The Rise and Rise of Scottish Vodka
While there are innumerable articles online extolling the virtues of Scottish whisky and the booming gin trade, we thought we’d take a look at the fledgling and often overlooked—but increasingly lauded—Scottish vodka category.
The Scottish Government recently announced funding of £4.5 million to support and expand the country’s thriving food and drink industry. There’s arguably never been a better time to be a drinker of craft or premium spirits in Scotland.
Here are five of our favourites:
Arbikie
Arbikie vodka is made on the east coast of Angus, in the Scottish Highlands. Launched in 2014, it’s the passion project of three brothers, who distil their spirit from potatoes grown on the family farm. In fact, the whole of production, from fermentation to bottling and labelling, takes place on-site. The Arbikie Estate distillery prides itself on its minimal environmental impact, making use of solar power, honey from local bees, and recycling waste product from the distillation process as cattle feed. Expect to smell and taste crispy potato skins, with a suggestion of nuttiness and cracked black pepper.
Ogilvy
Ogilvy vodka is also made from potatoes, this time grown just outside of Dundee. It’s the lovechild of husband and wife, Graeme and Caroline Jarron, who collaborated with master distillers from Edinburgh’s Herriot-Watt University in order to create an award-winning and internationally recognised spirit. Ogilvy have recently opened the first vodka distillery tour in Scotland, where allow visitors behind the scenes to see how the product is made. Ogilvy has a creamy texture, with allusions to walnut and toffee, but something fresher and pastoral on the finish.
SKOTKA®
Launched in the summer of 2019, SKOTKA® is Scotland’s first ultra-premium vodka offering. Made from sugar beets and diamond filtered, each distillation is lab-tested to ensure clarity, consistency and purity. The raw ingredients lend a subtle sweetness to the flavour of the vodka, with a citrus finish reminiscent of delicious grapefruit. SKOTKA shares the same commitment to ethical environmental policy as its peers, delving into the real craft experience. SKOTKA® aims to be the benchmark of what is considered a truly premium Scottish vodka experience.
Holy Grass Vodka
Holy Grass vodka takes its name from the infusion of, you guessed it: holy grass, otherwise known as bison grass, which is found on the banks of the River Thurso. It’s distilled in Caithness and infused with the eponymous botanical, as well as Highland apples. This vodka comes from the producers of Rock Rose gin, it’s the only flavoured vodka on the list, but absolutely deserves its place. Holy Grass vodka boasts a creamy vanilla richness, cut through with crisp apple for a refreshing, summer flavour.
Lone Wolf Vodka
The final vodka on our list is Lone Wolf, a departure for Scottish beer-punks, Brewdog. Launched in 2017, alongside a gin of the same name, it’s already proving a hit with the company’s loyal customer base. Despite the size of its parent company, this spirit is committed to its craft credentials, with each bottle being labelled with a small-batch number on the neck. Lone Wolf vodka promises vanilla notes, a suggestion of sweet icing sugar, and a forward, warming finish.