The gin craze shows no sign of abating, with ever-increasing numbers of craft and independently owned distilleries getting in on the act, with the Scottish gin scene being particularly fertile. Hebridean-based North Uist Distillery is no exception, but what makes its Downpour Gin so special is the fact that it’s just scooped the prestigious Gin of the Year award at the London Spirits Competition.

At 46% abv, the winning gin includes twice the amount of botanicals compared to standard gin, with essential oils from juniper berries and citrus peels giving the gin a distinctive cloudy appearance when diluted with tonic.

What does winning at the London Spirits competition mean for Downpour Gin? You must be delighted to walk off with the top award given the number of entries in the category. 

We were absolutely thrilled! To be judged alongside 2,000 spirits brands entering from more than 80 countries and be named 'Spirit of the Year' is mind-boggling really but it is a validation of what we suspected, that our gin stands out even in an extremely competitive market. Making this award extra special is the fact this competition is judged by industry leaders in the spirits business - including the best mixologists and bartenders in the country – but with the end consumer in mind.

Downpour gin, distilled on the Hebridean island of North Uist, and winner of the Gin of the Year Award at the London Spirits Competition

Tell us a bit about the history of the brand.

North Uist Distillery is the result of a long-held dream to build a vibrant new distillery on the island we call home.  The founders grew up in North Uist and wanted to capture the essence of the island (including the history and Gaelic heritage) while being contemporary and outward-looking. ‘Island Life. Distilled.’ encapsulates this and is the heart of our brand. Everything we do is inspired by our island surroundings, both the people and the place.

We launched in 2019, distill and bottle our Downpour range of gins at a site on North Uist in the Outer Hebrides and have a visitor center shop and gin bar at Nunton Steadings – a beautiful B-listed building on the neighboring island of Benbecula, where we offer tours and tastings.

Where is your gin available?

Off-trade is currently the stronger sales channel for us, predominantly in the Scottish independent bottle shop and boutique farm shop scene. Having said this, we have recently secured listings with three new wholesalers to increase our presence in the Scottish on-trade and we are looking to partner with distributors in England.

Do you currently export or have any plans to do so?

Exports accounted for less than 1% of our revenue last year but we now ship to four markets globally with more in the pipeline. We purposely developed the Downpour brand to translate well to an international audience as we want to develop a strong international presence and gain a share of the gin export market.

Who is your key target market? 

We have found that demand persists for high-quality products with a backstory that support a local economy. Inspired by island life and made using wild Hebridean botanicals, Downpour appeals to the discerning drinker who is looking for a super-premium gin with provenance and a story to tell. Our core customer is likely to be someone for whom the quality and provenance of ingredients is important and this hasn’t changed.

Co-founders of North Uist Distillery, Jonny Ingledew and Kate MacDonald who are both native Islanders

What other gin brands would you consider your main rivals, which do you particularly admire and why?

I don’t think we’d consider any of our rivals, as such. There are so many great brands out there doing their thing but we particularly admire our neighbours at the Isle of Harris Distillery. It’s a great gin in a beautiful bottle and they have shown what is possible for a brand from the Outer Hebrides.

What makes DownPour Gin stand out in the –very crowded – market?

When developing the recipe and concept behind our gin, we felt that a lot of the interesting and distinctive flavors of many gins were lost when mixed.

Downpour Gin uses twice the concentration by weight of botanicals than the industry average, giving a stronger ‘downpour’ of flavor. Not only does this make for a big, bold gin, but it also provides the option of a longer serving while consuming less alcohol.

What impact has the huge interest in cocktails had on Downpour and what, if anything, are you doing to exploit that?

Not long after launching we partnered with mixologists to develop ‘Downpour Creations’, a cocktail list which can be found at www.northuistdistillery.com. We also like to throw in a cocktail recipe with each order through our site to give our customers some inspiration. We have also recently partnered with The Montpeliers Group in Edinburgh which has enlisted the help of multi-award-winning bartender Joey Medrington to develop signature Downpour cocktails across several of their sites. 

Why should a bar or restaurant stock your brand?

Downpour tastes fantastic and the bottle looks great on the back bar! Aside from that, I think Downpour Gin has a provenance and story that customers are looking for and that bartenders can sell. For example, we have a time-honored tradition in Uist of paying in kind. As we source many of our botanicals locally, we decided to honor this tradition by operating a community barter system. Anyone who brings in a bag of botanicals receives a bottle of gin made using the very botanicals they foraged. It's a nice story to share with customers, it reduces our carbon footprint and it helps with the circular economy of the island.

The beautiful North Uist landscape has inspired Downpour Gin

Gin is traditionally associated with England and London in particular. How big is Scottish gin, and why do you think there is room for yet another brand?

The Scottish gin scene is extremely vibrant with an abundance of innovative, high-quality products. I think there’s always room for another brand if the liquid is exceptional. The value of the gin category continues to grow showing that there are still opportunities for best-in-class, ultra-premium products like Downpour.

Can you share any future plans for Downpour?

We will be continuing to develop the Downpour brand both domestically and internationally over the coming months. We have some very exciting plans for the future but I can’t share them with you yet, sorry! What I can tell you is that next year we will move gin production to a larger site at Nunton Steadings and commence whisky production using locally grown bere barley. Renowned for producing a fantastic spirit, bere barley has been used in special releases by several revered distilleries but due to its scarcity outside of the Hebrides, there are very few distilleries using it for whisky production and none using it in their core range. As well as growing our bere barley, we will also malt the grain on-site. Distillation, maturation and bottling will then be undertaken in-house, on Uist, making us one of the very few distilleries operating true 'grain to glass' production and the only one doing so with a heritage grain.

And finally, is the name a reference to the weather in North Uist, perchance?

It is a reference to the ‘downpour’ of flavor in the gin, but it ties in nicely with the weather here too! However, when the sun is shining there is nowhere better. West is best, as we like to say!

Header Image Source: North Uist Distillery