£300,000 Aldi festival boost for Scots distillers

Aldi has unveiled a line-up of 11 spirits to feature at its inaugural festival in celebration of Scottish distilling, which will bring a six-figure boost to the industry.

Arbroaths Redcastle Spirits is among the featured distillers at Aldi's Spirits of Scotland Festival. Picture: contributed

The discount supermarket launches its first Spirits of Scotland Festival across its 87 Scottish stores on Thursday, showcasing a selection of gin, vodka, whisky, rum and liqueur.

The deal is worth more than £312,000 to the selected distillers, with the line-up including Raspberry and Pomegranate Gin Liqueur from Redcastle Spirits in Arbroath, Heather Honey Vodka from Inverurie’s Blackford Craft Distillery and Dark Matters Spiced Rum, the first release from the Banchory-based distiller.

In celebration of Aldi’s 25th anniversary in Scotland, the supermarket has also included a limited edition 25-year-old Glen Marnoch single malt.

Aldi Scotland group buying director Graham Nicolson said: “Scotland is justifiably renowned the world over for its superb distilleries and over the years, their offerings have become more and more diverse and adventurous.

“For our very first Spirits of Scotland festival, we’re pleased to bring together an enticing selection of gins, vodkas, whisky, rums and liqueurs, so our customers can taste the very best of what Scotland has to offer.”

The discounter is set to open seven new stores across Scotland in 2019, creating an additional 200 jobs by the end of the year.