City set for biggest ever gin festival

Stirling Spirits Company eyeing a record-breaking event this year

Stirling Spirits Company’s June McCann with Stirling Gin ambassador Stewart Patience

THE annual Stirling Gin Festival is set to break attendance records when it returns to the city this November, organiser Stirling Spirits Company has announced.

The festival drew in a record 1000 gin enthusiasts last year, while 1203 bottles of gin were sold at the event – which is said to have generated around £100,000 for the local economy in Stirlingshire.

Tickets for the festival, which will be held over three sessions at Stirling Highland Hotel, on Friday November 2 and Saturday November 3, are reported to be selling fast and co-owner of the Stirling Spirits Company and sister company Stirling Gin, June McCann, reckons this year’s event will break records again.

She said: “We were thrilled with the figures and the fun that the fourth annual Stirling Gin Festival generated but I have no doubt in saying that the 2018 event will be both bigger and better.

“We will be presenting over 120 gins for tasting, compared to 100 last year and I am sure that the 2017 record of 1203 bottles sold will fall.

I have no doubt in saying that the 2018 Stirling Gin Festival will be bigger and better than 2017.

“We will also be lifting our number of exhibitors from 24 to 30 but the increase will not just be in numbers but in quality and variety and I think that is why we have already sold out one of our three sessions – and the other two are well on the way.”

McCann said that a range of new gins will be making their debut at the festival, including Kinrara Gin, which is produced in Aviemore.

“We will also be welcoming the Gin Bothy from the Angus Glens and I’m sure their famous ‘Gunshot’ gin will shoot to the top of the gin charts,” she said.

“But with old favourites ranging from Spain’s Valencia gin to Harris gin and Stirling Gin to the forefront in its home city and all back for another year, our patrons will have the best of both worlds.”