Review from @ginonthetyne

Glasgow-based founder Bruce Walker started his first business at age 13, and by 16 he had started making small batches of fruit compound gins with his mum. It’s great to see the gin bug kick in so early! After leaving school, he started working at an award-winning gin distillery near Callander, where he learned the ins and outs of the industry, as well as the flavours and processes that go into gin.

Bruce founded Purist Gin in 2020, started his own online store, developed his own recipe, built the website, sourced the bottles and designed the labels - makes it sound easy, right? All he needed was a contract distiller in Arbroath to get the gin in a bottle! This just goes to show that if you’re passionate about something and work hard, you can achieve anything.

Purist uses Italian juniper, Japanese yuzu, Chinese cassia, Turkish cinnamon as well as cranberries, to produce a really smooth, delicate gin. On first taste, the initial impression is the zestiness of the yuzu, but this is quickly cut through with cranberry adding a soft sweetness. The warmth of the cinnamon comes next, combining with a lasting impression of punchy spice from the juniper.

A really interesting element of Purist’s brand is its support for local artists, under the label ‘Purist Art’. Each batch has a unique label using artwork from a different artist, who is paid for each bottle of that batch sold. As well as providing a valuable platform for artists to showcase their work (particularly while social spaces and galleries remain subject to restrictions), they also get supported financially. This is a fantastic idea and so important in today’s uncertain climate, and we can’t wait to see the designs on future batches!

Tonight, I’ve served Purist with premium Indian tonic, dried grapefruit and fresh rosemary for a really crisp, flavourful G&T.

- Sophia @ginonthetyne