Charity be-gins in Selkirk

From left: Jane Gentleman, Kirsty Bennett and Emma Gentleman with the redesigned gin.

A Borders gin distillery that has already raised thousands of pounds for charity has relaunched a fundraising tipple in a bid to help support even more people in the run up to Christmas and beyond.

Selkirk Distillers created a gin for the MS Society during lockdown. Named the 1953 Gin, after the year the charity was formed, it was launched via a virtual tasting event just before Christmas in 2020.

Two years on, Selkirk Distillers has made 450 litres of the gin, with donations from the sale of bottles, and fundraising during the tasting event, coming to a total of £4,050.

But they don’t plan to stop there. With Christmas fast approaching, the 1953 gin has been relaunched with a new label design and different bottle sizes, including a festive star-shaped one, but both designs feature the official MS Society Scotland tartan.

Co-owner Jane Gentleman, 52, from Selkirk, who was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2011, said: “We decided to make another batch, redesign the bottles, and try to raise even more funds. Everyone’s struggling right now, including charities, so it felt like the right time to do it.

“We’ve brought out 20cl bottles as well this time because they’re more affordable and in case people want to just see what the gin’s like. We’ll also be selling 4cl star-shaped bottles in time for Christmas. We’ve sold some of our other gins in the star bottles and people have used them for small gifts and even wedding favours.

“I know I’m biased but I think the 1953 Gin tastes great! Every purchase raises funds for a very important cause as well as helping to raise awareness of MS. We’re really keen to help ensure everyone with MS can access the support they need from the point of diagnosis. Making and selling the 1953 Gin is just one way of doing that, this Christmas and beyond.”

Morna Simpkins, director of MS Society Scotland, said: “We’re so pleased Selkirk Distillers has decided to relaunch the 1953 Gin, and we look forward to working with Jane and her team again.

“MS is relentless, painful and disabling. It is unpredictable and different for everyone."

A donation of £5 from the sale of every 70cl bottle, £1 from the sale of every 20cl bottle, and 50p from the sale of every star-shaped bottle, will go to the MS Society.

To buy a bottle go to https://www.selkirkdistillers.com/ or visit Selkirk Distillers, 6 High Street, Selkirk, Scotland, TD7 4DD