Harris distillery shortlisted for top award

One of eight distilleries that have been selected by assessing performance in both business and taste categories.

The island spirit, which is distilled, bottled and labelled by hand in Tarbert, is also a finalist in The London Dry Gin of the Year and Excellence in Branding categories.

Harris Distillery MD, Simon Erlanger commented: “We are honoured to be a finalist for the Scottish Gin Awards across not one but three categories.

“With so many Scottish gins now available, we are delighted that Isle of Harris Gin and the Social Distillery are recognised as offering something very special.”

By carrying out all operations on the island, Harris Distillery is able to maximise the number of local people employed and ensure its gin has true island provenance.

The success of the first year’s sales of gin and the high visitor numbers meant that in their first summer season they employed 26 staff and maintained a core team of 19 even during the winter months.

Simon continues: “This accolade, along with the many design awards we have won, is welcome recognition of the hard work of the whole distillery team.”

The awards, sponsored by The Scottish Gin Society, cover both taste and business performance and were judged earlier this month by a highly experienced panel consisting of some of Scotland’s foremost gin and distilling experts.

Chair of the judging panel, Stephen White, founder of the Scottish Gin Society which sponsors the competition commented: “The evidence we reviewed showed that the Scottish gin industry is a vibrant, creative and high-quality centre for the delivery of premium product which is among the best in the world.”

The winners will be announced at the Scottish Gin Awards dinner and celebration on September 14th.