Auld Alliance revived as McQueen Gin teams up with French importer

Perthshire-based McQueen Gin has partnered with a French spirit importer to drive growth in Europe.

The Scottish firm has joined forces with Bogdan & Bertrand Company (BBC) Spirits. McQueen said that while it has exported gins worldwide since its beginnings in 2016, this will be the first time its core product range will be available to buy in France.

The Callander-based company added that it is one of the first British businesses BBC Spirits has added to its portfolio and it is hoped that the partnership will help build trade relations in Europe post-Brexit.

McQueen products will be available on the shelves of many French independent stores as of this month, with hopes of expanding to larger ecommerce sites.

McQueen Gin said it will be the first time its core product range will be available to buy in France. Picture: contributed.

Dale McQueen, founder and owner of McQueen, said: “I am confident in our joint plans for expanding our global footprint of our core range and this is the first step in delivering against those plans.”

BBC Spirits, based in Bordeaux, has been trading for more than ten years in the wine and spirits industry, exporting more than 60 products from across the globe to many countries, including the US, Australia and Asia.

Greg Kimber, sales director for BBC Spirits UK and Ireland, said: “Brexit, which started in January, was not going to frighten us away from exploring new and exciting partnerships with these award-winning, world-class spirit producers.”

Dale and Vicky McQueen created McQueen Gin to bring to life an “adventurous gin-drinking experience unlike any other”. It also recently launched what it says is the UK’s first full augmented reality range of gins via its own dedicated brand app.

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