Taylor is passionate about his artisanal grain-to-glass approach and creating spirits that reflect the place of their birth. The Gin Escape is his way of sharing that journey. “We were of the mindset that we really want to help people understand what provenance is and what craft really means. It is not driven by marketing – it is driven by taste, and coupling that with how we actually make our gin,” he explains. “It is a fun story of quality and provenance that I think is really exciting for a visitor, so they can leave a bit more enlightened. We have been unable to travel, so we are seeking more experiences, but especially now, people are wanting to know the story behind the brands in the cupboard: how they make it, the people and the process behind it.” To create Hills & Harbour Gin, it took over 14 months and 90 different recipes to get close to their final product. He was getting ahead of himself at this point, though, as he didn’t yet have a distillery, nor even the land on which to build one. Before too long, though, that was sorted. Graham’s dad, Billy, is a builder, and a pretty good one at that. He’d spotted a piece of land offering uninterrupted views of the Galloway Hills that just so happened to fit into the budget. It was theirs for the taking, so they set to work designing a distillery, making sure it was one that didn’t just respect the land, but took full advantage of it, offering gorgeous, never-ending countryside views. To taste, this is one of the smoothest gins we’ve had. We all agreed that there was very little lingering aftertaste on the palate and definitely got what we thought was the pine needles (if you’ve ever walked in a forest in the SW of Scotland you’ll be familiar with the lovely scent). We thought they worked really well in the gin, and gave it a distinctive feel. It’s really pleasing that team and Hills & Harbour make their own base spirit too. This’ll likely be a factor in putting Hills & Harbour gin at a more premium price point, but we think it shows the care and skill that’s gone into making this quality gin. It seemed pretty pointless to design the space around that glorious landscape if the views weren’t going to be shared with anyone but the distilling team, so Crafty Distillery was always designed to be a destination - something people drove out of their way to see. As such, the tasting room is expansive and inclusive – all chrome and copper on one side, trees and mountains on the other.

From the off, it was always going to be a gin destination and visitor attraction to help showcase their home in southwest Scotland. Visitors can tour the distillery, experience a variety of events, or even go on a foraging tour of the hills and coast of the area. Crafty recommends a slice of fresh mango as a garnish to complement the tropical notes already present, but I found it also works well with orange and grapefruit. That brings us to the end of the Gin Escape. I’m still at my desk in Norfolk and haven’t touched a drop of gin, but Taylor’s engaging and immersive talk through the experience had me feeling a brisk Scottish breeze through my hair, salty sea air in my nostrils, and the tingle of a cold, piney gin and tonic on my lips. For Taylor, building a connection to the landscape is almost as important a part of the tour as the gin itself. “We grew up in this region and we are really proud of it. We know it is a hidden gem,” he says. “We are too connected to our devices and to the ‘instant’ these days. It is a reality of how we all work … Just being outside and having a bit of fun and connecting with where things come from – that was resonating before, but even more so now.” To build a grain-to-glass distillery takes time and planning, and that was certainly the case for Crafty. The idea was first planted in 2013 when Graham’s brother told him of a whisky distillery that was up for sale. This got him thinking about creating his own distillery. Seaweed has been adopted by a number of British gin brands to add an umami tang to their gins. However, Taylor says he and his distillery manager Craig Rankin, a trained chef with high-end restaurant experience, view its savoury salinity in another way – through the lens of salt’s flavour-enhancing effect on the tastebuds. “It is amazing to me how many gins don’t use this science,” Taylor says. “It is really important to have that savoury quality going on because it enhances the flavour of the gin … if you don’t season something, you cannot open up the palate.” Graham Taylor, founder of Crafty Distillery. Credit: Crafty Distillery

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This behind-the-scenes look at its gin making exemplifies what Crafty Distillery has been about since opening in 2017: namely, craft. It is one of only around a dozen gin distilleries in Scotland and England to make its own base spirit, which is distilled from locally grown wheat. As well as gin, this spirit is used to make Crafty’s 24 Seven Vodka and the soon-to-be-released Billy & Co whisky (named after Taylor’s late father, William, who built the distillery). Inside the Crafty Distillery. Credit: Crafty Distillery The air is crisp and green. An autumnal carpet crunches under my boots as I trek up the hill, following my guide, Crafty Distillery founder Graham Taylor, through the Galloway Forest. We’re making for a patch of noble firs from which the distillery harvests fresh cones for its award-winning Hills & Harbour Gin. Taylor explains, “It’s not a common tree in the forest, but it is one that is easy to spot, because [the cones] grow upwards rather than downwards.” The LIVE virtual tastings are carried out in the last week of the month. Please keep an eye on our socials for confirmed dates!

Is it size? Is it the process? Is it being done by hand (as far as gin can be)? I don’t think anyone really knows anymore. Gin Foundry discusses what craft is (and what it’s not) more succinctly than I ever could and I’m here to talk about Hills & Harbour, so that debate is for another time.In Australia, Harbour and Hills Financial Services Pty Limited is registered with Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Mix together some dried seaweed powder and sea salt on a saucer. Run a lemon wedge around the rim of a margarita-style glass to wet it, then dip it in the seaweed and sea salt mix. To make the drink, add all the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into the rimmed glass.

In 2015 the planning permission for a piece of land in his hometown of Newton Stewart was made. This was finally approved in 2016, before the first bottle was distilled in June 2017. There’s a good reason why Crafty Distillery is awarded 5 stars on Trip Advisor and Visit Scotland. Come and see for yourself and book a one-of-a-kind tour. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Harbour & Hills Financial Services Limited emerged as a fintech company in 2010. Harbour & Hills is a registered money services operator, licensed by the HK Customs and Excise Department.

So we can craft something that really lives up to the craft promise,” Graham told me. “Whatever Crafty was going to be, it was going to be created using our own spirit and to tap into the botanicals of our region.” On the nose, the first impressions are quite vegetal and savoury - as if the seaweed was flaring out and yet if you linger for just a second, you’ll notice the soft citrus underneath as well as something more woody. Layered and intriguing. The gin tends not to be distilled straight away and Crafty always has some GNS ready for when gin distillation is required. Developing Hills & Harbour GIn