Slàinte mhath!—good health, and cheers!

Since 2025, Dandie Dinmont Terrier owners have had a gin of their own to celebrate achievements, drown sorrows, or simply raise a glass to the little dog who keeps life interesting. Launched during the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club’s 150th-anniversary year, Dandie Dinmont Gin gave enthusiasts something particularly appropriate to pour for the occasion.

Created by Selkirk Distillers in the Scottish Borders, this small-batch gin is bottled at 40% ABV and flavored with rhubarb and ginger. The producer describes it as a tribute to the breed’s character and heritage. We suspect a few Dandie owners would agree that something with both tartness and a little warmth is not a bad match for their breed.

But what distinguishes what is inside the bottle?

According to Selkirk Distillers, the gin combines tart rhubarb with warming ginger. Those are the producer’s descriptions, not the results of the independent tasting of Dandie owners, but they offer a useful idea of what to expect: fruit and spice, rather than a bottle chosen solely for the dog on its label.

Rhubarb and ginger are not unique to this gin. Edinburgh Gin, for example, also makes a rhubarb-and-ginger liqueur. The distinction worth noting is that the Dandie offering is sold as a 40%-ABV gin, not a gin liqueur. Whether that makes it better is a matter for the person holding the glass; we found no independent comparative tasting that would justify awarding it Best in Show. Clearly, some personal research is called for (grin), but that may have to wait: Dandie Dinmont Gin is currently listed as sold out on Selkirk Distillers’ website.

The distillery already has a taste for local connections. Its established Selkirk Gin features locally hand-picked whin flowers, while its Bannock Gin incorporates a maceration of bannock. A commemorative spirit honoring a Scottish breed fits comfortably into that company.

For Dandie people, though, its strongest appeal may be the occasion behind it. A club reaches 150 years only once. Having a gin created to help mark that milestone gives “a toast to the Dandie” a rather literal meaning.

Photo by Denise Rodrigues dos Leal/Pexels