​The team behind award winning Pickering's Gin have collaborated with social enterprise specialist Chris Thewlis and drinks industry guru David Moore

The world’s first social enterprise gin has gone on sale in Scotland, with profits going towards supporting disadvantaged young adults.

Ginerosity was launched by three directors behind the award winning Pickering’s Gin, well known Edinburgh social entrepreneur Chris Thewlis and drinks industry specialist David Moore.

Together they have set up a community interest company Good Spirits (Scotland) CIC and are promising to invest £6 from every £25 bottle sold directly from their website.

Money raised will go towards supporting 18 to 25 year olds who are not in education, employment or training and are from one of 13 areas of Scotland classed as the most deprived to take part in International Citizenship Service programmes.

Described as having a “fresh, light taste, with bold flavours of citrus and juniper giving way to sweetness with a subtle hint of peppery spice, and a crisp dry finish”, each bottle of the 40% craft gin made at the Summerhall Distillery in Edinburgh is made with 10 ethically sourced plants.

We want people to be able to enjoy themselves, experience a beautiful gin, and help others at the same time

As well as being available to buy online Ginerosity will also be stocked in bars and shops across the country.

Marcus Pickering, one of the founders and directors at Pickering’s Gin who is involved with the new product, said he was “very, very proud” of it.

Ginerosity, he said, was “about turning young people’s fortunes around”, adding: “With Ginerosity, being generous doesn’t mean being frugal, helping others doesn’t mean forgoing a bit of luxury. We want people to be able to enjoy themselves, experience a beautiful gin, and help others at the same time.

He added: “We’ve all been very supportive of charities, and will continue to be, but uniting to form the Ginerosity business has enabled us all to do something more formal where we can each bring our own expertise to this community interest company.”

Chris Thewlis, who runs Edinburgh social enterprise pub Harry’s Bar where the new drink was launched, as well as being a board member of Social Enterprise Scotland, said getting people on the International Citizen Service programme would help them develop life skills and improve their employability.

Applications, he confirmed, would be assessed by an independent panel of 12 well-known figures with a broad range of experiences and skills, from business and banking to film-making and music, philanthropy, social care and social enterprise to be chaired by Alex Bruce, managing director of Adelphi Distillery Ltd.

Dave Mullen, executive creative director of Edinburgh based marketing agency Story UK and a director at Pickering’s Gin, added: “We’re going to stick to what we do best: making and selling Ginerosity, while the panel will focus on who will benefit most from the funding.

“Quite simply, the more gin we sell, the more people we can help.”