Glaswegin Review: Glasgow's Supermarket Gin (Asda, Tesco & Sainsbury's)

Glaswegin exists because a Glaswegian got tired of Edinburgh Gin being everywhere. That's not a marketing embellishment — founder Andy McGeoch (previously chief executive of the clothing chain M&Co) launched the brand in 2018 as an explicitly Glasgow reply to the capital's gin, right down to the no-nonsense "Weegie" attitude and a porcelain bottle designed by a Glasgow School of Art graduate. It's now on the shelves of Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's for around £25–30, which is why so many people end up searching "glaswegin asda" or "glaswegin tesco" rather than reading a review first.

So here's the review. This draws on the producer's published botanical and process detail, the bottle's competition record, and where it sits against the other Scottish gins in the same supermarket aisle.

The quick verdict

Glaswegin is a competent, slightly peppery contemporary London Dry that's easy to find and fairly priced. It's better than its "gimmicky city gin" positioning suggests — it won Scotland's Best London Dry at the 2021 World Gin Awards, which is a blind-judged result, not a paid sticker. It is not a distillery-of-its-own operation, and it doesn't out-class Caorunn or The Botanist on flavour. Buy it if you like a peppery, citrus-lifted G&T and want something with a genuine Glasgow story on the shelf; don't buy it expecting a revelation.

Who actually makes it — and where

This is the honest part most brand pages skip. Glaswegin is contract-distilled on a copper pot still at Illicit Spirits in Glasgow's Tradeston, not on a still the brand owns itself. In 2024 the brand opened a "brand home" on Lancefield Street in Finnieston, which is a tasting-and-visitor space rather than the production distillery.

That matters for expectation-setting, not for dismissal. Plenty of good gins are contract-distilled, and being made in Glasgow to Glaswegin's own recipe is a real thing. But it means the "Glasgow distillery" language is about identity and provenance of recipe rather than an in-house operation like Balmenach (Caorunn) or Bruichladdich (The Botanist), both of which distil their own base spirit at working whisky distilleries. If in-house distillation is your line in the sand, Makar — from The Glasgow Distillery Co, which does distil its own — is the Glasgow gin that clears it.

The botanicals and the flavour

Glaswegin's original expression is built on eight botanicals, and the line-up is more interesting than the average craft-gin bundle:

• Scottish milk thistle — the signature, and an unusual choice; it's the plant on Glasgow's own botanical heritage
• Italian juniper — the backbone, keeping it a real London Dry rather than a flavoured spirit
• Russian coriander — citrus-forward, lemony lift
• Angelica — the earthy, dry, structural note that binds a gin together
• Orange flower — soft floral top note
• Bay leaf — a savoury, herbal edge
• Chamomile — gentle apple-honey roundness
• Pink peppercorn — the warm, spicy finish that's Glaswegin's most recognisable trait

The result is a contemporary London Dry: juniper present but not dominant, a clear citrus-and-floral middle, and a distinctly peppery, slightly spicy finish from the pink peppercorn. It's bottled at 41.1% ABV, a touch above the mainstream, which gives it enough body to survive a generous pour of tonic. It reads as more approachable and softer than a classic juniper bomb like Caorunn, and less overtly "botanical showpiece" than The Botanist — it sits in the middle, which is a sensible place for a gin that wants to be an everyday pour.

How to serve it

The pink pepper is the thing to play to. The producer's steer, and the one that works best:

• Tonic: a clean Indian tonic (Fever-Tree or Schweppes 1783) — nothing too sweet, so the pepper and citrus stay legible
• Garnish: a pink grapefruit slice or a twist of orange; a few pink peppercorns in the glass if you want to lean into the finish
• Ice and glass: plenty of ice, a balloon or highball — as with any gin, under-icing is the most common way to ruin it

It also makes a decent, peppery Negroni if you want to move beyond the G&T — the spice holds up against Campari better than a softer floral gin would. For the full method, see our Scottish G&T guide.

The range beyond the original

Worth knowing before you're stood in the aisle wondering which bottle is which:

• Original (41.1%) — the one reviewed here and the one in the supermarkets
• Weegie Strength (55.8%) — a navy-strength version with considerably more punch; the one to buy if you like a strong, spice-forward G&T
• Raspberry & Rhubarb (37.5%) — a flavoured/lower-strength expression in the sweeter fruit-gin style
• Tequila Cask Aged (41.1%) — a cask-finished curiosity

The Original is the right starting point. The Weegie Strength is the genuinely interesting follow-up if the house style suits you.

