Angus distillery Gin Bothy, whose drinks are to be featured at the Oscars, are fronting a campaign to give the tipple the same protected status as whisky.
Gin Bothy boss Kim Cameron is fronting calls to give gin the same geographical indication (GI) as the Barley Bree.
Producers of the ever-growing popular spirit fear the “Scottish gin” label could be slapped on products as part of underhanded marketing techniques.
Latest figures show that combined with whisky, gin sales were worth £9.4 billion in 2023.
We reported Gin Bothy spirit would feature at the Oscars, with 25 nominees receiving the tipple in their goody-bags.
Exploitation fears
Before Kim’s gin heads to Hollywood, she has met with MSPs at Holyrood as well as MPs and members of the House of Lords.
She said many producers feel like her and are worried about their products being exploited.
“There are so many talented gin producers in Scotland but it’s crucial that our work isn’t diluted by brands who are using the Scottish name to enhance their marketing,” she said.
“At the Gin Bothy we pride ourselves on our fruit being hand-picked in Scotland.
“Our original gin that will be handed out to the top 25 Oscar nominees is made from Scottish heather, Scots pine and rosemary.
“It’s a real taste of Scotland in a bottle and that’s how it should be.
Brand Scotland
“The danger, with the lack of protection currently in place for Scottish gin, is anyone can stick a label on their gin and claim to be Scottish,” she adds.
“A lot of producers or companies would see the benefit of trading off the back of the popularity of Scotland as a brand.
“Brand Scotland is a real asset to our trading capabilities and gin plays a big role in that.
“Gin is worth a lot of money to our economy and it’s important to tighten up the protection of our brands.
“This isn’t something that will happen overnight but, in my role on the Scottish Rural Leadership Programme, it’s important to engage with people who can make a significant difference to the growth of the gin industry.”
From Angus to the world
Gin Bothy celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
The business started in Kim’s kitchen with a raspberry gin created with leftover fruit juice from jam.
Known for its flavoured gins, the business now has 19 staff and produces 65,000 units a year. It has export deals in Switzerland, Germany and the USA where it is available in 23 states.
