Distillery behind Byron's Gin wins international trade award

In recent posts we've told you about some of the botanicals - such as Juniper and Bird Cherry -  used in Byron's Gin, the official gin of the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland (BSBI). 

We've also explained that for every bottle sold of Byron's Gin, a donation is made to BSBI's training programme, helping us train and support the next generation of botanists. 

This month we'd like to tell you a bit about the distillery which produces Byron's Gin, its history and some of the people who work there. 

We'd also like to congratulate Speyside Distillery on becoming one of only six companies in 2018 to win a Board of Trade award, presented to them last night by Dr Liam Fox, Secretary of State for International Trade.

Speyside Distillery (image above) can trace their history back even further than the BSBI! We've been around (under several different names) since 1836 but unlike the Harveys, founders of Speyside Distillery, BSBI has never had to face Prohibition! 

We both have royal connections - BSBI's former patron was Her Majesty the Queen Mother and you can read about Speyside's links with both King George III and Lord Byron here. 

Speyside Distillery is nestled within the Cairngorm Mountains and many of the botanicals used in Byron's Gin come from the distillery grounds and surrounding area. Sandy Jamieson (image above), Manager at Speyside Distillery, worked closely with Andy Amphlett, BSBI's County Recorder for Banffshire, to create Byron's Gin which comes in two 'expressions': Melancholy Thistle and Bird Cherry.

A few 'firsts': 

• Byron's Gin is Speyside Distillery's first venture into spirits other than the single malt whisky for which they are famous.
• BSBI's sponsorship agreement and adoption of Byron's Gin is also a first for the society - we've never had an 'official gin' before!
• When Speyside Distillery's CEO John McDonough and Managing Director Patricia Dillon picked up their award from the Secretary of State last night, they became the first distillery to receive a Board of Trade award.

So, congratulations to the team at Speyside Distillery - let's raise a glass of Byron's Gin to them and support the next generation of botanists in the process!