Kerr’s Gin (43% ABV) is a beautifully distinctive barley-to-bottle gin from The Borders Distillery in Hawick that was created as a tribute to the Scottish Borders town’s talented, self-made nurseryman, gardener, botanist and plant hunter William Kerr.

Produced from its own malt barley spirit and distilled from a specially-commissioned Carter Head Still, Kerr’s Gin effuses a delicate balance of several botanicals from near and far, including juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seeds, liquorice root and cassia bark.

After an initial light malt fruitiness, this nectar reveals bright citrus notes of lemon and orange and coriander seeds, combined with and a subtle spicy hint of liquorice.

“William Kerr was a man from humble origins whose love of plants helped shape the field of botany,” said John Fordyce from The Borders Distillery. “An avid explorer and plant collector of the early 19th century, his work spanned Indonesia, China, The Philippines and Sri Lanka, resulting in him shipping over 230 new specimens back to the United Kingdom.

“Unlike many gins we use our own spirit from beginning to end, resulting in a distinctive and delicious mouth-filling taste and texture.”

Keeping it simple and letting the gin do the talking, Kerr’s perfect-serve G&T features a slice or twist of orange.
Kerr’s Gin won gold at the 2021 Warsaw Spirits Competition and can be purchased online (£33 per 70cl bottle) here