Scottish Gin Club - SOS Gin - December 2020
Welcome to your final Scottish Gin Club box of 2020.
It's been a very strange year but we are finishing it with one of our favourite gins and we hope you love it as much as we do!
Launched: January 2019
ABV: 45%
Location: Loanhead, Midlothian (distilled in Perthshire)
The SOS Gin Story
SOS Gin - Scotland's Other Spirit is the brainchild of Craig and Mark Munnoch-Wahlberg and was inspired by the lowlands of Scotland.
Craig and Mark wanted to create a uniquely flavoured craft gin using local botanicals to celebrate the area surrounding their Midlothian home.
The playful name comes from Scotland's love of whisky and the fact that over 70% of the UK's gin is made in Scotland.
After 20 months of planning, preparation and experimentation with recipes, the first batch was launched on 11th January 2019.
The gin is distiled at Strathearn Distillery in Perth with Craig and Mark involved at every stage of the distillation and bottling process.
Unlike many gins which use a vast array of botanicals (The Botanist has 31 different botanicals!), SOS Gin is made using only 4. Juniper, rosehip, rhubarb and chamomile are the only botanicals used to create SOS.
Having a shorter botanical list does not impact the quality of the gin in the slightest, it simply means it is stripped back to perfection.
Craig and Mark source 3 of the 4 botanicals locally and sustainably. The 100% lowland juniper is delicately hand-foraged to protect next years crop. The rosehip is also hand-foraged and once de-seeded for distilling, the seeds are planted again to replenish. Rhubarb is picked from the gardens of friends and family.
The locally picked Scottish botanicals are then combined with chamomile and distilled in small batches in a copper pot still.
The result is an extremely smooth gin with juniper at the fore giving way to the unique blend of floral notes from the rosehip, fresh rhubarb and chamomile with undertones of liquorice and vanilla.
Serving Suggestions
SOS Gin is one of the most versatile gins we have tasted and Craig and Mark are keen for you to drink it however you wish so long as you enjoy it!
If you meet them at a festival, it's not unusual for them to have a variety of mixers available to sample including tonics, lemonade, ginger ale, cola and even Irn Bru!
We have paired it for you with the Apple & Cinnamon Tonic from Walter Gregor's as we felt it captured some amazing festive flavours. As Craig said 'it's like having Apple Strudel in a glass'. We'd recommend finishing with a stick of cinnamon or a slice of red apple too.
If looking for a more classic G&T, we recommend with a traditional tonic and some fresh berries. Rhubarb also works well as a garnish but this may not be available depending on the season.