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October 19, 2018

In a deal worth £500,000, Lidl have teamed up with The Glasgow Distillery to create Aquine Gin.

It is the first time that a supermarket has made its own Scottish craft gin. The move underlines the fact that Scottish gin is rapidly becoming a separate market category with its own USP.

It's described as a 'unique premium gin inspired by Scotland's national animal'.

The gin is packaged in an eye-catching bottle, adorned by the mystical unicorn.

The name Aquine is a blend of the words 'aqua' and 'equine'.

Legend has it that a unicorn’s horn can purify tainted waters. Aquine has been created and distilled using pure Scottish water.

Developed over the last few months, Aquine is a Scottish dry gin based on an exclusive recipe that has been crafted and distilled by The Glasgow Distillery.

It uses eight carefully selected botanicals – orange peel, lemon peel, juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, rosehip, liquorice and bramble. The result is full-bodied with a fruity finish.

London gin style

Aquine Gin is made with Scottish water.

Aquine Gin is made with Scottish water.

Technically, it is a London Gin, meaning that it has been made in a traditional still by re-distilling ethyl alcohol in the presence of all natural flavourings, or botanicals.

Many other gins, especially supermarket gins with a budget price tag, are produced by different, cheaper methods and, technically, are 'distilled gins' or simply 'gins'.

At £19.99, Aquine doesn't take as much of a chunk from your bank balance as many other premium Scottish gins.

Lidl's Head of Buying in Scotland, Paul McQuade, said: 'Following our successful inaugural Scottish Gin Festival earlier this year, and with the continued demand and interest in Scottish craft gin, creating our own Scottish craft gin Aquine is a natural next step. The Glasgow Distillery has an outstanding reputation within the Scottish gin market, producing their own top-quality premium range, and is therefore the perfect partner to team up with on this exclusive product.'

Essence of the Scottish landscape

Mike Hayward, Brand and Marketing Director, and Co-Founder of The Glasgow Distillery said: 'We are delighted to be collaborating with Lidl to create this bespoke handcrafted gin for them. We have been working with the supermarket for the past few months to perfect the unique taste of Aquine and are proud to bring the essence of the Scottish landscape to customers across the whole country.'

These are the official tasting notes:

London Dry 41.5% ABV

Nose: An aromatic infusion of herbaceous blackberry with underlying vanilla leads to fresh piney juniper on the nose.

Palate: Fresh citrus with notes of dried cranberry open up on the palate followed by juniper with subtle hints of liquorice.

Finish: The finish is long and smooth with a lingering fruity finish.

For a perfect pour Aquine, its makers recommend serving it over lots of ice, topped with Lidl’s premium tonic water and garnished with a fresh slice of orange.