Don’t panic but the price of your G ‘n’ T may be about to rise steeply due to a perfect storm of bad weather, rising demand and the pound’s plummet against the euro.

According to a report in The Times, this year’s Balkan juniper harvest has been poor after a disappointing summer in the major gin-producing companies of Macedonia and Serbia.

Demand up, supply down

On top of this, demand for juniper is soaring as more and more companies ride the current gin craze. Last but not least, the decline in the value of sterling against the euro has pushed up the price of many botanicals used in gin-making.

Regrettably, at least for those of us who find that a Negroni always brightens up breakfast, commonly used botanicals such as angelica, juniper and orris root are priced in euros.

Having said that, we seem to recall similar stories last year.

It couldn’t possibly be the case that Christmas is the main selling season for spirits and these scare stories have been planted to boost sales, could it?

We’re not taking any risks and our advice is to get stuck in while you can.

Big Deals on gin experiences

You could start by looking at this refreshing Big Deal on a Journey with Gin tasting at 56 North in Edinburgh.

If you are in Glasgow then you might want to investigate the new beGIN bar and their Big Deal on gin cocktails, fizz and sharing platters for six.

The 5pm Dining blog always keeps at least a two month supply of gin under the desk at all times and we’re always looking for new ways to ingest it.

So, we’re grateful to the cocktail bods at the recently refurbished bar in Edinburgh’s Malmaison.

They have given us the recipe for The Pink Lady of Leith. It was the best selling drink at the recent Cocktails in the City bash.

The Pink Lady of Leith

50ml Caorunn Gin

20ml lemon juice

20ml raspberry & vanilla syrup

25 ml egg white

2 x fresh raspberries

Shake up the gin, lemon juice, syrup and egg white in a shaker with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the rasps.