The Stables, Ardlussa, Isle of Jura PA60 7XW, UK
Lussa Fine Quality Gin from Isle of Jura
Lussa Gin is an expression of our wild landscape on the Isle of Jura, situated off Scotland’s west coast. For us that means growing, gathering and distilling fifteen zesty and aromatic botanicals so we can pack as much local flavour into every bottle as we can.
At cooler temperatures you can actually see the botanical oils as a faint haze in the bottle – if you’re lucky, you’ll see a flash of them when you add tonic. Because every batch is hand made using a traditional still, the temperature where the oils show themselves will vary. What never varies is the care we take in growing, gathering and distilling Lussa Gin at the north end of our breathtaking, windswept isle.
Check out our fieldnotes
Lemon Thym
We need a lot of lemon thyme. As well as growing it in our own polytunnels and gardens, the ever-generous Jura community have lent us space in their veg beds and greenhouses across the island. Lemon thyme has a glorious citrus kick with a fresh, herby twang; it defines the character of Lussa Gin.
Coriander
Coriander grows really well in our polytunnels – and it’s a vital ingredient in our gin. It adds to the citrus notes and gives a little spicy warmth.
Rose Petals
Fragrant petals add a floral character, and along with rosehips, rose petals give Lussa gin a smoothness, marrying together the many individual flavours.
Lemon balm
With its sherbert smell and zingy taste, lemon balm was an easy choice for our gin. We harvest it in summer and impatiently await its emergence the following spring.
Lime flowers
Our bees adore lime flowers, but they can spare a few for our gin. We find the flowers’ subtle sweet notes a perfect balance to the more robust botanicals of Lussa Gin.
Elder trees Flowers
There are elder trees hiding here and there around our island. Their flowers are perfect for making cordial and champagne, and add a hint of summer to Lussa Gin.
Honeysuckle blooms
When the honeysuckle blooms emerge it feels like summer has hit its peak. Its sweet scent mingles with the other smells of the woods when it weaves its magic in Lussa Gin.
Bog myrtle
Many people find squelching through bogs one of the least pleasant things about walking on Jura. We beg to differ. Bog myrtle keeps the Scottish midge at bay AND smells sublime.
Orris roots
We can harvest the bulbous orris roots after 2 years. Then 3 – 5 years of drying begins to reveal the oxidised compound that holds all the flavours and acts as a molecular glue.
Juniper off course
Juniper has grown in Scotland since the last ice age; but is currently under threat from disease. We’ve started a long-term project to propagate cuttings of Jura juniper and we have planted 500 Argyll-grown juniper around the Lussa Glen. If we’re lucky, we may harvest in 2022.
Water Mint
Water mint – rarely do you see it first: your nose is the best forager once your footsteps have crushed some. We like the freshness it brings to Lussa Gin.
Green sea lettuce
The sea is part of island life. We wanted a hint of sea spray in Lussa Gin. We found that a small amount of the vibrant green sea lettuce was just right, and we love hunting it out.
Scots pine needles
The flavour of Scots pine builds on juniper’s distinctive pine notes. The one difficulty is harvesting the needles, as the branches are often so high up!
Ground Elder
Ground elder: this weed (and ancient vegetable) plagues many a garden, but if you’ve ever inhaled its fragrance when pulling it up in spring you’ll understand how well it works in gin
Wild Rose Pops
Wild rose pops up in the least expected places and provides an abundance of hips that contribute a smooth tone to Lussa Gin.
Lussa Gin
Lussa Gin from the wilderness of the Isle of Jura
Visit one of the most remote distilleries in Scotland
Lussa Gin is made by 3 women at the far end of the Isle of Jura, using 15 botanicals they can grow or gather from the island using a unique distillation process. They started in a kitchen in 2015 with a 10 litre still and have since renovated an old stables to house Hamish, their 200 litre alembic copper pot still. They now sell across Scotland, Germany and the USA. Alicia, Claire and Georgina will happily show you around their distillery and showcase the plants they use, and of course, let you try a sample.
Meet the Team Lussa Gin
Lussa Gin came about at the start of summer 2015 after a chance conversation.
We’ve all been brought together in a way that harnessed our interests and our skills but most importantly, by our love and awe of Jura. We’ve been helped along the way by lots of special people but particularly those closest to us in our community of 250 people.
