Gins that support wildlife conservation

By Paul McGuinness

Published: Thursday, 14 October 2021 at 12:00 am

Raise a glass and help wildlife at the same time with these conservation-supporting gins. Each distillery featured here either donates a set amount of profit from a particular bottle, or a percentage of overall profits, to wildlife charities. Species benefitting from these partnerships include seagrass, tarsier (a small primate) and a rare beetle.

If you fancy having a go at creating your own fruit gin with foraged berries and flowers, check out our recipes for sloe gin (plus, sloe port for reusing those gin-soaked sloes), hawthorn gin (on the BBC Countryfile Magazine website), and elderflower gin.

For more inspiration for wildlife-themed or conservation-supporting products, read our guides to gifts for nature lovers, wildlife-themed jigsaw puzzles, and wildlife and nature books for children and teenagers.

Classic London Dry, Salcombe Gin

With a love of sailing, the sea and the outdoors in the founders’ hearts, Salcombe Distilling Co. (named after the Salcombe Bay in which the distillery is based) has sustainability and wildlife conservation as a core part of its business. Alongside a number of initiatives to use energy from renewable sources, create a gin refill scheme and cut down on plastic packaging wherever possible, the company has also partnered up with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

1% from the UK sales of their 70cl bottles of ‘Start Point’ (pictured above) and ‘Rosé Sainte Marie’ goes towards the MCS’ seagrass regeneration project, equivalent to protecting 2m². An additional 1m² is protected with the UK sales of their 70cl bottle of ‘New London Light’ (their non-alcoholic spirit). Seagrass regeneration plays a key part in restoring the health of our ocean’s ecosystems, and in fighting the climate crisis: seagrass meadows are able to store carbon dioxide, which contributes to global heating, at a rate 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. These meadows are also able to support 40 times more marine life than seabeds without grass, including endangered seahorses and 50 species of fish.

Reviewed by Megan Shersby, editorial and digital co-ordinator, BBC Wildlife

Seaweed Welsh Dry Gin, St Davids Distillery

Buy now from St Davids Distillery

Britain’s smallest city is home to a big idea: local produce, made by local people for the benefit of the local community and its wildlife. Infused with seaweed gathered by a local foraging firm, this gin from St Davids Kitchen isn’t just a great local product (and let’s be clear here, it is a great local product, full of sweetness and spices) but sees 5% of net sales funding the vital work carried out along the Pembrokeshire coast by RSPB Cymru.

RSPB Ramsey Island Site Manager, Greg Morgan said: “The plan is to produce seasonal Ramsey Island gins. Spring will incorporate gorse flower and wild thyme, summer includes sheep’s sorrel and wood sage, while autumn and winter will feature Ramsey’s fragrant heather and mint. St Davids Kitchen are also hoping to craft a special blend made from juniper berries found on the peninsula.”

Reviewed by Paul McGuinness, editor, BBC Wildlife

Strawberry Pink Gin Liqueur, Nene Valley Spirits

Buy now from Nene Valley Spirits

Drink a toast to our beautiful native wildlife while you simultaneously help conserve it by investing in this limited edition pink gin liqueur, created by Nene Valley Spirits. £5 from every bottle goes to support the work of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust, restoring local wildlife and protecting wild spaces in over 100 nature reserves.

The handcrafted small batch gin is flavoured with natural strawberry, giving it a light fruity taste and distinctive colour. It’s perfect for cocktails, such as a variation on the Kir Royale theme, but it’s equally tasty with tonic over ice.

Reviewed by Aoife Glass, digital strategist, BBC Wildlife

Carabus Gin, The Papillon Distillery

Buy now from The Papillon Distillery

Nobody ever said that the life of a naturalist was a bed of roses, but spare a thought for BBC Wildlife columnist Nick Baker, who has gone the extra mile in a desperate bid to help the species he loves. Take his work with the Papillon Distillery on his native Dartmoor, for example. Painstakingly blending a gin that features such local foragables as rowan and hawthorn berries, nettles and wood sorrel, Nick has helped create the limited edition Carabus gin.

Classic London Dry, Salcombe Gin

Seaweed Welsh Dry Gin, St Davids Distillery

Strawberry Pink Gin Liqueur, Nene Valley Spirits

Carabus Gin, The Papillon Distillery

Tarsier, Southeast Asian Dry Gin