Mackintosh Gin, Distillery, 22 Matthew Kerr Place, Arbroath, DD11 3AX Angus, Scotland
Mackintosh Gin Awesome Angus based
Our Story
How it all began…
It all started back in 2016 with two soulmates at a gin festival and a ‘challenge accepted’ moment. Two years later, after a lot of research and development, we launched Mackintosh Gin on 12th October 2018. Two years later we were crowned Scottish Gin of the Year at the 2020 Scottish Gin Awards with our Pineapple & Grapefruit Old Tom Gin, the following year we retained that title!
Created by husband and wife team James and Deborah through a love of gin, we have since been on a mission to bring high quality gin and a better drinking experience to more people. We believe that drinking less, but drinking better leads to better experiences, and this is something we encourage.
We are firm believers that anything is possible, and anyone can make a difference. We are dedicated to being an ethical brand dedicated to making wise choices to promote the well-being for humans, animals and the environment alike. We believe that we can use business as a source for good, whilst having fun and enjoying ourselves at the same time. We are setting examples for generations to come. This is our purpose.
OUR TEAM
Deborah
Co-founder
Deborah is the glue that binds Mackintosh Gin together and keeps Jim in check! It was her ‘challenge’ to Jim that he couldn’t start a gin brand that resulted in the birth of Mackintosh Gin. Deborah is the boss lady of the business and keeps everyone grounded. A Mental Health Nurse in her day job, she is a passionate foodie and enjoys cooking in her rare time off or spending a weekend at a Hydro Hotel.
Drink of choice: Fitzgerald, but often enjoys a Martini or Mackintosh 75
James
Co-founder
Jim created Mackintosh Gin alongside his partner in crime Deborah. It was a ‘hold my beer’ moment in 2016 that led to Jim’s vision for the brand. Unsure of his role in the business, he graciously accepts the title of teaboy! A Veteran, photographer and entrepreneur, he enjoys riding his motorcycle in his spare time and dancing with Deborah in their kitchen.
Drink of choice: Negroni
Alexandra
HR Manager
Alex ensures all the administration is taken care of and everyone knows where they should be and when. She appointed herself this role which no one argued with, which is just as well as she is studying Law and would win the argument! In her spare time she can found listening to country music and talking to Logan.
Drink of choice: Mackintosh 75
Charlotte
Brand Experience Manager
Char arranges our events, bar takeovers and instore tastings, which she works around her studies as she completes a Masters in History. In her spare time she can be found enjoying a good book and doing yoga, but not at the same time!
Drink of choice: Bramble
Dale
Scotland Brand Ambassador
Dale is our bartender extraordinaire and maintains a presence for the brand across the on trade in Scotland. In his spare time he plays American Football for the Dunfermline Kings.
Drink of choice: White Lady or Last Word
Dave
North of England Logistics Coordinator
Dave distributes our stock in the North West of England and alongside Steph, facilitates tasting events for bartenders across the region. In his spare time he is an avid rugby player.
Drink of choice: Tom Collins or a G&T with a grapefruit wedge
Lewis
Master Distiller
Lewis has guided us from day one and ensures we are compliant in all aspects of distilling. As well as creating award winning gins, he has taught us everything we know about distilling. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife Amy and son Max, reading fantasy novels, watching football and randomly meeting Debs and Jim at various Hydro Hotels!
Drink of choice: Negroni, but sometimes it has to be a Martini
Logan
US Brand Ambassador
Logan is spreading the word stateside and creating awareness of the brand for our North American cousins. In his spare time he enjoys gaming and painting.
Drink of choice: Mackintosh 75
Murray
Scotland Logistics Coordinator
Murray distributes our stock across Scotland and down to Dave in the North West of England. In his spare time he can be found in the gym keeping active.
Drink of choice: Mackintosh 75 or Tom Collins
Stephanie
Chief Content Something or Other
Steph is our content creator, social media manager and cocktail demonstrator. Her job title stuck from trying to complete an application but was unsure what to put for her occupation, so here we are! A Student Doctor for most of the week, she enjoys creating and making cocktails when she is not studying.
Drink of choice: Clover Club or a Mackintosh 75
Award Winners
Last year at @junipalooza we finally met the guys from @the_ginfluencers_uk who were great to chat with. We enjoy their reviews and have always found them honest and entertaining.
We were thrilled when they purchased all three of our expressions and said they would review our Old Tom. This week they posted the review on their platforms and we are absolutely delighted with what they had to say.
