Colonsay Gin – Cait Sith is our version of an Old Tom style gin based on its multi-award winning Colonsay Gin.

“Old Tom is dead, then I must be queen”, said the Cait Sith {Caught Shee}.

From the deep, dark recesses of Celtic Mythology came the Cait Sith. A legendary spectral cat that roamed the Scottish Highlands & Islands, mysteriously bringing with it, either a blessing, or a curse, depending on whether householders left it a suitable libation or not. Not a cat as we know it, but rather a fairy-like creature that took the form of a cat.

To the Ancient Celts, cats were a message to step back and look within. A symbol of resourcefulness, flexibility, aloofness, unpredictability and, of course, great mystery.

Old Tom plays an important role in the history of gin, sitting as it does, between Dutch Genever and London Dry, it’s drier than the former but sweeter than the latter. Created to satisfy the huge demand for gin in the 18th & 19th centuries, distillers sweetened their juniper-laced sprits with liquorice or sugar, and in so doing, created a whole new category of gin.

Colonsay Gin - Cait Sith 10cl