Rupert Waites and Thomas Chisholm, the duo behind Edinburgh pop-up dining experience, The Buck and Birch, have launched Aelder, a whisky elixir made from wild foraged elderberries.
Bottled at 17% ABV, Aelder mixes wild elderberries with blended Scotch whisky and a range of wild Scottish botanicals.
The elderberries are hand-foraged by chef Waites, who creates tasting menus using local, seasonal and foraged foods for The Buck and Birch.
Waites said, “Elderberries are one of the most neglected native fruits, but they are versatile and delicious. We found they complemented our style of cooking beautifully and were particularly well suited to our game dishes.
“We had a period of experimentation and decided to take the berries off the plate and into a glass and Aelder was born.”
The drink is designed to be enjoyed neat, paired with cheese, topped up with prosecco or drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
Aelder is priced £24.99 and packaged in 500ml black earthenware bottle, designed to give a nod to traditional Scottish flagons.
