Botanicals
The botanicals in gin are the natural ingredients used to flavor the spirit, giving each gin its characteristic flavor profile. The primary botanical, which must be present in every gin, is juniper, but there are many other common and innovative botanicals that gin producers use to create unique and distinctive flavors. Botanicals are essential for defining the character and aromatic profile of a gin. The combination of different botanicals allows distillers to craft unique gins that reflect their creativity and the environment they come from. The variety of ingredients used in modern gins, from classic to contemporary, enables experimentation and discovery of an endless range of flavors and styles. Here’s an overview of the most common botanicals and some of the most typical in Scotland in gin.
TRADITIONAL BOTANICALS IN GIN
JUNIPER
Description:
Juniper is the fundamental element of all gins, constituting its dominant flavor—required by law for a beverage to be classified as gin. Among the various juniper species found in nature, common juniper (Juniperus communis) is the most widely used in gin production, as specified by EU regulations for certain types. It is a spiny evergreen shrub, or sometimes a tree, closely related to cypress and pine. Its needle-like or scale-like leaves and matte blue‑black “berries” are actually female cones, similar to pine cones.
Distribution:
Common juniper is widespread across the Northern Hemisphere—from the Arctic through the mountains of Central America, Europe, and Asia—with isolated populations in North Africa. The highest‑quality berries come from Italy (Tuscany), Scotland, and North Macedonia.
Properties in gin:
Juniper berries are rich in essential oils that impart a fresh, green, fragrant pine‑like flavor to gin, often enriched by a slight fruity finish and a peppery note. Distillers’ preference for a dry, sharp, or sweet aromatic profile influences the choice of origin and age of the berries.
CORIANDER
Description:
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also known as Chinese parsley, is an annual herb characterized by white flowers grouped in umbrella‑shaped clusters. Its “seeds” (botanically small fruits called mericarps) are aromatic and belong to the same family as cumin, dill, fennel, and parsley.
Distribution:
Coriander is widespread across Central Asia and the Middle East. Major suppliers for gin producers are Morocco and Eastern Europe, particularly Romania.
Properties in gin:
Coriander is widely used in gin, imparting warm, citrusy, and spicy notes.
ANGELICA
Description:
Angelica archangelica is the species most commonly used in gin production. This biennial medicinal plant is renowned for its digestive, analgesic, and circulatory benefits. It features a sturdy, branched stem, pale green leaves, and white, yellow, or greenish umbrella‑shaped flower clusters.
Distribution:
Native to northern Europe, most angelica in commerce comes from France, Bulgaria, Germany, and Hungary.
Properties in gin:
The root is the most used part, though some distillers also use seeds and flowers. Angelica helps marry the aromas of other botanicals, adding a delicate earthy, bitter, and herbaceous flavor with hints reminiscent of absinthe.
IRIS
Description:
The iris flower, a symbol of nobility, belongs to the Iris family and includes over 300 species. Among them, Iris pallida is most often used in gin for its exceptional olfactory qualities. It features sword‑shaped leaves and violet flowers with a sweet fragrance resembling violets.
Distribution:
Iris pallida is widely cultivated across Europe, particularly in Italy, where the most prized variety is produced—especially around Florence.
Properties in gin:
The iris rhizome, commonly called the root, is essential for distillers due to its ability to fix and hold the aromas of other botanicals. The rhizome is dried—often for years—and then ground into powder. It contributes light floral notes, earthy sweetness, and subtle hints of grass and hay.
LEMON
Description:
Lemon is undoubtedly the most widely used citrus in gin production, with about one‑third of global gins including it. Native to Asia and introduced to Europe during the Roman era, the lemon is an evergreen tree in the Rutaceae family, characterized by coriaceous aromatic leaves and fragrant white or pink‑tinged flowers.
Distribution:
Lemon is extensively cultivated in warm climates.
Properties in gin:
The lemon peel—dried or fresh—is the most used part in gin, thanks to its high essential oil content. During distillation, its clean, refreshing citrus flavor—from sweet to slightly tart—is easily recognizable.
