The great working breed, the Clydesdale horse, is being celebrated with the launch of a new gin.
The Wee Farm Distillery, a micro distillery run by Jenny and Stephen McKerr in Lanarkshire, is launching the Clydesdale Gin on 3 November.
Jenny told H&H the distillery has been working on the apple and rhubarb gin for 12 months.
“We’re beef and sheep farmers and our business value is about the spirit of Scottish farming. We wanted to do a Clydesdale gin to keep a connection to the working horse and celebrate the breed originating from here,” she said.
“We attend the Royal Highland Show (RHS) every year and the Clydesdales are always such a spectacle.”
Jenny said the label will feature the RHS 2019 best gelding West Forth Solo, owned by the Tennant family.
“Jimmy Tennant sent us photos of Solo and we had local artist Jan Laird paint him for the label. The label explains who Solo is, where he was bred and a bit about him,” she said.
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“We’re trying to promote the local farms, local ingredients and local art to bring the gin together. One thing I’ve learnt is that people who are passionate about animals also seem to be passionate about gin so when you put the two together it works quite well.”
Jenny approached the Clydesdale Horse Society to find a special guest for the launch event, at The Heron Farm Shop, in Strathaven on 3 November.
“The society put a post on Facebook to see if someone would be interested in taking a Clydesdale along to the event and we received six calls within an hour. Owners are so enthusiastic about the breed,” she said.
“Bryan Lindsay is going to bring his gelding Dillars Rascal so people can meet him and learn about the heritage of the breed.”
Bryan told H&H 18.2hh four-year-old Rascal, who is broken to ride and drive, loves people and attention.
“We always welcome an opportunity to publicise the breed,” he said. “We now have seven Clydesdales and are totally besotted with them, we were delighted therefore when we heard about the launch and instantly volunteered to help.”
The gin will be available to buy directly from the Wee Farm Distillery following the launch.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
