FIRST JOURNEYS - THE HIGHLANDS TRAIL- PIN 16 OF 22
ACHROOUS GIN, Electric Spirit Company, Scotland
A JOURNEY EXPLORING THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND
Our next stop takes us to Leith, a place that has played a remarkable role in the history of gin, yet one that is often overlooked.
It was here, in Edinburgh's historic port district, that James Porteous founded The Electric Spirit Co. in 2014 after changing careers to pursue his passion for distilling. Originally trained in product design in Glasgow, James spent several years working in London before returning to Scotland to study for a Master's in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University.
His signature spirit, Achroous Gin, was created with one cocktail in mind: the Negroni. Today, however, I've chosen a different classic, for reasons that become clear as we explore the history of Leith.
Scotland's love affair with gin arguably began here.
During the 1700s, Leith was Scotland's busiest and most important trading port, receiving ships laden with wines, spirits and Dutch jenever from across Europe. By the late eighteenth century, Edinburgh was home to numerous licensed distilleries, while many more illicit stills operated beyond the reach of the excise men. Grain spirit produced in Scotland was shipped south through Leith in vast quantities, supplying London's growing gin trade.
When changes to legislation in the nineteenth century encouraged larger-scale production, Scottish distillers responded with remarkable innovation. The development and refinement of continuous distillation transformed the industry, producing a lighter, cleaner spirit that helped pave the way for the London Dry style of gin we know today.
Leith wasn't simply a port.
It was a gateway for ingredients, ideas and innovation, helping shape the future of gin both in Scotland and beyond.
It's perhaps no coincidence that Achroous was created here. Leith has always been a place where cultures and craftsmanship meet, and today's generation of distillers continue that tradition by creating spirits that honour the area's rich heritage while looking firmly to the future.
The name Electric also feels particularly fitting for a Scottish spirit, echoing a country that has long been associated with curiosity, invention and discovery. From the engineering breakthroughs of the Industrial Revolution to the pioneering work of scientists such as James Clerk Maxwell, Scotland has always had a talent for turning ideas into innovations.
The story of today's cocktail also begins in Leith. In 1865, local ship chandler Lauchlan Rose developed a method of preserving lime juice without alcohol, creating Rose's Lime Juice, the world's first commercially produced fruit concentrate. Originally intended to help sailors combat scurvy on long sea voyages, it would later become the defining ingredient of one of the world's most famous gin cocktails—the Gimlet.
As a nod to both Leith's maritime history and Achroous Gin, I decided to mix up my own
Electric Gimlet.
Atlas Note:
This journey was originally written in 2020, when The Electric Spirit Co. was distilling in Leith as the nearby Port of Leith Distillery was taking shape. Since then, Leith's distilling story has continued to evolve with the opening of Scotland's first vertical whisky distillery, reinforcing the area's historic reputation as one of the country's great centres of spirits production. Achroous Gin remains part of that continuing story, celebrating a neighbourhood that has welcomed travellers, traders and distillers for centuries.
The name Achroous comes from the Ancient Greek word meaning "colourless"—a nod to the crystal-clear spirit inside the bottle.
James deliberately turned that idea on its head by housing the gin in a striking fluorescent orange bottle, creating a bold contrast between the spirit itself and its unmistakable appearance. As a former product designer, every detail was intended to stand out, reflecting The Electric Spirit Co.'s philosophy of doing things differently.
Electric Gimlet
- 50ml Achroous Gin
- 25ml Rose's Lime Cordial
Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Simple, crisp and beautifully balanced, it's a cocktail that perfectly reflects the clean, elegant style of the gin while paying tribute to one of Leith's greatest contributions to cocktail history.