An award-winning Scottish spirits manufacturer is set to make it to Hollywood after its gin was selected to go into the $125,000 “Everyone Wins” nominee gift bags at the Oscars.
Gin Bothy, distilled in Angus, Scotland, has been chosen as part of a lavish offering that will be hand delivered to the top 25 2024 Oscar nominees in February.
In the past, the exclusive gift set, described by creators Distinctive Assets as ‘the ultimate swag bag’ has gone to nominees for Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor – including the likes of Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis and Steven Spielberg.
Well known likely nominees at this year’s glamorous Hollywood 96th Oscars ceremony on March 10th could be Cillian Murphy, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone.
Distinctive Assets owner Lash Fary believes businesses showcased in the Oscars gift bag can ‘meaningfully benefit from the global exposure that being associated with Hollywood’s biggest night affords them.’ There are around 60 items in each bag that have, in the past, included plots of land in Australia and Scotland, and luxury stays in an ancient Scottish castle and a sprawling 10-acre property in Canada.
Gin Bothy original, a premium brand derived using Scottish heather and Scots’ pine and rosemary, has distilled a small, exclusive batch that will be uniquely numbered 1-25 for the Hollywood superstars.
And for Gin Bothy owner Kim Cameron, who became an ‘accidental gin-maker’ after discovering her talent whilst making jam in her bothy kitchen in Angus village Glamis in 2015, the chance to showcase her product to global superstars is too good an opportunity to miss out on.
“This is incredible news for us,” said Kim Cameron. “It’s giving us a chance to showcase Scottish spirits with our award-winning gin. We are taking a little piece of Scotland to Los Angeles with an exclusive small batch distillation of our gin for the Oscar nominees. It will be a high end gin made with Scottish heather, Scots pine and rosemary, essentially a real taste of Scotland in a bottle.”
Gin Bothy are continually expanding their product range with an ambitious vision for future growth. They offer Bothy Butter, Jam Bothy, Rum Bothy and their scaleable lifestyle spirits brand Hipflask. While they are taking their flagship premium gin to LA, they will remain true to their Angus roots.
The opportunity to pitch for a place at the Oscars came after a chance conversation with the owner of Turin Castle, near Forfar in Angus, who had previously offered exclusive private use of Turin for a three-night stay in the gift bag. Owner Yvonne Corbett was asked to recommend a Scottish gin and Gin Bothy was selected after a taste test,
“I’m proud of the fact that Gin Bothy has been selected ahead of other brands that weren’t deemed to have the same credibility or provenance as Gin Bothy,” added Kim. “I’m also really passionate about the Scottish food and drink industry and will do anything I can to promote our fantastic products and taking our product to the Oscars is really special.
“The Oscars and Hollywood is another world. I’m from a generation that grew up watching them and it meant a lot to my dad. Silver screen stars were the icons of the film industry so it’s a real honour for a small Scottish independent brand to be part of that evening.
“But the beauty of the Oscars is that people can emerge from anywhere to become stars. Unknowns can become legends of the screen and, similarly, if I can get my product to the Oscars then I hope it inspires others in the Scottish food and drink industry to think big.”
Gin Bothy’s appearance at The Oscars will coincide with a promotional launch in Germany on the same day. They will be showcasing their product range at the ProWein International Trade Fair in Dusseldorf on March 10th.