LICORICE
Description:
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a perennial herbaceous plant reaching approximately 1 m in height. It has erect cylindrical stems with bright green compound leaves made of seven pairs of elliptic leaflets. Blue‑violet and white flowers appear in clusters, followed by hardy pods containing 4–6 seeds.
Distribution:
Licorice occurs from Southwest Asia to the Mediterranean in Europe, with the world’s most prized variety grown in Calabria along the Ionian coast.
Properties in gin:
The tough, fibrous root is ground into powder for use in distillation, imparting a distinct earthy sweetness to gin.
STAR ANISE
Description:
Star anise (Illicium verum) is a fruit recognizable by its eight‑pointed star shape, from a tropical evergreen tree that can reach up to 10 m. The tree has glossy oval leaves and large white flowers.
Distribution:
Native to China and Vietnam, star anise is now also grown in India and many other Asian countries for commercial use.
Properties in gin:
In gin, star anise offers an intense sweet licorice aroma with a mild peppery note.
CASSIA
Description:
Cassia, or Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum), is an aromatic evergreen tree in the Lauraceae family. Similar to cinnamon but larger, it has opposite, elongated oval leaves with pointed tips and white flower clusters.
Distribution:
Native to southwestern China, cassia is now grown in many tropical regions. The thicker, sturdier bark is used in gin.
Properties in gin:
In gin, cassia bark delivers a cinnamon‑like flavor with warm, spicy, woody, and slightly sweet notes, with a subtle peppery edge.
CARDAMOM
Description:
Cardamom comes in two main varieties: black (Amomum subulatum) and green (Elettaria cardamomum), the latter being most widely used in gin for its milder and less tart flavor. Often called the “true” cardamom, green cardamom is a perennial in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), reaching 2–3 m in height. Its dark green leaves are long, ellipsoid, and arranged in two ranks. Its flowers are white with purple or reddish streaks, followed by green, wrinkled capsules with many dark brown or black seeds used as spice.
Distribution:
Green cardamom likely originated in southwestern India—today’s Cardamom Hills—and is also grown in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Thailand. Guatemala is now a major exporter, along with Tanzania, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and Vietnam.
Properties in gin:
Cardamom is potent, and even in small amounts it brings a complex, warm, sweet herbal flavor with a subtle citrus note.
COMMON BOTANICALS IN SCOTLAND
SEA BUCKTHORN
Description:
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a spiny shrub in the Elaeagnaceae family. This densely branched plant has lanceolate opposite leaves with silvery‑green color, sometimes turning yellowish. Its small disc‑shaped flowers give way to bright orange berries clustered like elongated olives.
Distribution:
Sea buckthorn ranges from Europe’s Atlantic coasts to northeast China and Central Asia. In Scotland, it grows wild along coasts—especially on sandy dunes—thriving in the region’s cold maritime climate.
Properties in gin:
In gin, sea buckthorn adds a tangy note without being overly bitter, offering freshness and fruit‑like aromas resembling pineapple. It also leaves a subtle salty finish that pleasantly lingers.
ROWAN
Description:
Rowan, also known as mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), is a tree or shrub in the Rosaceae family reaching 5–15 m. It has slightly toothed oval leaves and produces white lace‑like flowers in spring. Its ornamental red or orange berries ripen in autumn.
Distribution:
Native to central and northern Europe from Iceland to Russia and into Asia, rowan is widespread across Scotland. It thrives in diverse habitats including woodlands, hedgerows, roadside edges, and uplands.
Properties in gin:
Rowan berries impart a bittersweet, astringent flavor that balances and complements other botanicals, giving gin a fresh, clean finish.
MYRICA GALE
Description:
Myrica gale, also known as bog myrtle, is a perennial deciduous shrub reaching 50–200 cm, in the Myricaceae family. Its simple spiral leaves have finely serrated margins. Flowers form clusters that develop into small fleshy fruits.
