Discover Holy Grass Vodka - A wonder from the wilderness
21st November 2015
Hand-crafted in the far North of Scotland, Holy Grass Vodka, is the latest release from the multi-award winning Dunnet Bay Distillery in Caithness. It features the unusual botanical Holy Grass (or Anthoxanthum nitens ), once discovered on the banks of the nearby Thurso River by Robert Dick.
Holy Grass, so-called as it was once used to bring a sweet, vanilla smell to church floors, brings a wonderful and distinct herbaceous flavour to his new vodka. A celebration of local produce and ingredients, the spirit is also infused with a carefully crafted vapour of Highland apples and apple juice, to complement the sweetness of the Holy Grass. The result is a delicate and fresh vodka with a creamy smooth finish.
The craft vodka is carefully distilled by husband and wife team, Martin and Claire Murray, who have devised a secret and completely unique way to distil the vodka, using Elizabeth, their traditional copper pot still, and Caithness stone. They hope to emulate the success of Rock Rose Gin, which they launched earlier in the year to critical acclaim and which featured hand-foraged, local botanicals.
Martin Murray, Co-Founder of Dunnet Bay Distillery, explains, As with Rock Rose Gin, we wanted to create a spirit that captures and celebrates the heritage of Caithness and its local botanicals. Our Holy Grass Vodka is a tribute to Robert Dick, a legendary botanist from Tullibody, who lived in Thurso in the 1800s. We believe it offers vodka lovers a completely new and delicious taste experience.
Since Martin and Claire founded Dunnet Bay Distillery in 2014, they have picked a plethora of awards most recently B est New Business at the Highlands and Islands Food & Drink Awards in October 2015 and Runner-Up for Best Drink and Best New Product (Rock Rose Gin). Rock Rose Gin was also named in the Top 50 Food and Drink Products in Britain at the Great Taste Awards 2015.
They produce three spirits Rock Rose Gin, Rock Rose Gin ‘Navy Strength' and now Holy Grass Vodka. Find out more or buy a bottle at: rockrosegin.co.uk
● Holy Grass Vodka is available from www.rockrosegin.co.uk and selected
retailers, with full details on the website
● RRP £34
Related Businesses
Related Articles
A £5.9m project to create a new whisky distillery within the former derelict Mill at Castletown in Caithness has secured a £250,000 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Dunnet Bay Distillers Limited (DBDL) is leading the project, which will create 13 jobs.
When the Inverness Castle Experience opens in mid-2025, visitors will be invited to explore a new exhibition within the West Tower of the Castle, dedicated to celebrating the 'Spirits of the Highlands.' This special showcase will feature a unique collection of Highland spirits, each distilled exclusively within our iconic region of Scotland. The exhibition will offer a fascinating look into the history and flavours that define the Highlands, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the rich heritage and craftsmanship of our local distillers of whiskies, gins, rums, vodkas and more.
As a result of HIE's support, businesses in the area are set to see combined turnover rise by £22.4m, while international sales will grow by £661,000. Figures compiled by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) show that businesses and communities supported by the agency in Caithness and Sutherland during last financial year are set to create or retain more than 50 jobs.
Highlands and Islands. With a total of 15 award categories recognising a range of diverse businesses from best products to food and drink experiences and outstanding retailers, the winners represent the cream of the crop.
Dunnet Bay Distillers to expand and create jobs with HIE support. Dunnet Bay Distillers Ltd is owned by local husband and wife team, Claire and Martin Murray and has secured up to £180,200 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for the project.
Dunnet Bay Distillers has submitted a planning application to Highland Council asking permission to refurbish a 200 year-old mill and surrounding land at Castletown, near its headquarters. The Caithness company produce the Rock Rose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka brands and took over the mill last year.
SCDI Highlands & Islands Chair's Award for Outstanding Business Achievement was won for 2021 by Dunnet Bay Distillers. Going from strength to strength Dunnet Bay Distillers have grown to add another still, shop and to cater for the growing number of tourists visiting via the North Coast 500 route.
The national awards programme which celebrates excellence in Scottish gin has revealed the names of the best gins made in Scotland this year, as part of its 3rd annual competition. The Scottish Gin Awards revealed the winners last night following a rigorous judging process involving 30 leading experts from across the UK, the assessment of 104 written entries and the blind tasting of 173 gins, all distilled in Scotland.
Local food and drink businesses are celebrating after being named finalists in the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards (HIFAD) 2019. HIFAD celebrate passion, quality and innovation throughout the region.
The UK's most northerly mainland distillery, Dunnet Bay Distillers, is scouring the UK for exceptional artwork to feature in its debut exhibition, ‘Inspired by Gin'. The distillery will play host to the exhibition from December 2019 - March 2020 at its new Visitor Centre, which is a VisitScotland 5 Star Visitor Attraction and a centre for food and drink, culture and heritage tourism.
