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| Scottish spirits are soaring (but it’s gin, not whisky) Scottish spirits are soaring (but it’s gin, not whisky) | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A couple of miles outside St Andrews, the Eden Mill whisky distillery has been part of the Fife landscape for more than 200 years. It was founded by the Haig family and the whisky still bears their name. After 50 years, though, the distillery was shut down and converted into a paper mill. | A couple of miles outside St Andrews, the Eden Mill whisky distillery has been part of the Fife landscape for more than 200 years. It was founded by the Haig family and the whisky still bears their name. After 50 years, though, the distillery was shut down and converted into a paper mill. |
| And so it remained until 2012, when Fife businessman Paul Miller decided to return the site to its former glory. His small team of distillers are now famous locally for their pale, chocolate and crystal malt whiskies – which are matured for several years in wooden casks before they are ready to drink. | And so it remained until 2012, when Fife businessman Paul Miller decided to return the site to its former glory. His small team of distillers are now famous locally for their pale, chocolate and crystal malt whiskies – which are matured for several years in wooden casks before they are ready to drink. |
| Therein lies the rub. Because despite its deep heritage, it’s not whisky that’s driving the sales growth, but gin. | Therein lies the rub. Because despite its deep heritage, it’s not whisky that’s driving the sales growth, but gin. |
| In fact, sales of the latter are proving so good that Christmas sales of scotch, a quintessentially festive drink, may well be surpassed by gin for the first time. | In fact, sales of the latter are proving so good that Christmas sales of scotch, a quintessentially festive drink, may well be surpassed by gin for the first time. |
| “When we started out we thought whisky, we didn’t really give gin a second thought,” Miller said. “But then gin happened.” | “When we started out we thought whisky, we didn’t really give gin a second thought,” Miller said. “But then gin happened.” |
| Across Scotland independent whisky distillers increasingly favour gin over whisky because it’s quicker and easier to make, and gives them a faster return. | Across Scotland independent whisky distillers increasingly favour gin over whisky because it’s quicker and easier to make, and gives them a faster return. |
| The way gin has muscled in on scotch in its heartland is telling. Some 70% of the gin consumed in the UK is made in Scotland, even though many people think of it as an English drink. In 2010 gin sales, at £774m a year, were about half those of scotch. Today, both are worth about £1.2bn, though by 2020, gin is predicted to soar to more than £1.5bn while scotch sales will stay flat, according to Euromonitor. | The way gin has muscled in on scotch in its heartland is telling. Some 70% of the gin consumed in the UK is made in Scotland, even though many people think of it as an English drink. In 2010 gin sales, at £774m a year, were about half those of scotch. Today, both are worth about £1.2bn, though by 2020, gin is predicted to soar to more than £1.5bn while scotch sales will stay flat, according to Euromonitor. |
| “Whisky is fantastic and my distillers love making it,” Miller said. “But with gin, they love the fact that what they are creating can be in a box for Christmas within weeks. They don’t have to wait three or four years for what may or may not be the marginal difference they make to the whisky product.” | “Whisky is fantastic and my distillers love making it,” Miller said. “But with gin, they love the fact that what they are creating can be in a box for Christmas within weeks. They don’t have to wait three or four years for what may or may not be the marginal difference they make to the whisky product.” |
| Miller’s gin now sells more than all his whisky products put together, making up 80% of total sales. Gin brought in almost £4m this year, and Miller expects that to double in 2017. | Miller’s gin now sells more than all his whisky products put together, making up 80% of total sales. Gin brought in almost £4m this year, and Miller expects that to double in 2017. |
| “Gin was in the right place at the right time”, said Jonny Forsyth, a drinks analyst at Mintel, who says boutique brands such as Eden Mill have reinvented the market for it. “They’ve come up with a much more contemporary packaging and by using botanical ingredients they also appeal to young people who are really interested in natural products.” | “Gin was in the right place at the right time”, said Jonny Forsyth, a drinks analyst at Mintel, who says boutique brands such as Eden Mill have reinvented the market for it. “They’ve come up with a much more contemporary packaging and by using botanical ingredients they also appeal to young people who are really interested in natural products.” |
