Loch Ness Spirits unveils ‘first’ Scottish absinthe blanche

The makers of Loch Ness Gin have released what they claim is Scotland’s first absinthe blanche, called Loch Ness Absinthe.

Only 100 bottles of the first batch of Loch Ness Absinthe have been released

Created by couple Lorien and Kevin Cameron-Ross, a doctor and retired detective who founded the Loch Ness Spirits company, Loch Ness Absinthe is made using wormwood, juniper and mint, all hand-picked from their 500-year-old estate.

The spirit is also made with water from an aquifer in the couple’s estate that flows into the famous Loch Ness.

Bottled at 53% abv, Loch Ness Absinthe is recommended served one part absinthe to three parts water poured over a sugar cube on a silver spoon.

Only 100 bottles have been created for the first batch, priced at £45 (US$59.10) per 500ml bottle and available to purchase online from the Loch Ness Gin website.

Lorien Cameron-Ross said: “We felt there was a gap in the market for an absinthe blanche in Scotland, a drink I really enjoy, so decided to put the wheels in motion last year and began to research its history and fully understand the craft of creating and distilling it.”

Absinthe blanche dates back to 1910 following the ban of green absinthe in numerous countries, but not the UK, due to its alleged hallucinogenic properties that came from the use of thujone, a component of wormwood found in several herbs including sage and tarragon today.

In November last year, The Lost Loch Distillery launched what is thought to be the first absinthe produced in Scotland, called Murmichan.