Darnley’s Gin achieves triple-digit growth

Fife-based gin brand Darnley’s has reported 202% year-on-year growth for the financial year ending March 2022.

The growth of the brand has been attributed to its ‘innovative and purpose driven’ brand developments.

Director of UK and European sales Ben Stewart commented: “Darnley’s Gin is part of the Wemyss Family Spirits portfolio and this growth, along with the brand initiatives, really supports the business’s longer term goals of 20% revenue growth year-on-year, to increase product sampling, and be more sustainable in all aspects of the business.

“The gin boom may have slowed and the larger gin brands are posting value decline in the category, but we are seeing quite the opposite here at Darnley’s Gin.

“Consumers are indeed seeking new drinking experiences and we have seen this as an opportunity to keep them engaged with our premium gins and get them involved with some of the fantastic things we are doing here.”

Darnley’s did not disclose its financial figures or case-sale numbers.

The family-run brand says it is committed to provenance and has made continued efforts to become more sustainable in all areas, which has driven brand loyalty and attracted new markets, buyers, and consumers to the brand.

It seeks to reflect the local landscape’s diverse natural environment alongside the brand’s heritage across its portfolio of gins, which includes three expressions in its Cottage Series: Very Berry, Smoke & Zest and Wild Citrus, alongside its Navy Strength Spiced Gin expression and an Original Gin. The portfolio ranges from 40% ABV to 57.1% ABV. All are offered in 500ml bottes or in 700ml pouches.

The Scottish brand welcomed 1,925 visitors to its distillery in the last year, hosting 300 Gin School experiences. It also hosted a Gin Experience pop-up on Edinburgh’s Castle Street in 2021, offering an immersive gin blending workshop as well as acting as a ‘hub’ for gin education. The brand delivered 420 blending experiences and welcomed over 3,500 visitors during its three-month showcase.

Darnley’s recently developed a new gin garden in the area surrounding its cottage distillery, with the aspiration of growing as many botanicals as possible to create its gins. Alongside this, the team have worked with a Scottish forager to find sustainable and locally grown ingredients for its limited release Cottage Series, as well as developing cocktail recipes and consulting with the team to provide foraging experiences to trade partners.

“Our immersive gin experiences, our collaboration projects and our ambitious efforts to be more sustainable, using more and more local botanicals has seen a huge increase in people enjoying our gins,” Stewart concluded.

Darnley’s was founded in 2010 and is the sister brand to single malt producer, Kingsbarns Distillery.