Our sincere thanks to Scott and Oscar for the outstanding review and for making us smile, we look forward to catching up with you again!
https://lnkd.in/eRBYTyfB #mackintosh #gin #pineapple #grapefruit #oldtom #Angus #scotland #scottishgin #review #ginfluencer #theginfluencersuk #ginpals
The Distillery
We have been making award winning gin since 2018 at the Distillutions Distillery in Arbroath, under the watchful eye of Lewis Scothern. When we started the brand, we didn’t have the funds to build our own distillery, so we looked for someone who would let us share theirs. We spoke with several distilleries with the view of producing our own gin, and then we met Lewis! We clicked with him right away, his values aligned with ours, and most importantly, he was happy to let us be hands on with the process and agreed to teach us.
We use a 200 litre still for our distillations and use smaller 10 and 50 litre stills for product development. The small still size ensures we truly are small batch with less than 300 bottles being produced per batch. The still is a stainless steel hybrid, using a pot with a column that has one copper bubble cap plate for greater copper to spirit contact. The copper removes impurities as the spirit vapour passes through the column. This ensures that we achieve a smooth gin when it comes off the still. The still is directly heated using electric elements with the electricity coming from 100% renewable sources. We produce, bottle, label and package our gins on site at the distillery.
We produce outstanding products that we are proud to shout about. We are passionate and care about the quality of spirits that we produce. We use the best ingredients possible, using the best methods possible and only produce spirits that we enjoy drinking ourselves. We strive to ensure that only the very best quality spirits leave the distillery.
Our Process
The process of making great gin is an art form, it takes time, patience and attention to detail. It is this precision, partnered with expert skill and the finest ingredients that ensures our gin is outstanding. We only use the highest quality neutral grain spirit and botanicals to create our award-winning gins.
Our small batch distillation process begins first thing in the morning by meticulously weighing out the botanicals, which are then added to the still with a charge of wheat neutral grain spirit which is diluted to 60% ABV. The botanicals contain essential oils, it is the extraction of these essential oils from the spirit and heat that gives the gin its unique flavour.
The still is then closed and the heater is switched on to allow a gentle warming of the still. This warming process allows the botanicals to release their oils for distillation. The temperature is then increased which makes the charge boil. The liquid then turns into vapour which rises through the copper plate in our reflux column, passing through a condenser where the vapour turns back into liquid.
The distillation takes eight hours and is separated in three parts; the heads, the hearts and the tails. The first liquid to flow from the still is the head, this is discarded as it is harsh and unappealing. The middle part of the run is the heart, this holds the most refined flavours and aromas from the distillation as this is the highest quality spirit and has the best blend of botanical oils. This is the only part of the distillation that we use. The last part of the run is the tail, this lacks flavour and is not of a standard we find acceptable for our gin and is also discarded.
The heart produces around 92 litres at 83% ABV, this is left for 5-7 days to mellow and relax, allowing the flavours to settle and come together. Pure filtered Scottish water is then added to reduce the ABV to bottling strength, the gin is then bottled and packed on site before leaving the distillery.
This process is known as a one fold, or single-shot distillation. We only bottle the purest hearts that come off the still, we don’t believe in adding more neutral grain spirit to the distilled batch to increase the number of bottles produced from each run. We also don’t chill filter our gin (a process to ensure the gin stays crystal clear) as this removes botanical oils and strips away some of the flavour. You will notice this when you add ice or cold tonic to the gin (or leave it in the fridge) as the oils become cloudy.
This is an expensive way to make gin, but we believe it is the best way as it ensures the best quality and flavour is achieved. The resulting gin is incredibly smooth, full of flavour with a lingering finish that leaves you wanting more.
BRAMBLE Cocktail
The Bramble was created in 1984 in London by Dick Bradsell when he worked as the bar manager at Fred’s Club in Soho. It has gone on to become a classic cocktail and is a firm favourite of ours!
INGREDIENTS
- 50-60ml Mackintosh London Dry Gin
- 30ml Lemon Juice
- 15ml Sugar Syrup
- 15ml Crème de Mûre
- Blackberry and lemon slice to garnish
- Crushed Ice
METHOD
- Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice, but leave room to add more later
- Pour the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into an ice filled shaker
- Shake vigorously
- Strain into a chilled glass and add more crushed ice
- Drizzle the Crème de Mûre over the ice to create a bleeding or marbling effect
- Garnish with blackberries and a lemon slice
- Serve with 2 short straws
- Enjoy!
ALTERNATIVE VERSION
If Crème de Mûre or blackberries are not available, then swap for Crème de Cassis and raspberries!
