Aviemore gin maker churns out Covid-19 help
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An award-winning Strathspey gin distillery has churned its hand to community care with stunning success at its base at a former milk steading.
The first gins came off the stills at Kinrara Distillery on the outskirts of Aviemore in April 2018 and it wasn't long before the awards were flowing in as fast as the gin was flowing out.
But when coronavirus struck, like at other gin distilleries it was time for a rethink to help the cause and protect local jobs.
Jade Fletcher, marketing and events manager at the Kinrara operation, told the Strathy: "When Covid-19 hit, we switched our main production here at the distillery from gin to hand sanitiser as a way to both help the community and keep our staff in jobs.
"We've now sold thousands of litres to businesses across the UK, along with donating vast amounts to charities and businesses in need right across Scotland.
"As Scotland starts to open up again we would love to help out our local businesses, in the hope that we can help them out as they do the same by buying from us."
Kinrara Distillery's Highland Dry took the silver medal for Contemporary Gin of the Year at the 2019 Scottish Gin awards, with every gin entered by the company named as finalists.
The distillery has also been named a finalist in the 2020 Rural Business Awards.
It employees three full-time staff plus another two part-timers, along with a couple of volunteers who are helping to fulfil our orders.
"We are still producing all of our gins on the side, with online orders leaving the distillery daily," said Ms Fletcher.
"We switched production temporarily to hand sanitiser on the first day of April and will continue to produce it until it is no longer required, although for safety reasons sanitiser cannot be bought directly from the distillery.
"Our sanitiser has gone out to companies all over the UK and has been used on sites including the Louisa Jordan Field Hospital in Glasgow, Major Train Stations, Hospitals and by the Police."
Vast amounts of sanitiser have now been donated to companies including both Cairngorm and Torridon Mountain Rescue, care homes and community trusts.
"Our chosen charity, the Cairgorm Mountain Rescue Team, launched a gin in partnership with us and a percentage from every bottle of 'Cairngorm Whiteout' that we sell goes to them."
Now that Scotland is slowly starting to open up again, the distillery is focusing on supporting the local economy by supplying sanitiser to those who require it.
"We try to use local suppliers and tradesmen as much as possible here at the distillery and would love it if everyone could support us now by doing the same."
Kinrara's sanitiser is laboratory tested and certified by Trading Standards as World Health Organisation Recipe 1 Hand Sanitiser, coming in at 80 per cent alcohol.
"We have varying size available to businesses, from large 25l containers down to small handheld bottles, allowing us to tailor the sanitiser amount to all needs."
More information at info@kinraradistillery.com. Sanitiser cannot be bought directly from the distillery.
