Two minutes with James Porteous, founder of Electric Spirit Co.
What makes Achroous different?
I wanted to create a spirit that looked to the future, not the past. I wasn't interested in a fairytail narrative, just a great drink. There's more than enough classic London dry gins out there - ours is a modern, Scottish dry. It's got the strong, juniper backbone of a proper gin, but with a contemporary, progressive riff through the use of fennel seed and Sichuan peppercorn. Big, vibrant flavours, and specifically, designed to make a glorious negroni.
How did you come up with the bottle design?
Electric launched in 2015, at a point when gin packaging was pretty plain. I wanted a bottle that stood out, and told everyone that what was inside was bold, bright and delicious - not just another gin. Like the recipe, it was all created in-house. The first trial batch was spray painted and the logo was hand-stamped for several years. It's a lot more polished now, but it's still focused on standing out, not blending in.
Where can we find you drinking in Edinburgh?
I could spend hours on this one, so I'll focus on my local spots. If I'm after a cocktail, it's Hey Palu or The Wildcat - they're both excellent. For a beer, I'll be at Brauhaus or Cloisters, depending on what's pouring. It's great to have all that choice within 15 minutes of my front door.