Botanicals
As part of the journey to creating Collymoon Craft Gin, we wanted to learn and be inspired by sourcing and using botanicals that were available in our local surroundings and within Scotland as a whole. We were very fortunate to meet Lauren Lochrie from Herbal Homestead.
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Lauren not only introduced and taught us to forage but helped us to better understand the seasonality and traditional uses for local plants, flora and fauna. Lauren is extremely knowledgeable, and we are grateful for her continued support with regard to flavours for recipes.
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Collymoon botanicals
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Juniper – common juniper berries, which are actually cone seeds and not berries at all, juniper has grown naturally across Scotland for many years. It offers citrus tones with a hint of spice.
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Coriander Seeds – add a hint of spice to our finished gin. Small and often brown/yellow in colour. The origins of the coriander can also impact the level of spice they bring to the flavour. Also associated with bringing citrus notes and even floral notes to the flavour profile.
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Angelica Root – also known as wild celery, earthy or woody notes. Some say it is the Angelica Root that brings the dryness to gin. It helps to bond together the other flavours.
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Liquorice Root – from the pea and bean family. The dried root is used to add smoothness and sweetness to the gin.
Pink Peppercorns – from the Peruvian mastic tree, it offers a fresh pepperiness.
Dried sweet orange peel – as the name suggests this dried peel adds sweet citrus, juicy and floral flavours.
Dried lemon peel – full of essential oils that add a crispness or a sharpness.
Cassia Bark – linked to the cinnamon family it is sweet and spicy.
Hawthorn Berries – part of the Rosaceae family, so related to roses and raspberries. They are tart and tangy with mild sweetness.
Honeysuckle Flowers – so called after the years old tradition of sucking nectar from the flowers. Honey-floral perfumed flavour, with bitter elements.
Physalis – also known as ground cherry or golden berry, is a small fruit, sweet but tart.
Fennel – rich herbaceous aniseed flavour.
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We are currently developing new Gins using these Botanicals
Kombu Kelp Seaweed – earthy deliciousness! It offers both strong ocean saltiness with a hint of citrus.
Pink Lady Apples – sweet but tart, refreshing flavours.
Pomelo – the largest of the citrus fruits and tastes like grapefruit but with slightly more subtle floral notes.
Strawberries – sweet and fragrant.
Rhubarb – offering a tart sweetness.
Buddha’s Hand – part of the citron family, offers similar flavours to lemons.
Cloudberry - The fruit of the cloudberry plant is an amber-coloured fruit that resembles raspberries and blackberries. It brings both sweet and sour flavours.
