Scotland’s booming gin businesses have gathered in support of a new national awards programme which aims to promote the growing range of high quality gins produced in Scotland.

The Scottish Gin Awards, sponsored by the Scottish Gin Society, has launched with a promise to reward achievements in gin distilling.  Scotland now produces over 70% of the gin consumed in the UK and exports are predicted to outsell whisky by 2020.

An independent judging panel which includes some of the foremost gin experts in the UK will gather later this year to judge 12 categories which cover both business achievements and taste.

The awards, which are free to enter, are sponsored by The Scottish Gin Society a new national online community which celebrates Scottish gin. 

Its founder, Stephen White, commented: “The Scottish Gin Awards will give Scottish producers a fantastic opportunity for further business growth at a national and international level.  Gin exports are at an all-time high and predicted to increase further so winning one of these awards will give Scottish gins further distinction and positive sales advantage.”

Geraldine Coates, founder of GinTime, and one of the UK’s most highly regarded gin experts has been appointed as a judge. 

She commented: “This is a terrific idea which will really help to identify and reward hard working Scottish distillers.  I would encourage all gin companies which are eligible to enter to come forward and take advantage of the many opportunities this competition will bring.”

The competition will be operated under strict tasting conditions, supervised by the internationally regarded sensory management consultancy Cara Technology.  Five categories of gins will be tasted and these are; Cask/Aged Gin; London Dry Gin; Navy Strength; Distilled Gin; Gin Liquer and Speciality Gin. 

Twelve categories will cover business performance including topics such as innovation, export, marketing and design and business growth. 

The programme has been created by PR and events company, KDMedia which has 15 years’ experience running business events.

Businesses interested in engaging with the awards can register for updates on www.scottishginawards.co.uk

The Taste Categories

 Aged/Cask Gin of the Year

London Dry Gin of the Year

Distilled Gin of the Year

Navy Strength Gin of the Year

Gin Liqueur of the Year

Speciality Gin of the Year

The Business Categories

Growth Business of the Year

Innovation of the Year

Exporter of the Year

Excellence in Marketing

Excellence in Branding

Scottish Gin Destination of the Year

Scottish Gin Bar of the Year

Best Scottish Gin Event of the Year

Scottish Distillery of the Year

This article appears under the terms of DB Direct

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