World’s first haggis gin set to launch at Burns Lite event in Kelso

Gin fans looking for a special tipple to toast the bard with this Burns Night are in luck as the Borders is now home to the world’s first haggis-flavoured gin.
Audrey Anderson with their new haggis gin.Audrey Anderson with their new haggis gin.
Audrey Anderson with their new haggis gin.

Launched by Rutherford’s in Kelso, the only micropub of its kind in Scotland, the new gin is the first of its type anywhere in the world.

Simon and Debbie Rutherford, co-owners of the bar, in the Square, said: “We have come up with another world first – haggis gin – and we will be releasing it at our Burns Lite event this Friday.

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“Our full-strength haggis gin is totally vegan, gluten-free, meat-free and utterly delicious when served with tonic.

“We can guarantee that no haggis, or any other animal, was harmed in its making.

“We scoured lots of recipes for traditional haggis and narrowed it down to the key spices which give the unique flavour, then we set about experimenting until we came up with a unique, and very tasty, Scottish alternative to whisky.”

The couple have been creating their own gins under the name of DeliQuescent since October 2017, and they’re promising something special to mark the launch of their 37.5% alcohol-by-volume haggis gin.

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“We plan to have the haggis piped in by local eminent piper Sandy Devers, who regularly supports the band the Farm,” Simon added.

“It will be addressed by none other than musician Jesse Rae in full regalia.”

including helmet.”

The pub’s Burns Lite event begins at 3pm this Friday, January 25.

The bar, opened in a former knitwear shop unit in 2015, remains Scotland’s only micropub selling cask ales, and it has between four and eight, sourced from far and wide, on offer at any one time, all served from gravity stillage.

Haggis gin is available to buy from Rutherford’s and also online at deliquescent.co.uk from this week.

A 50cl bottle costs £24.