Beyond whisky — Scotland's other spirits

Scotch whisky and Scottish gin get most of the attention — and most of the shelf space. But Scotland’s spirit producers have diversified considerably in the last decade, producing vodka from single-estate potatoes, rum from slowly fermented Caribbean molasses, and whisky-based liqueurs with genuine history behind them.

Arbikie in Angus makes vodka, gin, rum, and a climate-positive spirit from Scottish peas — all from ingredients grown on their own farm. Dark Matter in Aberdeen is one of the UK’s most awarded rums. Glayva and Stag’s Breath have been produced since the 1940s and 1950s, considerably predating the craft spirits movement.

None of these categories have the infrastructure of Scotch whisky or the marketing budgets of the major gin brands — which makes them easier to find genuinely good things in without wading through PR.