From award-winning whisky to Scotland’s first rum, here are some of the best drinks to celebrate St Andrew’s Day with.
(Price: £34.00, Abv: 41.5%, Size: 700ml)
A vodka named holy grass is the perfect fit for St Andrew's Day, purely for the religious connotations of the name, but in this Dunnet Bay Distillers bottling you also have one of our favourite Scottish vodkas.
Holy Grass, which grows on the banks of the Thurso River near the distillery in Caithness (though we are told this is not the source for their actual supply but the inspiration), was apparently used to make church floors in the past due to the sweet, vanilla aroma it released when walked over.
The Holy grass lends a wonderful creaminess to the vodka, finishing in deep tones of vanilla and the added infusion of apples adds a nice sharp, citrus edge to the proceedings.
(Price: £35, Abv:40%, Size: 700ml)
St Andrew is also the patron saint of Barbados so it's a no brainer to include a rum on this list and as the fates would have it, Scotland has really upped its game in terms of rum production over the past few years.
Wester Rum Co., who are based in Glasgow, are named for the Wester Sugar House Company, established in Glasgow’s Candleriggs in 1667 and this excellent spiced rum is the perfect winter warmer.
(Price: £34.95, Abv: 43%, Size: 700ml)
For St Andrew's Day the Scottish Gin of the Year has to be the first port of call, and the surprise recipient of the award is this small batch gin from Dundee which beat out contenders from more established producers such as Makar, Eden Mill and Edinburgh Gin to take the top award.
Juniper led on the nose, it is described as having “fresh notes of citrus on the nose and palate with warm, earthy undertones of spice”.
Included in the carefully curated blend of botanicals, which was inspired by Dundee’s rich trading history and reflects the routes once sailed by traders to and from the city, are Grains of Paradise, Bitter orange and Liquorice.
(Price: £36.95, Abv: 57.1% , Size: 700ml)
What better way to celebrate St Andrew's day than to enjoy a gin which is made in a place named after him?
In the recently re-branded Darnley's Gin, you have the perfect candidate. We were hugely impressed with the recent release of their Navy Strength Spiced Gin, which in our mind is a great gin for banishing the winter blues with its "intense warming spice flavours".
(Price: £26, Abv: 30%, Size: 700ml)
This Pickering's release is the perfect drink to get you in the mood for Christmas and is a great accompaniment for any St Andrew's Day meal.
Rested over sloe berries for 12 months to lend just the right amount of dry spice to the rich, sweet flavour of sloe berries, the Sloe Gin is a nod to the gin making of the past and is perfect "served neat with ice, or splashed into a glass of Prosecco for a festive treat".
(Price: £44.99, Abv: 46%, Size: 700ml )
This cracking dram from "Scotland in miniature" (the Isle of Arran), is a great marriage of Sherry and Bourbon casks that offers a rewarding richness that's accessible for everyone from beginners to the fussiest of 'experts'.
With notes of Honey, Citrus fruit and a little bit of spice and bitter orange, it'll bring a little sunshine to a cold November night.
(Price: approx £2.50, Abv: 4.6%, Size: 500ml)
It would only be right to choose a beer named after the saint himself (even if it is more in a nod to the town rather than the saint), this great value amber ale is a great example of a Scottish ale that goes down very easily.
Perfect for kicking back and enjoying on a cold November night, Belhaven brewery is one of Scotland’s best known and for good reason, they’ve consistently made great beer and this is a great example of what they are capable of.
(Price: approx £2.50, Abv: 4.5%, Size: 500ml)
Another wonderful drinks producer from the town of St Andrews, the SA Brewing Co. produced the first ever 100% Scottish ale last year, which we of course would recommend – it would be on this list but it is very limited release – so instead we’ve picked their excellent oatmeal stout.
A great example of a stronger flavoured beer that traditionally has always been popular in Scotland, the Oatmeal Stout is not only a quality beer, it’s great value too.
