The Bees and The Trees 

We have a simple goal in the production of our spirits, “to be the most sustainable distillery in the world” and to make a significant difference to the way spirits are produced. We believe the planet needs saving and we simply want to play our part and, how better to do that than looking after our Bees and our Trees.

Our family has been farming at Arbikie for four generations. From father to son, we have gained an intuitive understanding of the land, sowing and harvesting the crops that now create Arbikie’s range of field to bottle spirits. Grateful for the land we produce from it seems fitting that we give back to it. 

The Bees

Many of you will already know of AK's Gin and have possibly even tried it. It is flavoured with fresh honey that originates from nearby bees, that forage the local area. Our beehives are managed by the team at East of Scotland Beekeeper Association. Bees are such a fundamental part to our environment and it's crucial that we protect and encourage them to pollinate our fields and local area. There are two reasons Arbikie use locally sourced honey and that is; one, because to make the best local gin you have to used the best local ingredients, secondly, at the heart of Arbikie is Sustainability and, sourcing local products supports our ethos.

The Trees 

In early 2019 we planted oak trees that once fully grown will stand tall on either side of the Estate road and entrance to Arbikie Distillery. The reason for doing this is because here at Arbikie we produce Whisky. We have had two releases of our Scotch Rye Whisky, the only of its kind in the world, a 3 year old and a 4 year old. Alongside this, we have malt whisky laid which is still maturing. Bellow you can the distance of the road when the trees had just been planted. 

Whisky, unlike our white spirits, takes years to produce. Whisky has to mature in casks so, by planting the oak trees we are able to replenish wood that has been used for our casks. Trees as we all know are vital to the planets existence, as they are they largest plant to produce oxygen, store carbon and create a home for wildlife. This is something Arbikie will continue to restore, in our pursuit of Sustainability.

..and Juniper too!

Juniper is very close to our hearts at Arbikie. Not only does it provide a home for birds, mammals, insects, fungi and lichen but it is also critical in the production of our gin! Despite gin rocking it in the spirits world, the juniper plant hasn’t had things quite so good. Although this evergreen is native to the UK and able to grow in a wide range of habitats, the population has been steadily declining due to the result of grazing, changing weather and a pathogen called Phytophthora austrocedrae, which infects the beautiful plant (seen bellow) via the roots.

So in a pledge to fight for this wonderful woodland evergreen, in 2015 Arbikie decided to start building up our own juniper plantation. Since the spring of 2015 we’ve planted on average 600 plants each year but we’d like to take this to the next level with your help!

For every bottle of gin purchased from our website we proudly pledge to plant one more juniper plant! This means we can continue to ensure their existence and keep making world class, sustainable Gin.

Brows our collection here!