders or vases – the gift that keeps on giving!
The Old Curiosity’s Christmas gin – Edinburgh
The Old Curiosity near Edinburgh is bringing the festive spirit to households across the UK with its colour changing Christmas gin.
The Secret Garden range 50cl Christmas Gin is distilled with botanicals grown in the distillery’s Secret Herb Garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh and sits at 39% ABV. Cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom are distilled to create a distinctly festive flavour, while hollyhock petals give the liquid a natural festive red colouring.
Coming in three sizes starting from a stocking filler size of 5cl (£5.95), 20cl (14.95) to 50cl (£35.95), it would make an ideal gift for Scottish gin fans.
Hamish Martin, director at the Old Curiosity Distillery, said: “We really wanted to explore a new range of festive flavours using traditional seasonal ingredients to make our Christmas Gin. We drew influence from medieval Christmas feasts by distilling the gin with cinnamon and aromatic cardamom, while the ginger gives the spirit an extra kick for warmth!
“We’re proud to say that our Christmas Gin contains no preservatives, sugars, colourings or flavourings, only truly natural ingredients from our very own Secret Herb Garden in Midlothian. We hope gin lovers enjoy our festive tipple this Christmas.”
Misty Isle Mulled Xmas Gin – Isle of Skye
This seasonal number encapsulates one of the most renowned drinks associated with Christmas – mulled wine.
Featuring botanicals including juniper, cassia bark, orange, lemon, star anise, Tonka beans and a pinch of liquorice root, all soaked in a rich Italian Amarone red wine prior to distilling, this mulled wine gin from Isle of Skye Distillers is worth its weight in gold.
From 50ml miniatures (£4.95) to 700ml bottles (£36) this spirit has the same flavour profile of mulled wine, but boasts a juniper hit.
GlenWyvis Distillery’s GoodWill Spiced Gin – Dingwall
Matured in oak casks which have been hand-picked by the GlenWyvis’s master distiller, this craft gin is a real winter warmer with its spicy character.
Boasting seasonal flavours like cinnamon and dried fruits, it is perfect enjoyed on its own, or can also be added to build a great gin and tonic.
Priced at £36.99, this 50bl bottle of 46% ABV gin is one of the highest ABV’s in our round-up.
Winter Gin by Edinburgh Food Social – Edinburgh
Created by the team at Edinburgh Food Social, this new release is distilled by the team at Edinburgh Gin and uses sloe berries, angelica root, dandelion and Douglas fir, which provides a warmth and spice on the palate.
A small batch release, monies from sales of this gin go towards the social enterprise in building a food hub on Portobello’s Stanley Street. So not only will you be enjoying a delicious gin, but you’ll be helping a business out at the same time, too.
The gin is priced at £30 for a 70cl bottle at 43% ABV.
For more Christmas inspiration…