| Older brands are having to adapt. Gordon’s, for example, which is owned by drinks giant Diageo, has revamped its bottle for the first time in 15 years. Stephanie Jordan, who manages Diageo’s Tanqueray gin, acknowledges that smaller brands have shaken up the market, but is not overly worried by the competition. “You get some juniper essential oils and a few other things. You pretend you’re a chemist and Bob’s your uncle, you’ve made gin”, she said. “Often there isn’t even distillation involved, which is why so many brands can be launched.” | Older brands are having to adapt. Gordon’s, for example, which is owned by drinks giant Diageo, has revamped its bottle for the first time in 15 years. Stephanie Jordan, who manages Diageo’s Tanqueray gin, acknowledges that smaller brands have shaken up the market, but is not overly worried by the competition. “You get some juniper essential oils and a few other things. You pretend you’re a chemist and Bob’s your uncle, you’ve made gin”, she said. “Often there isn’t even distillation involved, which is why so many brands can be launched.” |
| Jordan believes that half the gin brands coming to market will not be able to survive. Scotch, by contrast, has incredibly strict regulation “which means you don’t get people making it in their garages”. | Jordan believes that half the gin brands coming to market will not be able to survive. Scotch, by contrast, has incredibly strict regulation “which means you don’t get people making it in their garages”. |
| But is she missing the point? Scott Fergusson, Eden Mill’s head distiller, thinks formerly hardened whisky makers are enjoying their foray into gin, and that won’t stop any time soon. “With whisky, there’s such a long lead-in time. There’s a process, there are ingredients, and you cannot deviate,” said Fergusson, who graduated from St Andrews University with a first in physics. | But is she missing the point? Scott Fergusson, Eden Mill’s head distiller, thinks formerly hardened whisky makers are enjoying their foray into gin, and that won’t stop any time soon. “With whisky, there’s such a long lead-in time. There’s a process, there are ingredients, and you cannot deviate,” said Fergusson, who graduated from St Andrews University with a first in physics. |
| “Distillers love making gin because it’s almost the reverse. I spend lots of time thinking about recipes that will work, you’re free to experiment and you can taste the effects in a matter of days. So if it needs a bit more pepper, for example, you can change the results quickly. It’s made the job much more fun.” | “Distillers love making gin because it’s almost the reverse. I spend lots of time thinking about recipes that will work, you’re free to experiment and you can taste the effects in a matter of days. So if it needs a bit more pepper, for example, you can change the results quickly. It’s made the job much more fun.” |
| Fergusson is working on a gin for Christmas called “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”. “It captures the consumer in a way that’s not just a cheesy gimmick. It’s authentic,” he said. | Fergusson is working on a gin for Christmas called “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”. “It captures the consumer in a way that’s not just a cheesy gimmick. It’s authentic,” he said. |
| Visitors will be able to decide for themselves when the gin is available for tasting during special Christmas distillery tours. | Visitors will be able to decide for themselves when the gin is available for tasting during special Christmas distillery tours. |
| Both in England and across Scotland, the whisky trail used to be the big lure, especially over the festive season. But this year 20,000 visitors have flocked to Eden Mill to see the gin being made, and there is a waiting list for the Christmas tour. | Both in England and across Scotland, the whisky trail used to be the big lure, especially over the festive season. But this year 20,000 visitors have flocked to Eden Mill to see the gin being made, and there is a waiting list for the Christmas tour. |
| Online, Eden Mill is selling about 500 boxes a day of its “12 gins of Christmas” gift box. “I’d love to say that we cleverly thought all this through, but we didn’t,” said Miller. “We just happened to be in a good place to do it.” | Online, Eden Mill is selling about 500 boxes a day of its “12 gins of Christmas” gift box. “I’d love to say that we cleverly thought all this through, but we didn’t,” said Miller. “We just happened to be in a good place to do it.” |