The House of Botanicals

What The House of Botanicals does

The House of Botanicals is a privately-held, family-owned craft distillery headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, operating under the legal entity Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Ltd (company number SC436934). Founded in 2009 by husband-and-wife team Adam and Steffie Elan-Elmegirab, the company produces three product families — The House of Botanicals Gins (including the award-winning Classic Old Tom Gin, which scored a record 98 points at IWSC 2022), Dr. Adam's Cocktail Bitters (a range of historically-inspired cocktail modifiers), and Pietro Nicola Aperitivi & Digestivo (Italian-inspired vermouths, amaro, limoncello, and liqueurs). Production combines copper pot distillation with secondary compounding, maceration, and proprietary techniques such as hot enfleurage for the Cioccolato cacao butter liqueur.

The business operates a dual-channel go-to-market: direct-to-consumer through an e-commerce storefront and the on-site 'Library' bottleshop and tasting room in Aberdeen (opened January 2020), paired with global on-trade distribution via dedicated country-level partners across 14+ countries (UK, France, Italy, Netherlands, USA, Canada, Australia, Taiwan) and the FAIRE wholesale platform. Revenue streams include unit-priced spirit sales (£12.50–£47 per bottle), ticketed tasting experiences (£75–£80 per session), and a tiered Member's Club (£100–£1,000) launched in April 2023 as a reward-based crowdfund to finance independent growth. The company holds B Corp certification (Dec 2021–Dec 2024), is pursuing Carbon Negative certification, and employs 1–10 people, indicating a micro-distillery scale with premium positioning rather than mass-market ambitions.

The target customer base spans individual cocktail enthusiasts and home bartenders (D2C), on-trade establishments such as cocktail bars and fine dining venues (wholesale), and corporate/private event buyers (experiential). Pricing is positioned at the premium end of the craft spirits market, justified by natural ingredients, globally-sourced botanicals with a fair-trade ethos, founder authority, and sustainability credentials. No external institutional capital has been raised, and growth has been funded organically via product margin and the Member's Club.

Name

The House of Botanicals

Legal name

Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Ltd

Website

https://thehouseofbotanicals.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The House of Botanicals is a family-owned Aberdeen-based craft distillery producing premium gins, cocktail bitters, and Italian-inspired aperitivi, selling direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and The Library tasting room and through on-trade distributors across 14+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL), Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD)

Keywords

• Craft gin distillery
• Cocktail bitters production
• Aperitivi digestivo spirits
• Botanical distillation
• Small batch spirits

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Spirit Sales (E-commerce): The company sells gin, cocktail bitters, and aperitivi & digestivo directly to consumers through their e-commerce platform. Products include various bottle sizes and formats including standard bottles, refill pouches, and bundle packs. The primary revenue stream with online ordering, click & collect, and delivery services.
2. Tasting Experiences & Tours: On-site tasting experiences including Gin Tour & Tasting, Cocktail Experience, and Art of the Aperitivo. These are ticketed events held at The Library in Aberdeen with advance booking required. Sessions include product sampling and complimentary bottle.
3. Member's Club (Reward-Based Crowdfund): Friends of The House of Botanicals is a reward-based crowdfund with four membership tiers (£100-£1,000) providing product bundles, discounts, tour tickets, and exclusive access. All funds are reinvested in the business for organic growth.
4. Wholesale Distribution: Global distribution to on-trade customers (bars, restaurants, hotels) through dedicated wholesale partners across 14+ countries. Products sold in bulk to distributors who resell to hospitality businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The House of Botanicals is a botanical distillery that manufactures hand-crafted gin, cocktail bitters, and Italian-inspired aperitivi & digestivo spirits using traditional copper pot distillation combined with modern compounding and maceration techniques. The company also operates an on-site tasting room (The Library) in Aberdeen and sells directly to consumers via e-commerce while distributing globally through wholesale partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The House of Botanicals Gins: Range of gins including ABZ Dry Gin, Classic Old Tom Gin, Raspberry Old Tom Gin, Navy Strength ABZ Dry Gin, Winter Auld Tam Gin, and Maple Old Tom Gin.
• Dr. Adam's Cocktail Bitters
• Pietro Nicola Aperitivi & Digestivo

