Husband and wife team Martin and Claire Murray, the founders of Dunnet Bay Distillers, have distilled and tested the first batches of Rock Rose gin and full production will be under way in time for the launch of the new micro distillery on 21 August 2014.
Over the next three years, the company will receive support of £83,990 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) which the owners say have put a huge amount of effort into helping them develop their Rock Rose gin.
Claire has been working with experts in Caithness to research local botanicals that can be used to flavour the gin.
“Each year, we will create a new vintage,” said Claire Murray. “Our Caithness botanicals are dependent on our climate, resulting in a truly hand-crafted gin that will change year on year, but is still undeniably Rock Rose.
“Rock Rose gin was named after our first botanical forage along our Caithness cliffs, where local herbalist Brian Lamb introduced us to Rhodiola Rosea, a rose in the rocks. Hundreds of years ago, the Vikings would pillage these wild, exposed cliffs to gather this precious plant, which was thought to give them extra strength to continue with their long, arduous journeys. Our gin uses this ‘Rock Rose’ and a blend of local and traditional botanicals to create a unique taste of Caithness in the Highlands.”
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