Lind and Lime

Born in Edinburgh in 1716, Dr James Lind was a surgeon on the HMS Salisbury by 1747. During his time in the Royal Navy he began investigating the impacts of scurvy, and on the Salisbury he commenced one of the very first clinical trials to take place, which would establish in 1753 that citrus fruits had a noticeable effect on the disease.

By the end of the 18th century, the Royal Navy was provisioning its ships with citrus fruit, leading to a remarkable health improvement among the sailors. This gave Britain a significant advantage during an era of regular naval warfare, although competing nations soon caught up.

Lime juice was normally preserved with rum so that it could last for the duration of a voyage, but in 1867 Lachlan Rose of Leith devised a new method to preserve citrus fruit by replacing alcohol with sugar. From his factory on Commercial Street in Leith, he launched Rose’s Lime Juice and achieved huge success, selling his product to vessels departing from the harbour, but also finding an enthusiastic market on dry land.

Whilst rum would be a daily tot for the majority of the crew in the Navy, gin would be the tipple of choice for the commanding officers, and a cocktail of gin and a dash of Rose's lime juice would become a popular drink known as a 'gimlet'.

Produced at the Port of Leith Distillery in Edinburgh, Lind & Lime Gin is a celebration of the work of Dr Lind alongside the historical ties between spirit and fruit. Using only 7 botanicals - Juniper, Angelica Root, Coriander Seed, Liquorice Root, Orris Root, Lime Peel and Pink Peppercorns - the aims is to create the perfect balance of fruit and spice. The citrus notes are sharp but not overpowering, the pink peppercorns provide a soft spicy note which cuts through on the finish. It makes a wonderful G&T and will work with pretty much any mixer - especially ginger ale - but it does struggle slightly in a Dry Martini due to the 'higher' notes of the flavour profile.