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Gin Day
“When life gives you juniper berries, make gin!”
Gin and tonic and tartan, anyone? The pungent blue-black berries of the verdant juniper bush lend their distinctive flavour to gin, a spirit whose roots stretch back centuries. Today, you can indulge in the tartan equivalent, with deep rich colours that hint at juniper berries, ready for harvest.
Although gin is most closely associated with Britain today, its origins lie in Europe, where juniper-flavoured spirits were first developed for medicinal purposes. By the seventeenth century, gin had become a popular alternative to heavily taxed brandy in the British Isles. While Scotch whisky would later dominate Scotland's distilling reputation, the early twenty-first century saw a remarkable Scottish gin renaissance. Hundreds of craft distilleries emerged, drawing upon Scotland's pure water, centuries of distilling expertise, and native botanicals such as heather, pine, rowan berries, bog myrtle, seaweed, gorse, and thistle.
Today, Scotland is one of the world's leading producers of craft gin. Distilleries such as Hendrick's, The Botanist, Edinburgh Gin, and Caorunn have earned international acclaim, creating distinctive spirits that capture the character of their local landscapes. The classic gin and tonic remains a favourite, joined by enduring cocktails such as the Martini, Negroni, Tom Collins, Gimlet, and Gin Fizz.
Juniper has long figured in folklore and tradition. In British folklore, the smoke of burning juniper was believed to purify and protect, and was sometimes thought to aid in seeing the future. Curiously, while dreaming of a juniper tree itself was considered unlucky, dreaming of gathering juniper berries in winter was said to foretell prosperity, honour, and good fortune.
Juniper also holds an honoured place in Scottish tradition. A sprig of juniper forms part of the regimental uniform of the Atholl Highlanders, the only private army in Europe. As the clan plant of the Atholl family, a sprig of juniper is ceremonially presented by the Duke of Atholl during his annual inspection of the regiment! 💚 🖤 💙 🍸 🍸 🍸 🌿 🌿
In the Scottish Highlands, the names for this shrub or small tree were Aittin or Aiten, and Samh. These words remain in place names such as Attadale in Wester Ross and Samhan near Mull.
It is for its culinary, medicinal and ritual properties that juniper is best known. The berries were ground and added to sauces and especially to game dishes to add the bitter, spicy flavour, or were used to flavour bread and cakes.
But the best known use of the berries is in flavouring gin. In the nineteenth century Highland juniper bushes were prolific enough for their berries to be collected and taken to the Inverness and Aberdeen markets to be exported to the Dutch gin distillers to make the liquor Jenever, from which the modern gin evolved.
To learn more about the threat to the junipers of the Scottish Highland and how this shrub is being managed for preservation, click the leaves and berries.