AK s Gin

Viscount wheat grown at Arbikie supplies the base spirit for AK's Gin. At the estate distillery in Inverkeilor, Angus, the wheat vodka is maceratedMacerationBotanicals soak in alcohol, from a few hours to several days, before distillation to release their aromas.Glossary with botanicals before being redistilled in copper stills. Produced in small batchesSmall batchProduction in small quantities per distillation run, often in a small still. The term has no legal definition.Glossary and bottled at the distillery, this Scottish gin has a strength of 43% ABV.

Spicy · Vanilla

Butterscotch and vanilla notes rise on the nose, leading into a palate of honey, caramel and warming spice. Fresh Angus honey joins black pepper and cardamom in the recipe, while juniper adds a fresh, pine-like edge alongside the sweeter notes. Black pepper brings a dry bite and cardamom a fragrant lift, which keeps the honeyed sweetness from turning heavy.

The name honours Alexander Kirkwood Stirling, father of the brothers John, Iain and David Stirling, who own Arbikie. Their estate distillery was founded in 2013, and Kirsty Black is its distiller. The gin is available in a 70 cl bottle; the producer also suggests pairing it with lime juice and ginger ale, a longer drink in which the ginger echoes the pepper and cardamom.

For an AK's Bee's Knees, shake 5 cl gin, 2.5 cl fresh lemon juice and 1.5 cl honey water with ice, then strain into a chilled coupeCoupeA wide, shallow stemmed glass for cocktails served without ice, stirred or shaken then strained.Glossary without ice. Garnish with an orange peel twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary and a fresh thyme sprig. The honey water, made with two parts honey to one part water, echoes the honey in the recipe, and lemon brings a bright counterpoint to the honeyed palate. The orange peel releases its oils over the surface, while thyme adds a herbal note that sits well beside the cardamom.