Based in Orkney, a stunning set of islands off the north coast of Scotland, the Orkney Gin Company is a family run business. At the Orkney Gin Company, the spirits are made in a traditional manner using the time honoured ‘bathtub’ and ‘cold-compound’ methods. The gin is produced on the Isle of Burray. For the process of producing their gins, Orkney Gin Company uses premium, seven times distilled grain spirit, infused with the very finest natural and local Orcadian botanicals. This has allowed them to produce award winning gins.

At the 2018 London Spirits Competition, two gins from the Orkney Gin Company were among the medal winners. The two gins that were awarded were:

Orkney Gin Company Johnsmas- The Johnsmas was awarded a silver medal at the London Spirits Competition with a score of 88 points from the judges. Inspired from the long, clear days of the Orkney Summer, the Johnsmas Gin is crafted using a variety of hand-picked seasonal botanicals. This gin is floral and fragrant at the nose and has a fresh subtle juniper sweetness on the palate. Other than the juniper berries, Johnsmas also contains wild rose petals, orange peels, bell heather and wild spearmints. It has a smooth finish with a hint of orange zest.

Orkney Gin Company Mikkelmas- This gin from the Orkney Gin Company was awarded a bronze medal at the London Spirits Competition. The Mikkelmas has bold, seasonal botanicals that help capture the warming autumnal spirit. Mulled spices on the nose, this gin contains mellow juniper, cinnamon and vanilla sweetness along with wild rosehips, ling heather and orange peel. The Mikkelmas has a spicy and smooth finish and can be combined with a quality tonic or ginger ale. The Mikkelmas is a silky smooth gin with an alcohol content of 41.3%.

The process of making gin at the Orkney Gin Company are labour intensive. The gin is produced in micro-batches and the infusion is undertaken in stages. A constant, meticulous sampling is carried out to ensure that quality is maintained and the perfect amount of balance is achieved. Only after the perfect balance is achieved, does the blending, filtering and bottling takes place. Hand labelling of the bottles lends a personal finishing touch to the gins. What lends the gin from the Orkney Gin Company the real flavour of the islands is the technique of avoiding the high temperatures used in some production methods. This allows a fuller botanical profile to emerge.