The Jaunty Camper Gin Brand

The Jaunty Camper Gin brand is a combination of two huge loves - classic campervans and craft gin. It began with creating a gin which celebrated the Jaunty Camper herself - a 1972 VW T2 called Jasmine - and expanded as brand founder Yva explored other botanical and vehicle interests.

The Ginnery - a new home

My little gin brand began with support from two more established local brands, but the time has come for a little bit of space of our own, so 2024 will see the establishment of a gin HQ for the Jaunty Camper brand. While it won’t be open to the public, the new space will allow the brand a little bit more elbow room and flexibility as the brand’s reach continues to grow.

About Me

Hi - I’m Yva and I am the plans and schemes, hopes and dreams department of The Jaunty Camper Gin brand.

I am the crazy lady who fell in love with a classic campervan called Jasmine after a weekend hire, who then bought her (almost 5 years later) and ran a little hire company for a couple of years. I am the craft gin enthusiast who toured around Scotland visiting small gin places trying to put together routes for Gin Jaunts in classic VW campervans. Although I had to stick a pin in that idea for now, it did lead me to a Gin School where I put all my research to good use and created the recipe for what would go on to be The Jaunty Camper Gin!

Having used my powers of persuasion (and PowerPoint) on my local craft gin producers at McLean’s Gin and building a creative team from local artists Christine Allan and Anne Anderson, I am the lucky lady who took a chance on the big time (ok, small time) and launched a craft gin during a pandemic. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my team - local retailers Jaro Design were in on it from the start as were The Callander Drinks Co and bar serves can be found in The Strathaven Hotel and The Bungo with family owned Rockvilla in Lochcarron being my northern outpost. Although I am a solo business operator, I surround myself with great people and shout about their contributions as often as I can.

I continued with recipe development until I had a range of gins that I was happy to put my name to - continuing to use the contract distilling skills of Colin McLean from McLean’s Gin and the team at Biggar Gin, I brought to market The Jammy Damsel Old Tom Gin and The Feisty Biker Navy Strength Gin and completed the set with a fourth gin - the world’s first green tomato gin The Racy GT. The most recent spirit adventure is not a gin, Hoose Measure is a unique spirit crafted from locally sourced garden botanicals for something gin-like … but different.

I have branched out into other collaborations along the way - Quirky Chocolate have brought my recipe idea for gin infused chocolate into being and there is an ongoing crafting collaboration which brings lovely gift items to the website when inspiration strikes as well as a growing range of T-shirts and hoodies with the Jaunty logo on them!

When I am not planning and daydreaming about all things gin, I work as a Celebrant conducting funerals and weddings from my home-base in Strathaven. You can find out more about that side of life by looking at my website www.AfterWords.co.uk

Thanks for being interested and I hope you enjoy my gin!

Yva