Local, independent and family-run business The Gin Cooperative has been dedicated to promoting Scottish gin since its inception.
The firm, launched in late-2017, was founded by Natalie and Martin Reid as an online resource dedicated entirely to Scottish gin.
Natalie and Martin recently extended their offering to include an online shop and subscription box service.
Not only that, but they are the creative minds behind the launch of International Scottish Gin Day, which took place in October 2019.
It will run this year on Saturday October 2.
The day aims to bring together Scotland’s Scottish gin makers and brands, whose gins are distilled, rectified or cold compounded in Scotland, and a selection of global bars, retailers and gin drinkers.
Natalie said: “As long-time gin drinkers, we wanted to create a central resource, showcasing gins made exclusively in Scotland, inspiring consumers to discover and support local producers of the spirit.
“We spent a long time researching, visiting and talking to Scotland’s gin makers before finally launching our website in April 2018.
“Something they were particularly supportive of and passionate about was that we would showcase gins made exclusively in Scotland.
“Their support extended to membership of the business, which has grown to over 80 Scottish gin brands in three years.
“We also launched and celebrated the first-ever International Scottish Gin Day in 2019.
“We developed partnerships with some of the world’s best bars for launch, including ATLAS Bar in Singapore, Gin Palace in Melbourne, Whitechapel in San Francisco and Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour in London, to name a few.
“As a small, independent family business, our resources are limited and promotion of The Gin Cooperative and International Scottish Gin Day has been done entirely by ourselves, but we both have experience in design, marketing and advertising.
“We’re extremely proud to have grown a genuine social media following of nearly 50,000 across The Gin Cooperative and International Scottish Gin Day accounts.”
The Gin Cooperate website boasts an A-Z of Scottish gin, as well as a number of free downloadable resources like maps and posters and exclusive features and news, promoting gin makers, distilleries and experiences all over the country.
The concept is similar to that of North East Now, which has been aiming to promote businesses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire operating throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Natalie said: “We think the North East Now website is a fantastic idea and, of course, we completely support anything that supports local businesses, especially independent ones.
“With Scotland now boasting over 150 Scottish Gin brands and 500 Scottish Gins, we’ve tailored our own directory so visitors can search by location, as well as style, year released, A-Z and more.
“So the north-east public can sort the directory to review and explore Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire-made gins.
“Our dedicated distilleries and experiences section includes an interactive Scottish Gin Distillery Map and A-Z, which can again be sorted by location and experience, for those wishing to discover local gin experiences.
“Our business is, and always has been, online so our digital ‘doors’ remained open during the pandemic. However, a large part of what we do is to visit Scotland’s gin makers and distilleries, going ‘behind the scenes’, so this had to stop, for the most part, over the last year.
“To continue supporting and promoting the Scottish gin sector throughout the restrictions, we completed a series of online interviews, which streamed live on Facebook.
“We chatted with a variety of people, including Scotland’s gin makers, brand owners, respected gin communicators, businesses and organisations all working in Scottish gin, which was well received from industry and consumers at a tough time for everyone.
“Although it was always part of our longer-term plans, the pandemic certainly accelerated the launch of our online shop, which went live in December 2020.
“It’s no secret that amid slowing economic activity, Covid-19 definitely provided an opportunity and led to a rise in e-commerce and digital transformation.
“Given our website is dedicated entirely to Scottish gin, Scotland’s gin makers welcomed this move as it provided them with another opportunity to promote and sell their products while the majority of their traditional on and off trade customers remained closed.”
With business booming, the couple are looking forward to the future of The Gin Cooperative.
“Our focus has always been to educate and inspire consumers,” Natalie added. “It was a natural progression to launch our subscription service this year.
“This not only delivers the very best Scottish gins and mixers direct to our subscribers, but they’re invited to our exclusive online meet the maker session with the gin maker, providing further insight into the brand and the opportunity to ask questions, all while enjoying their gin and tonic from the comfort of home.
“Our aims for the future remain the same as they’ve always been – to educate and inspire gin drinkers to discover and explore Scottish gin.
“We believe it’s the best gin in the world – carefully crafted by people with passion and integrity, inspired by Scotland’s beautiful landscapes and history.
“Scotland is renowned for its quality food and drink and there’s no reason why Scottish gin can’t continue to grow its reputation, both at home and abroad, and we look forward to supporting this cause.”
Driven by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, the North East Now initiative is also supported by creative agency Hampton and Aberdeen Journals.
For more on the North East Now initiative, visit northeastnow.scot
For more information on The Gin Cooperative, visit thegincooperative.com
To share your positive business story, email stories@northeastnow.scot