Glaswegin vs Edinburgh Gin vs Makar

Since Glaswegin was born as a Glasgow rebuttal to Edinburgh Gin, the comparison is the whole point:

• vs Edinburgh Gin — both are approachable, widely-stocked, similarly priced (£25–34) contemporary city gins. Edinburgh Gin is softer and more citrus-led; Glaswegin is drier and peppery. Neither is a class above the other — it's a taste call. Edinburgh Gin's flavoured-liqueur range is the more famous product; Glaswegin's navy strength is the more interesting one.
• vs Makar — Makar (The Glasgow Distillery Co) is the more serious Glasgow gin on paper: distilled in-house and unapologetically juniper-forward. If you want a Glasgow gin that tastes like a proper London Dry, Makar edges it. If you want the peppery, easy-drinking one that's actually on the Asda shelf, Glaswegin wins on availability.
• vs Caorunn — Caorunn is the better classic gin and usually a couple of pounds cheaper. If "best value real Scottish gin in the supermarket" is the brief, Caorunn is still the answer.

So should you buy it?

Buy Glaswegin if: you want a peppery, approachable, genuinely-Glasgow gin that's easy to find in Asda, Tesco or Sainsbury's; you like a pink-grapefruit G&T; or you want to support a Glasgow brand over a mass-market name at the same price. The bottle also makes a good, distinctive gift — the porcelain design is a real object rather than a printed label.

Skip it if: you want the best gin in the aisle for the money (that's Caorunn), the most distinctive Scottish gin (The Botanist or Isle of Harris), or a gin distilled on its own still (Makar). Glaswegin is a solid mid-table Scottish gin with a strong sense of place — not the best liquid on the shelf, but far from the marketing-only bottles it shares that shelf with.

Glaswegin — check price Caorunn (best-value pick)

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Compare it across the aisle in our Scottish gin supermarket guide, or see the full ranking in our best Scottish gin guide.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy Glaswegin gin?

Glaswegin is stocked in Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's, typically around £25–30 for the 70cl Original. It's also on the brand's own webshop and Amazon, and in independent Scottish off-licences. Availability of the Weegie Strength and flavoured expressions is patchier in supermarkets — those are more of an online or specialist buy.

How much is Glaswegin?

The 70cl Original is usually around £25–30 in supermarkets, in line with Edinburgh Gin and a little above Caorunn. Prices move with loyalty-card offers, so it's worth checking Tesco Clubcard and Asda promotions before you buy.

Who makes Glaswegin and where is it distilled?

Glaswegin was founded in 2018 by Andy McGeoch and is contract-distilled on a copper pot still at Illicit Spirits in Tradeston, Glasgow — not on a still the brand owns. Its "brand home" for tastings opened on Lancefield Street in Finnieston in 2024. The recipe and identity are Glaswegin's; the physical distilling is done under contract.

What does Glaswegin taste like?

A contemporary London Dry: present-but-not-dominant juniper, a lemony citrus middle from coriander, soft floral notes, and a warm, peppery finish driven by pink peppercorn. It's bottled at 41.1% ABV. Softer and spicier than a classic juniper-forward gin like Caorunn; less of a botanical showpiece than The Botanist.

Has Glaswegin won any awards?

Yes — it was named Scotland's Best London Dry at the 2021 World Gin Awards, which is a blind-judged competition rather than a paid endorsement. Its porcelain bottle, designed by a Glasgow School of Art graduate, has also been recognised at the Scottish Design Awards.

Is Glaswegin better than Edinburgh Gin?

It's a taste preference, not a ranking. Edinburgh Gin is softer and more citrus-led; Glaswegin is drier and peppery. They're similarly priced and both widely stocked. Glaswegin's navy-strength "Weegie Strength" is the more interesting bottle in the range; Edinburgh Gin's fruit liqueurs are the more famous ones.

Is Glaswegin a proper Scottish gin or just marketing?

It's a real Scottish gin — made in Glasgow to its own eight-botanical recipe, at 41.1% ABV, with a legitimate blind-judged award. The fair criticism is that it's contract-distilled rather than made on its own still, so the "Glasgow distillery" branding is more about identity than in-house production. That's common in the category and doesn't make it a bad buy; it just means you're not paying for a bespoke distillery operation.

Related articles

• Scottish Gin in the Supermarkets: Which Shop Stocks What
• Best Scottish Gin: An Honest Consumer Guide
• Caorunn Gin Review
• Scottish Gin and Tonic Pairings
• Scottish Distillery Map

Sources

• Glaswegin producer information: founding (2018, Andy McGeoch), Illicit Spirits contract distillation in Tradeston, eight botanicals, 41.1% ABV, and the Original / Weegie Strength / Raspberry & Rhubarb / Tequila Cask range
• World Gin Awards 2021 — Scotland's Best London Dry (Glaswegin Original)
• Live retailer listings checked July 2026: Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's online grocery product pages for Glaswegin Scottish Gin 70cl