HIPFLASK Spirits was launched last month as a new drinks brand from the makers of Gin Bothy. Kim Cameron trademarked the new venture years ago looking to introduce it to the Bothy portfolio but hadn’t had the time until 2020 presented the opportunity. Hipflask consists of a sloe bramble liqueur and a golden spiced rum launching today, as well as a blended whisky coming out in 2022.
Name: Kim Cameron
Position: Founder
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
Hipflask Spirits by Gin Bothy
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Forfar, Angus
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
WE had trademarked Hipflask Spirits a couple of years ago. In April we entered it into Aldi’s next top product. Gin Bothy is a brand that I never wanted to compromise by putting it into supermarkets. It frustrates a lot of business advisers but that’s not what Gin Bothy is about so I always said no. I hadn’t had time to focus on what Hipflask Spirits was going to be but 2020 gave us space to take it to market. It was selected as one of Aldi’s next top products. It’s a separate line and brand to the Gin Bothy and we can do more with it in terms of volume. – we can say yes to putting it in supermarkets and protect Gin Bothy’s integrity. Hipflask Spirits is designed to be a brand we can upscale, Aldi made it easy as the competition came when I produced my first bottle. In December we won Best Scottish Artisan Drink Award at the Scottish Rural Awards so we’re going into 2021 with a positive view of the future.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
I’M an accidental gin maker. In 2015 I entered my jam into the World Jampionships in Dundee. A by-product of jam is fruit and juice and my mum said I should make it into gin. I wanted it to be full of flavour, natural and taste homemade – I didn’t want a mass-produced product. Before that, I had jobs in retail and banking. I am lucky to live and work in rural Angus. The online business has kept us going. We’ve got great support from our customers. We only did 12 shows last year but we’ve done 150 over the years. Customers want to support businesses they want to survive and people they have a connection with. People from all over the UK have supported the Gin Bothy throughout lockdown. We did a £10 gin box that gets sent in the post – those personal connections make a difference to mass producers. There is something special about that connection. We’ve done gin tastings live from the Gin Bothy Experience visitor centre – from our home to yours.
HOW HAVE YOU COPED WITH CORONAVIRUS?
COVID has given me and the team time to pause and look at the direction the brand was going in. It helped us focus on what’s important in the business and what’s profitable. It shows how flexible and adaptable the team can be – people have been creative. We’re growing so quickly and we lost track a bit of what’s important. We previously spent lots of time going to meetings and travelling. We miss going to shows and events and seeing people. We launched a rum in lockdown that customers haven’t tried before. Lots of weddings and corporate tastings at Christmas were cancelled. We did live gin tastings to America and we wouldn’t have done that before Covid.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
THE brand is called Gin Bothy because where there is a river or mountain there is a bothy. It’s an iconic national Scottish brand, tradition and history meets food and drink. I never thought it would be my job to tell people about bothys. Our bestsellers are the country collections like Gunshot gin which you drink neat on ice. There is a gin for every country sport – shooting, fishing and walking. Hipflask Spirits is a 20cl £15 bottle and it’s portable. Gunshot is £35-£40 so it’s one you keep, a premium gin. You can take the Hipflask Spirits bottle with you in your inner pocket as it’s portable and lightweight. It’s not always a younger target market but it’s definitely not a Gin Bothy customer. It’s for snowboarders, people heading out to the hills and kayakers. People love our bottles and will gift them and Hipflask Spirits is not as much of a luxury product and it’s for people who don’t like whisky yet as it’s sweet due to the sloe brambles.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
IT’S the only place to own this business. I am honoured to work and live in such a place – we take it for granted so often. People told me to move to a city but we haven’t relocated. In the digital world we can operate anywhere. We don’t have to commute and Covid has brought that home for so many people. We were completely self-funded but we won Scottish Edge in 2017 and you pay back some of the money you receive. I wanted £38,000 for equipment but they gave me £75,000.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
WE’RE excited about Hipflask as it’s a brand you could see throughout the UK. We are planning to bring out a whisky in 2022. In 10 years I would love to do what I do now but be more profitable. It’s a lifestyle brand and we will continue to support and hire new staff. The aim would be to be one of the leading premium drinks producers in Scotland. I am positive we will get through this [pandemic] and come out the other side. People thought I was mad to launch a new product in January but there’s no better time as people are looking forward to getting back together with friends and family.
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