Launched on 12th June, the new Ben Lomond flavoured gins - Raspberry & Elderflower and Blackberry & Gooseberry - are the latest creations from the distillery following the success of its premium London Dry-style Gin, released last year.
Inspired by the landscape and beauty of Ben Lomond, the team worked with a local forager to draw inspiration from the wild botanicals, vibrant berries and florals found within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs region.
The delicately balanced Raspberry & Elderflower Gin (38% ABV, £23.50) boasts natural berry essences, offering a sweet and floral flavour, backed by the unmistakable juniper flavour.
The combination of berries in the Blackberry & Gooseberry Gin (38% ABV, £23.50) pair well, offering a sweet yet zesty flavour; the succulent flavour of the blackberries is balanced with the sharp, tangy flavour of gooseberries.
The two distinct flavours are a nod to the unique flora, fauna and scenery of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park offer alternatives to a classic G&T.
They will also make a great base for fruity cocktails or can be enjoyed over ice.
John Grieveson, CMO of Loch Lomond Group, which produces Ben Lomond Gin, said: “Loch Lomond and The Trossachs is renowned as one of the most beautiful landscapes in the UK and we spent a long time crafting these unique spirits to reflect this stunning area.
“The flavoured gin trend shows no sign of abating across the UK and with summer around the corner, creation of these striking new spirits made perfect sense.
"The Raspberry & Elderflower and Blackberry & Gooseberry Gin’s are crafted using the original Ben Lomond Premium Gin as a base, guaranteeing a high-quality product while simultaneously allowing consumers to enjoy increasingly popular flavoured gins.
“Both can be enjoyed over ice, with tonic or shaken in a cocktail and would be the perfect addition to any gin lover’s collection.”
Alisha Goodwin, brand manager of Loch Lomond Group, which produces Ben Lomond Gin commented: “Ben Lomond Gin’s naturally occurring botanicals represent the stunning beauty of The Trossachs while showcasing Scotland’s natural larder.
"We explored the rolling hills of the Highlands and Lowlands in search of the perfect flavours to pair with the classic London-dry style Gin, developing gin tinctures with wild berries and florals to ensure they complimented the base recipe perfectly.
“In both the Raspberry & Elderflower and Blackberry & Gooseberry infused gin’s, we chose combinations of flavours that balanced the profile and captured the fresh, vibrant botanical found within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs region.”
Ben Lomond is committed to its partnership with leading conservation charity, the John Muir Trust.
The organisation, which is dedicated to protecting and managing wild land was named after John Muir, the Scottish-American naturalist credited with founding the national park movement in the US. His legacy in turn paved the way for Scotland’s first national park, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, where the locally foraged Rowan Berries used in our Ben Lomond Premium Scottish Gin grow wild.
Raspberry and Elderflower Spritz
Fill a highball of wine glass with ice and frozen raspberries
Pour in 50ml of Ben Lomond Raspberry & Elderflower Gin
Add 75ml lemonade
Top with 75ml Prosecco or Cava
Garnish with a lime peel
Lomond Negroni
Pour 35ml of Raspberry & Elderflower Gin into a rocks glass
Add 10ml Sweet Vermouth and 10ml Aperol
Add cubed ice and stir well
Garnish with a grapefruit wedge or edible flower
Ben Lomond Smash
Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice
Pour 50ml of Ben Lomond Blackberry & Gooseberry Gin
Add 15ml squeezed lemon juice
Top with 10ml honey syrup (equal parts honey and boiled water) and stir together
Garnish with fresh mint leaves and blackberries
Both gins (50cl) have an RRP of £23.50 and are exclusively available online from Ben Lomond Gin and the Loch Lomond Group.
Scran episode 4: The botanics of gin - with Hamish Martin of the Secret Herb Garden