Caorunn Gin is pleased to announce that their new higher ABV gin, Caorunn Highland Strength, created specifically to enhance cocktails, is now available in the US (SRP, $40/750ml).
Produced at the Balmenach Distillery – a working whisky distillery located in the Scottish Highlands – Gin Master Simon Buley crafted Caorunn Highland Strength at a bold 54% ABV (alcohol by volume) to amplify the local Scottish botanicals that distinguish the original Caorunn Gin. “We find that with this higher ABV, the alcohol quickly evaporates in your mouth, leaving behind our beautiful botanical flavors that linger on your palate with a luxurious finish,” explained Buley.
This stronger version of Caorunn Gin utilizes Scotland’s unique natural resources by infusing five locally foraged Celtic botanicals (rowan berry, bog myrtle, heather, dandelion, and Coul Blush apple) with six traditional gin botanicals in the world’s only working Copper Berry Chamber, creating a singular flavor that deserves to be savored.
Built in the 1920s, the Copper Berry Chamber was originally designed to extract essential oils to use as a base for perfumes. Absolutely unique in gin production, the round chamber contains four large trays on which Gin Master Simon Buley spreads the botanicals. As the vapor passes through the trays it picks up the flavors of each botanical in a long, slow process. When it cools and returns to liquid, now gin, the botanical flavors are firmly embedded in the spirit.
The new Highland Strength enhances the dry, crisp, taste of Caorunn to create a peppery, fruity and herbaceous gin with a strong juniper character and minty fresh aroma. This higher strength ABV gin, made for enhancing cocktails, allows Caorunn’s bold taste to carry through stronger and to endure, ensuring a more prominent drink with a wider range of dilution and therefore flavor profiles.
Since its creation in 2019 for the UK market, Caorunn Highland Strength has racked up prestigious award after award including Double Gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the International Spirits Challenge, along with an ‘Extraordinary Ultimate Recommendation’ at 96 points from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
Enjoy Caorunn Highland Strength in your perfect C&T (Caorunn & Tonic) with premium Indian Tonic Water built over ice and garnished with red apple slices, and orange oil twisted over the surface. For those looking for something a little more complex, consider mixing up a Pale Highland Negroni, Highland-Side or a Highland Blush C&T:
Pale Highland Negroni
Ingredients:
1 oz. Caorunn Highland Strength
1 oz. Dry Vermouth
1 oz. Luxardo Bitter Bianco
Directions:
Build in a mixing glass, stir until chilled and diluted. Pour into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon zest.
Highland-Side
Ingredients:
2 oz. Caorunn Highland Strength
1/2 oz. pressed apple juice
1/4 oz. lime juice
1/8 tsp. sugar syrup
Mint leaves
Directions:
Briefly muddle mint and sugar in a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients with ice and shake until chilled before double straining into a coupette. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.
Highland Blush C&T
Ingredients:
2 oz. Caorunn Highland Strength
5 oz. Indian Tonic Water
2 dash’s Angostura Bitters
Directions:
Build ingredients over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with sliced red apples
