Celebrate Burns Night with a toast and a variation on a classic Scottish dessert

Here in Scotland we are passionate about our home-grown poet Robert Burns and we celebrate his birthday on January 25th. At the Secret Garden Distillery we have created two easy gin cocktails to try featuring our organic Wild Gin and our Lavender Gin inspired by traditional Scottish cuisine and assembled a delicious variation on a traditional Cranachan using our delicious luxury gin to replace the more traditional whisky.

On the 25th January you will find Burns Suppers being hosted from Sydney, Australia, to the small thatched cottage in Alloway, Ayrshire where Robert Burns was born. Common to all these celebrations is the eating of the haggis - often entering the hostelry accompanied by a piper and always 'addressed' in the Bard's own words. There will also be additional reciting of Burn's poetry and songs during the meal along with vigorous toasting usually with a dram of whisky. The uniquely Scottish Cranachan is often served for dessert.

For a more detailed description of a Burns Supper from the National Trust - who look after the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway - click here.

Although typically the toasts are made with whisky, we have been working hard to create some new cocktails inspired by traditional Burns Suppers. You can find our Orange and Peppercorn Twist and Heather Honey Hues in our Cocktail Blog and we came up with a wonderful variation on the traditional Scottish dessert Cranachan served at Burns Suppers using raspberries soaked in our award-winning Lemon Verbena Gin. Recipe below.

A classic Scottish dessert, cranachan is a beautiful medley of double cream, toasted oats, raspberries, honey and a great big slosh of whisky. It's the perfect ending to a Burns Night feast. We've soaked the raspberries in Lemon Verbena Gin and then used the raspberry infused gin instead of the whisky.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Medium Oats

300g Fresh Raspberries soaked in our Lemon Verbena Gin

Caster Sugar, to taste

350g Double Cream

3 Tbsp Honey

 Method:

1. Set aside some whole raspberries for decoration. Mix the raspberries, caster sugar and gin in a bowl. Cover and place in fridge.
2. Spread oats on a baking tray and toast at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool.
3. Whisk double cream. Gently fold in honey and berries, reserving the remaining juices.
4. Place a large spoonful of cream into each glass, sprinkle oats on top and repeat.

Decorate with the whole raspberries and drizzle with the reserved raspberry infused gin.