The 5pm Dining blog is always ready sacrifice itself for you, our dear readers. Last night we bade farewell to the sofa and spent a gruelling couple of hours trying to decide which is the best Scottish gin to drink with Walter Gregor, the only Scottish tonic.

Summerhouse Drinks, the Aberdeenshire-based company which makes Walter Gregor, were celebrating the first anniversary of the tonic’s launch with a few G ‘n’ Ts.

After extensive sampling and in-depth consultation with Claire Rennie, Head of Fizz at Summerhouse, a few trends began to emerge.

‘Our Manse Farm is only half a mile from the sea,’ says Claire. ‘Among other botanicals, Walter Gregor’s Tonic Water is made with mint which we grow on the farm. We think that the mint picks up some characteristics from the sea. That proximity to the sea seems to add something to the flavours of the tonic and gives it an affinity with Scottish gins which are made on or by the coast.’

Sea spray

I realise that the more cynical readers may be rolling their eyes at this point but it is interesting to look at the tonic tasting notes which members of the public left after a recent gin festival. Among the flavours they detected were oyster, sea spray, salt, mint and, this is our favourite, North Berwick beach.

Following on from this, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that Walter goes well with Scottish gins which have a touch of the sea in their DNA.

According to Claire, NB Gin, Shetland Reel, Rock Rose, Eden Mills Original, Botanist, Kirsty’s Gin from Arbikie and the seasonal Seaside Gin from Edinburgh Gin all fit the bill.

In particular, Walter Gregor’s Gin pairs well with the new Isle of Harris Gin which is infused with Sugar Kelp, a type of seaweed which grows in abundance around the island.

Not that you have to take our word for it. It’s the sort of area which repays diligent research.

Slainte!