What did you do before creating Inspirited distillery and gins? Back in 2010 I started a High Voltage electrical engineering business with my dad, Jim. He is a Chartered electrical engineer by trade and I was fresh out of my Master’s degree in Management with Enterprise and Business growth from Glasgow University. What started as a consultancy business predominantly in the farming industry quickly became a design, supply, install and commissioning business. We also moved away from wind turbines and found ourselves as one of the leading high voltage businesses for COMAH sites. This essentially led us into working in many large distilleries, wineries and breweries up and down the UK, giving us a good insight into the process and management of spirit production on a large scale. What made you decide to create your distillery? It was coming up for Hogmanay 2019, myself and the family were all having a gin and generally talking about the booming gin market. We had differing views on its popularity, however we could all agree on one thing, that in its essence gin is fun and creative. No matter your palate, there is a gin/mixer/garnish combination for you. There is no end to the combinations you can come up with, which results in there being a gin out there for everyone. We wanted to take this idea one step further - why not give people the ability to make their own gin. After all, no one knows what you like better than you. Can you tell us more about the distillery and distillation process? Our process is unlike any other distillery out there and that is due to our process being so unique. One thing we wanted to ensure is that we were the ‘real deal’; we didn’t want to offer customers a bespoke teabag that they can steep in vodka and we didn’t want to provide our customers with tinctures or artificial essences so that they can mix and match a limited selection of flavours. We know that the only way to have a true flavour with depth and complexity is to infuse the distillate with the botanicals and with the same level of control and consistency as any large distillery. The process of completing this simple sounding task was not so…well…simple. We spent a number of months going back and forward with our still designers in Canada. We did however, come up with a design that is not only economical and practical but it ensures that each individual's order is completely separate and that at no point during the process is there any possibility of two flavours interacting. What have been the biggest challenges/achievements, or your favourite story so far? Aside from the challenge of physically making the product, our biggest achievement would be our Inspirited Original Gin. After around 350 different variations, we have created a gin that we are immensely proud of. Our aim was focused intensely on creating a smooth and easy drinking gin which is slightly citrusy on the palate but has a subtle spice on the finish. We wanted to create a gin that is best paired with a light tonic and can be enjoyed over a whole evening - a sentiment which is expressed in many of our reviews. How would you describe your gins in 3 words?
What's your favourite way to drink your gins?
Personally, I like it with Schweppes Slimline Tonic or Fever-Tree Light Tonic with plenty of ice. I have never been one for garnishes but I can understand why they appeal. What gins would you always have on your gin shelf (other than your own of course!)? Well funnily enough our gin doesn’t last too long on the shelf at home so it is rare to find any there! My taste is always shifting, I typically prefer sharper gins with spicer notes, but with all the gins that are out there our shelf is like a revolving door. I have however, always had a soft spot for Portobello Road Gin. What's next for Inspirited - any exciting plans? Where to start! There are a number of projects in the works just now. As our website highlights, there are 2 members of our gin family on the way. One sooner than the other. We also have our new distillery being constructed in East Kilbride and a number of smaller projects all geared around raising the profile of Inspirited. Also Read...
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