Melrose-Drover
Ltd.

Scottish whiskey distillery in Leith, Scotland from 1872-1974.

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History of Gin, Brandy, & Whiskey in Leith

From the 14th century and into the 20th century, Leith served as a major port for Scotland. The Port of Leith is located on the northern edge of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and was the principal entrance into Scotland for centuries. Historically, Leith has been known for its spirits and alcoholic beverages, including brandy, gin, and whiskey.

BRANDY

Brandy was the first major liquor consumed in the United Kingdom. Brandy was imported from France, as brandy is made by the fermentation of wine. Brandy was widely consumed in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, and the Port of Leith imported a significant amount. Typically, brandy was expensive and was reserved for upper-class citizens because it was imported from France. However, in the late 17th century there was a deviation away from

brandy and towards gin.

GIN

In the 1680s, gin was introduced to England in the form of jenever liqueur, which was imported from the Netherlands and Belgium. Jenever is also known as genever and serves as the origin of the word ‘gin’. Consumption of gin exploded widely in London due to its accessibility. It was much more affordable compared to French brandy. Genever (and gin) is made from juniper berries. However, a unique characteristic of traditional genever from the Netherlands and Belgium is its malt backbone, which essentially made the spirit ‘heavier’. Gin was still commonly used for many centuries, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that gin, along with whiskey, exploded nationally.

THE PATENT STILL

In 1831, Aeneas Coffey modified the “patent still,” which was a method for distilling alcohol that continues to be utilized today. Coffey’s new patent still was more efficient and produced a “lighter spirit at higher alcohol content”. The patent still revolutionized liquors because this discovery differentiated English gin from jenever since the new method of distillation yielded a lighter flavor. Thus this paved the way to the second major surge of gin in the United Kingdom because London Dry Gin was born.

WHISKEY

Whiskey has been around since the late 1400s, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that it gained its recognition globally. The invention of the ‘patent still’ in 1831 allowed for the production of lighter whiskey, as well as blends of whiskey. The monumental event that impacted the trajectory of Scottish whiskey occurred in the 1870s: the Phylloxera Plague. The Phylloxera Plague was an epidemic in France in which insects destroyed grapes and fruits which ultimately were produced for brandy. From 1875 to 1889 in France, total wine production fell 28%. Distillers of whiskey took advantage of this opportunity and quickly Scottish Whiskey replaced French brandy.

About

My Family's Connection to Leith

My 4th great-grandfather was George Melrose (1820-1886); he started a gin and whiskey distillery in Leith, Scotland in 1872 called Melrose-Drover Ltd. George Melrose married Margaret Ann Buick (1818-1901) and they had 11 children, 9 survived. The oldest child was Ann Gorthie Melrose, who was my 3rd-great-grandmother. Anne Gorthie Melrose had 10 children, and one of them was Annie Melrose Burton as shown in the image below. Annie’s daughter was Maud Elizabeth Wilkes (1915-2007). I have traditional documents written by Maud Elizabeth Wilkes, who is my great-grandmother, with details of my family history, including the Melrose-Drover Ltd..

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My Family Tree. George Melrose is my 4th Great-Grandfather.

After George Melrose died in 1886, his son, William (Willie) Buick Melrose, took over the distillery at the age of 28. According to my family, Willie was irresponsible and did not manage the distillery well, likely because he was a bachelor his entire life. According to my great-grandmother, Maud, everyone in the family wanted his or her share in the business. I can only imagine the stress and family drama.

Melrose-Drover Ltd.

Golden Crown Scotch Whisky Seal

Melrose-Drover Ltd. opened its doors on Mitchell Street in Leith, Scotland in 1872 by George Melrose, my 4th great-grandfather. Melrose-Drover ltd were distillers, rectifiers, and wine and spirit importers. They had two main liquors: Old Tom Gin and Golden Crown, but there are 6 total brands that connect to Melrose-Drover Ltd.. Melrose-Drover Ltd. had two branches: one in Leith, Scotland and the other in London, England. Golden Crown was a Scottish Whiskey and was therefore distilled mainly in Leith, while Old Tom gin was popular in England and heavily distilled in the London location.

Melrose-Drover Ltd. encountered legal issues in 1903 over a trademark. Since the case —Boord & Son v. Huddart, in which ‘Huddart’ represented Melrose-Drover Ltd.— went to trial, there is documentation regarding the dispute, which dealt with the “Cat and Barrel” label used for the Old Tom Gin distilled by Melrose-Drover Ltd.. The plaintiffs, Boord & Son, accused Melrose-Drover Ltd. of an infringement on the trademark. The version of the label used by Melrose-Drover Ltd. was denied approval during the registration process, so Melrose-Drover Ltd. had been using the unregistered “Cat and Barrel” label on their merchandise for 10 years. The court ultimately compared the two labels to determine the commonalities. Fortunately, the label used by Melrose-Drover Ltd. was different enough that the court dismissed the trademark infringement.

After operating for over a century, Melrose-Drover Ltd. closed in 1974. It was the last gin distillery standing in Leith until recently. Although Golden Crown is no longer being distilled, Old Tom Gin, which is a London dry gin, continues to be manufactured on a global scale.

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