Georgina Kitching
I’m the chief distiller of Lussa Gin. I’ve been distilling since 2015 and was instrumental in developing the recipe and sourcing the botanicals from Jura’s wild and cultivated plants. With a scientific background and a love of gin I’ve honed my skills to produce the finest Lussa in every batch.
When I’m not distilling, you’ll find me swimming in Lussa Bay, tending my hives of black bees, chickens and vegetable garden, or walking slowly in the wilderness of Jura, sometimes with a tent in my backpack, getting distracted by nature.
Georgina likes her Lussa Gin with soda water, ice and a fragrant rose petal, preferably a red one.
Sofie Fletcher
My new boyfriend, now husband brought me to Jura 24 years ago. We spent a night in a cave on the west coast, sleeping on a bed of goat droppings. It was love at first sight.
I now live off grid at the very North of the island with Rob and our two children. Living surrounded by nature, waking to the sound of the sea, appreciating the changing seasons and the wildlife all around me brings an incredible sense of freedom and peace.
Logistically it’s no picnic. Island life can be isolating and the winters are long, but Jura has a real community and sense of place. There’s nowhere I’d rather raise my feral children.
Sofie’s partial to a Lussa Gin ‘n’ Juice, but sshhh, don’t tell anyone!
Claire Fletcher
I landed on Jura in 1991 with a band called the KLF (who later burnt a million pounds on the island but that’s another story). The boy who drove me up the road became my husband and I fell in love with Jura’s raw, wild landscape.
Many years later we have a family, a farm and a special way of life. Here I get to be my own boss. I get to be physical. I get to be up close and personal with the natural world. I get to be part of a thriving community. I get to be different.
It’s not all roses, but life is short and I can’t imagine living anywhere else now.
Claire likes her Lussa Gin with a sprig of lemon balm, a neutral tonic and frozen lemon.
“Lussa Gin is as fresh and wild as the island we live on”
Europe’s last wilderness
The Isle of Jura is remote. Really remote. As well as the Lussa Gin Distillery, the island has a well-loved village hall, a community owned and run shop, the Jura Hotel and pub, a whisky distillery, the Antlers café and bistro, a care centre, a petrol pump, GP practice and primary school with one class. And that’s it. And quite honestly, that’s all we need.
200 of us live on this vast island wilderness. About 30 of those people, including the three of us and our families, live at the north end of Jura which is where the fun and adventure begin.
Explore the wilderness of the Isle of Jura for a distilled experience
We’re inspired and enchanted by our home and have created a premium spirit that captures its wilderness. Our distillery is situated at Ardlussa, 25 miles along the single track road from the Jura ferry. Take your time and enjoy the views. We make Lussa Gin using 15 botanicals that we’re able to grow here on Jura in our maritime temperate climate.
If you’re looking for a gin with a good story to tell, Lussa is the one.
If you have mobility issues, please contact us in advance. The tour takes approximately 45 minutes. Please note dogs are not permitted in the distillery.
From botanicals to bottle
The process starts with 15 botanicals, grown and gathered on Jura and then frozen. They’re used to create the gin’s signature flavour profile before it’s bottled and shipped out to bars and shops around the country and internationally.
Our botanical harvest
We gather ten wild botanicals from the Lussa Glen and its nearby hills, lochs and wetlands, woods and the sea. We grow another five botanicals ourselves. There are only four botanicals we can’t grow enough of yet, so we buy from trusted suppliers while we increase the amount we can grow.
Blending our ingredients
Leaves, needles, flowers, cones, seeds and petals are added to our traditional pot along with neutral spirit and soft, crystal clear spring water from the hills of Ardlussa. Our pot is a traditional Portuguese, handcrafted, 200 litre alembic copper pot still – called Hamish.
Distillation
Our botanicals macerate overnight in the pot and the next day the flowers and petals go in a basket that sits above the pot; their flavours and aromas are released into the vapour as it passes. The still is sealed with a mix of rye flour and water. We warm the mix using a bain-marie and gently distil the spirit over the course of a day.
Ready to bottle
Once our hand-crafted gin is distilled, it is ready to be bottled onsite and each batch is hand numbered, ready to be enjoyed the world over. A fresh, zesty, aromatic gin with a subtle, smooth finish. The spirit of the wilderness of the Isle of Jura.
