Much like our bloodstream, it sometimes feels as though the 5pm Food blog is about 80% gin.

This is especially true at this time of year as all the different drinks festivals begin to announce their schedules.

Still, here is one more for the road.

Over the last three years, The Gin Fayre has been holding gin festivals all over Scotland and northern England.

From St Andrews to Ayr and from Elgin to Wetherby, the organisers have plied their trade with considerable success.

Gin Event of the Year

Not only have they put bums on seats at their festivals but The Gin Fayre was named Gin Event of the Year 2018 at the Scottish Gin Awards.

Billed as the ideal way to find your new favourite gin, The Gin Fayre gives you the chance to sample lots of different craft gins; talk to distillers and attend master classes.

From Perth to Stranraer, there are eight Gin Fayres lined up for Scotland in 2019. You can see them all on the event's homepage.

Like many Scottish gin festivals, the most popular sessions tend to sell out quickly so it pays to get your ticket orders in early.

Two in particular caught our eye from the programme.

First of all, the Fayre hits Dundee's Bonar Hall on Saturday 6th April. To this scribbler, that sounds like a good way to celebrate spring. Especially if combined with a visit to the V&A.

International Scottish Gin Day

Leaping forward a few months, The Gin Fayre is at the gorgeous Mansfield Traquair in Edinburgh on Saturday 3rd August.

The opening weekend of the Fringe, when lots of domestic and international visitors are in town, that day has also been chosen as the first International Scottish Gin Day.

Established by The Gin Cooperative, the day brings together Scottish gin makers who distil, rectify or cold compound their gin in this country.

The Gin Fayre will help celebrate and boost recognition of Scottish gin.

Earlier this week, we blogged about the ongoing discussion surrounding the classification and definition of Scottish gin.

Whether or not Scottish gin  is ever given a legal definition in the same way that whisky is, it seems that Scottish gin is already pretty well established as its own drinks category. The creation of an International Scottish Gin Day will help cement that reputation.

We'll drink to that.

Main picture shows a previous Gin Fayre. Taken from event's Facebook page.