2022 Scottish Gin Awards Finalists Announced — and Major Surprises Are on the List

Finalists rejoice at the Scottish Gin Awards. (Photo: Scottish Gin Awards 2022)

Drum roll, please! The 2022 Scottish Gin Awards finalists have been announced on Friday and the list is full of surprises. Among the 171 entries, only the finest Scottish gins have ranked supreme.

A judging panel of 41 of the UK’s “foremost experts in gin distilling and running gin businesses” determined the finalists, Scottish Gin Awards wrote.

Finalists were selected as the best in the following style categories: flavored, gin liqueur, citrus flavored, distilled, berry flavored, herb & spice, old tom, pink, London dry, festive, cask and high strength.

The business categories were “Best Newcomer,” “Product Development of the Year,” “Excellence in Sustainability,” “Excellence in Packaging,” “Gin Tourist Destination of the Year, “Best New Product of the Year” and finally, “Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year.”

Now here are the surprises. One finalist, which found its place in multiple winning categories, was the grocery store chain, Aldi. This may come as a shock to residents of the U.S. Yes, Aldi sells gin, but only in a few lucky locations. For example, the UK, Australia and Germany get to enjoy the award-winning gin offerings of Aldi.

Two of the many categories that Aldi’s gins placed in were “Best Flavored Gin” (Toradh Tropical Gin) and “Best Gin Liqueur” (Toradh Raspberry Gin Liqueur and Toradh Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Liqueur). Clearly, Aldi knows what it’s doing with gin.

Another standout gin that placed as a finalist was Ramsay’s Gin, produced by Eden Mill Distillery in partnership with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay’s Gin ranked under “Best London Dry.” It’s always exciting to see a celebrity-owned spirit do more for the world of gin than just have a famous name behind it. A complete list of celebrity-owned gins can be read here.

For one final surprise, look to the finalists under “Best Cask Gin.” One distillery, Holyrood Distillery, absolutely dominated the category with seven barrel-aged gins.

Peruse the full list of 2022 Scottish Gin Awards finalists here.

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