Distribution:
This plant thrives in damp or boggy soils and is found across the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, continental Europe, Britain, Russia, North Korea, and Japan. In Scotland, it's especially common in western regions—from Dumfries & Galloway to the northern mainland and the Inner and Outer Hebrides as well as parts of Orkney, particularly abundant in the Highlands.
Properties in gin:
In gin, Myrica gale offers a fresh, citrusy aroma with a resinous nuance that is both invigorating and soothing. Its herbaceous and slightly bitter flavor finishes with sweet and spicy undertones.
HEATHER
Description:
Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a small perennial shrub in the Ericaceae family, typically 20–150 cm tall. It features tiny needle‑like leaves and small flowers ranging from pink to purple, with some white varieties.
Distribution:
Heather is widespread across Europe—especially Atlantic regions, the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, and North Africa. Several species are endemic to South Africa. In Scotland, heather is iconic, covering vast areas of the Highlands and islands, defining the characteristic Scottish landscape.
Properties in gin:
Heather adds a floral, herbaceous note to gin, enhanced with delicate hints of honey.
BROOM
Description:
Broom refers to several Fabaceae shrubs in the genera Genista, Spartium, Cytisus, and others. The most common are Spartium junceum (Spanish broom) and Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom). This shrub, 1–3 m tall, features thin green branches. Leaves are small, simple, and deep green; many species shed them quickly, leaving bare stems. The bright yellow, highly fragrant flowers cluster densely.
Distribution:
Broom is hardy and adapts to many environments. It is common in Mediterranean regions and other parts of Europe, as well as parts of North Africa and the Middle East. In Scotland, broom is particularly widespread, thriving in woods, unused grasslands, moorlands, and coastal zones.
Properties in gin:
In gin, broom adds a tropical character reminiscent of coconut and vanilla. Its floral notes lend gentle sweetness, while its subtle bitterness adds depth and complexity to the spirit.
SEAWEED
Description:
Seaweeds are aquatic organisms essential to marine and freshwater ecosystems, crucial for oxygen production and the base of the food chain. They vary widely in size, shape, and color—from microscopic unicellular algae (diatoms) to large macroalgae like kelp. They span multiple taxonomic groups including green (Chlorophyta), red (Rhodophyta), brown (Phaeophyceae), and diatoms.
Distribution:
Seaweeds are found in diverse environments—from oceans and seas to lakes, rivers, and ponds. They can even thrive in extreme conditions like hot springs, snow, and ice. Scotland’s coastal regions host rich seaweed forests vital to the ecosystem and local economy for centuries. Their use in gin reflects Scotland’s deep connection to the sea and its resources.
Properties in gin:
Seaweed gives gin a unique marine character, with briny, fresh notes reminiscent of the sea. Depending on the type used, it may add subtle spice or pronounced sweetness, enriching the gin’s aromatic profile.
Nettle
Description:
The most widespread species of Urtica is the common nettle (Urtica dioica), a perennial herbaceous plant in the Urticaceae family. It can reach 1–2 m tall, with erect, sparsely branched stems covered in hairs and striations. Its dark green leaves are opposite, oval, and serrated, and its small greenish flowers grow in clusters.
Distribution:
Native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, nettles are pervasive throughout Scotland.
Properties in gin:
Nettles impart an herbaceous, slightly bitter flavor often described as similar to chopped basil or crushed coriander.
ROSEHIP
Description:
Rosehip, also called wild rose and part of the Rosaceae family, is a shrub that can grow 1–3 m tall. It has thorny, arching branches, with leaves composed of 5–7 oval leaflets with toothed margins. Its flowers are pale pink or white with five petals. The plant is known for its fruit—rosehips—rich in vitamin C and vital nutrients.
Distribution:
Rosehip is widespread in Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. In Scotland, it’s common in hedgerows, field edges, woods, moorlands, and coastal areas.
Properties in gin:
Rosehip can be used fresh, dried, or as syrup in gin, imparting a sweet‑tart flavor with a subtle floral hint.