Products and services

• The House of Botanicals Gins

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest Old Tom Gin score in IWSC history with 98 points and Gold Outstanding Medal in 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EIS (Environmental Services)minorOthersLocal waste management partner working with The House of Botanicals to recycle all paper and cardboard materials. Part of the company's sustainability commitment to minimize landfill waste.
• Pitreavie PackagingminorOthersPackaging supplier providing outer card and paper void fill materials for transit of goods. Both outer card and paper void fill are 100% recyclable and produced from recycled materials.
• ASC DirectminorOthersPackaging supplier providing 100% recyclable transit packaging materials sourced from recycled materials for consumer and business sales.
• Flexi-HexminorOthersSustainable packaging provider supplying plastic-free, biodegradable, and 100% recyclable packaging for delivery of gin and aperitivi bottles to consumers.
• Dear GreenminorOthersEthical coffee business aligned with The House of Botanicals' approach to supply chain and wider communities. Used for sourcing coffee beans (Yirgacheffe) for Caffè Margaux.
• DarkWoods CoffeeminorOthersEthical coffee supplier working with similar approach to The House of Botanicals regarding supply chain transparency and community impact. Supplier of Yirgacheffe coffee beans.
• Barracastle Farm & Berry FarmminorOthersDirect sourcing partner for botanical ingredients. The House of Botanicals buys directly from farmers and growers where possible to ensure money is funnelled back into the pockets and communities of those who matter.
• StripeminorOthersWebshop payment provider enabling 1% of customer purchase prices to be directed to carbon removal. Carbon removal projects are sourced and vetted by Frontier, Stripe's in-house team of science and commercial experts.
• Frontier (Stripe)minorOthersCarbon removal project vetting service. Via Stripe webshop payments, 1% of customer purchase totals are directed to carbon removal projects vetted by Frontier's team of science and commercial experts.
• Only BittersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor for Dr. Adam's Cocktail Bitters, making The House of Botanicals products available to the Australian on-trade market.
• The Crafty Bartender (Canada)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian distributor for Dr. Adam's Cocktail Bitters, serving the Canadian cocktail bar market.
• FAIREcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale platform providing access to The House of Botanicals full range (Gins, Cocktail Bitters, Aperitivi & Digestivo) for retail buyers worldwide.
• LMDWminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distributor for Cocktail Bitters and Aperitivi & Digestivo, serving the French spirits market.
• The Whisky Exchange TrademinorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based trade platform for Pietro Nicola Pescaro Peach Aperitif, making products available to trade buyers.
• Master of MaltminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK spirits retailer distributing Dr. Adam Elmegirab branded bitters to consumers and trade.
• Fine Spirits Srl (Italy)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian distributor for full range including Gins, Cocktail Bitters, and Aperitivi & Digestivo.
• Barts Bottles (Netherlands)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch distributor for The House of Botanicals full range (Gins, Cocktail Bitters, Aperitivi & Digestivo).
• United Supplies Ltd (Scotland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScottish distributor for The House of Botanicals Gins, serving the domestic Scottish on-trade market.
• Dunns Food & Drinks (Scotland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScottish food and drinks distributor stocking The House of Botanicals Old Tom Gin for the Scottish market.
• Importer Co (Taiwan)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTaiwanese importer for Dr. Adam's Cocktail Bitters, serving the Taiwanese cocktail market.
• Cocktailier (USA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide US distributor for Cocktail Bitters, making products available across the United States.
• A Priori Distribution (USA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor for Cocktail Bitters, cataloguing Dr. Adam Elmegirab branded products.
• Milepost65 (USA - WA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWashington State distributor for Cocktail Bitters, serving the Pacific Northwest US market.
• Bow Street Beverage (USA - ME)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaine distributor for Cocktail Bitters, serving the Northeastern US market.
• Aloha Juice Co (USA - OR)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon distributor for Cocktail Bitters, cataloguing Dr. Adam Elmegirab products for the Oregon market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sipsmith: London-based craft gin distillery producing premium gins and seasonal bottlings for on-trade and DTC. Closely comparable as a UK craft gin producer with award-winning portfolio, multiple SKUs, and strong cocktail-bar channel focus.
• Warner Edwards: English craft gin distillery producing a portfolio of gins with on-site distillery tours and DTC focus. Comparable as a UK craft distillery with multi-SKU gin range, tasting experiences, and direct e-commerce model.
• Isle of Harris Gin: Single-marque Scottish craft gin distillery built around provenance, design, and tourism. Comparable as a small-team Scottish craft distillery leveraging a flagship gin and an on-site experience venue to drive premium positioning.
• Edinburgh Gin: Scottish craft gin distillery (based in Edinburgh) producing a broad portfolio of gins, liqueurs, and seasonal editions for both on-trade and retail. Directly comparable as a fellow Scottish craft distillery operating a tasting room and multi-country distribution.
• Sacred Spirits: London-based micro-distillery producing craft gin, vodka, and bespoke spirits. Comparable in scale and ethos as a small-batch UK distillery with award credentials and a craft, innovation-led product development approach.
• Bittermens: US craft cocktail bitters maker with a curated range of bartender-focused flavours. Highly comparable as a fellow small-batch, award-positioned bitters producer serving the on-trade and home enthusiast segments globally.

Broad incumbents

• Fee Brothers: Established US manufacturer of cocktail bitters, syrups, and mixers. Comparable as a multi-SKU bitters producer serving on-trade globally, though broader portfolio and longer history make it an incumbent versus House of Botanicals' niche positioning.
• The Botanist (Bruichladdich): Scottish Islay-based premium craft gin produced by Bruichladdich Distillery. Comparable as a Scottish craft gin brand with global distribution, award recognition, and botanical-forward positioning, though supported by a much larger parent.
• Aperol: Iconic Italian aperitivo owned by Campari Group. Comparable as an established aperitivo brand competing in the same cocktail occasion (Spritz/Negroni variants) targeted by Pietro Nicola's Pescaro and Sfizi Vermouth.

Emerging players

• Hella Cocktail Co. US-based craft cocktail bitters and mixer brand. Comparable as a younger, multi-flavour bitters producer serving home enthusiasts and on-trade with a DTC-led model, similar in size and category to Dr. Adam's Cocktail Bitters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/housebotanicals
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrqIZXm6aqX2MQtYX6xac0A
• Facebookfacebook.com/houseofbotanicals
• Instagraminstagram.com/houseofbotanicals_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The House of Botanicals