Proprietors of a new gin and vodka distillery located in the heart of Speyside’s whisky country have welcomed the first overseas order for what they hope will become an export-driven success story.

Owned by the family of Alasdair Locke, the multi-millionaire founder of oil services company Abbott Group, the Glenrinnes Distillery has been commercially producing its Eight Lands brand of organic gin and vodka for the past six months.

It follows the £3 million construction and fit-out of the purpose-built distillery on the family’s 6,000-acre Glenrinnes Estate.

The co-founders of the distillery – Mr Locke and his stepson, Alex Christou – are pitching their white spirits at the “super-premium” end of the market. They aim to be producing 120,000 bottles annually by 2022, with 70% of that exported abroad.

They recently made their first step in that direction after sealing a deal with the Societe des alcools du Quebec (SAC), the Crown corporation responsible for the trade of alcoholic beverages within the province. A total of 50 cases of Eight Lands Organic Vodka will be headed to Canada as a result.

“It is very difficult to get product in there unless you go through that route,” Mr Christou said. “But once in it will allow us to begin building up relationships with the on-trade through our representative on the ground there in Montreal.”

Other overseas destinations being targeted include Singapore and Japan, where

Mr Christou recently returned from a trip to explore opportunities in the local market. He is due to take a similar tour through the UAE next month.

The Nordic countries, where there is a high level of interest in organic products, are further markets of interest.

Located between the Highlands and the River Spey, the Glenrinnes Estate has been owned by the Locke family since 1994. The shift to organic farming began a few years thereafter at the behest of Kathy, Mr Christou’s mother, who has no direct role with the distillery but is a significant shareholder in the estate.

“It is her home, and she takes a great interest in what is going on there,” Mr Christou said.

The estate became an accredited producer of organic livestock in 2001, rearing a mixture of sheep, cattle and venison. It is also one of the north-east’s leading private sporting estates, providing pheasant shooting and deer stalking.

The idea for a distillery emerged as the family were exploring other options for diversifying the estate’s income. Surrounded by ample fresh water from Ben Rinnes, their first thoughts were of bottling spring water, but this then evolved into plans for

a distillery.

All Eight Lands Gin and Vodka is produced and bottled at the 5,400sq ft distillery, which was built to a capacity of 240,000 bottles annually on a five-day rota of single shifts. Using botanicals foraged from the estate wherever sustainably possible, the distillery has already accrued several awards for its spirits.

There is currently capacity to take on contract distilling, which is under consideration, but the central plan is to focus on establishing the core brands within the super-premium sector. This will involve building relationships

with trendy bars, high-end restaurants and premium hotels. “We are taking a long game approach to this,” said Mr Christou.