Old Back Row Gin

So the idea was this. We’d all queue up in an orderly fashion, small boys drowned both metaphorically by the ill fitting red rugby shirts and literally by the sideways slanting cold November rain. One by one, instructed forwards the booming Welsh tones of the PE Teacher Mr.Van Block, each boy would catch the rugby ball. But any feelings of achievement upon making the successful catch were fleeting and short lived… you see, the next part of the drill was for the biggest lad in our year group (Mark ‘Something’) to tackle you straight in to the sodden winter ground. 

Now, when I say Mark ‘Something’ was the biggest lad in our year group this is no exaggeration. I can only assume that puberty had hit him by the age of 6 years old, as by Year 7 he already had a moustache and dwarfed every other kid in the class by some distance. At a superficial surface level, he appeared to be only one step short of having a mortgage and a 9-5 desk job and wouldn’t have looked out of place propping up the bar in the local pub. But at this present moment, Mark ‘Something’ was living his best life, driving small children in to the ground like darts.

As the conveyor belt of pain rolled on, the crisp air of the rugby field was punctuated by a serenade of sequenced sounds; a whistle & a booming Welsh voice, small footsteps dancing forwards, the delicate thud of inflated rubber hitting innocent boyhood flesh, the stampede of a grown man boy, the grunt of emptying lungs, all swiftly wrapped up by the sickening sound of small bodies slapping in to cold wet mud. Rinse and repeat.

My parents had always instilled in me a sense of courtesy and manners, a skill which I honed and very much put in to practice during this drill. As the shell shocked bodies of my peers and classmates returned to the back of the line, some visibly counting their ribs and extremities to be absolutely sure they were still fully in-tact, I simply smiled and insisted “after you!”. It was a strategy that saw me return to the changing rooms miraculously cleaner than I had left them, owning to the never ceasing rain. This was a feat that didn’t go unnoticed by Mr. Van Block…

I remember he threatened that if I were to repeat this approach to rugby during the next lesson, and choose not to take part in the tackling drill / ‘kidney rearrangement’, then I would be made to run laps around the rugby field as a ‘punishment’. Well, when the following week rolled around I heard Mr. Van Block describing me as ‘a Banker’ (perhaps owing to my more academic approach to my school career) – at least I think that’s what he called me?…to be honest, I was too far away to fully hear him. I hadn’t waited to be asked and had launched straight in to running laps of the rugby field before Mark ‘Something’ had even finished lacing up his boots. Laps had by far and away seemed like the better option to me, and is undoubtedly a contributing factor in why I continue to run to this very day (and have absolutely no idea what the rules of rugby are). 

Nearly 30 years on, and the only two ‘facts’ I am aware of in rugby are that you can’t pass forwards & that one of the positions is a Hooker – though I’m unclear if that has anything to do with Bonnie Blue or Only Fans. 

Old Back Row; The Team Talk

And speaking of a group of lads who are now *‘Only Fans’ (in a manner of speaking), allow me to introduce you to Graham, Kenny & Gary. As ex-Rugby players of 18 years, they decided they needed to turn their competitive attentions to something new after hanging up their boots. And just like that ‘Old Back Row’ Gin was born. 

*To be completely transparent with you, the lads aren’t actually producing any ‘foot related content’ on the internet, as far as my extensive research could find – but it could have been one heck of a way to kick start a crowdfunding effort that’s for sure! I demand credit from any future start ups that decide to take this route to market… 

I caught up with Graham in a metaphorical Scrum (if it had have been a literal Scrum I would have cried) to get some further insight on how their latest venture had come to be; 

“Our story is based on friendship through playing rugby together in the back row of the scrum (numbers 6,8 &7) for 18 years. After we retired from rugby we were known as the ‘Old Back Row’ hence the name. Just after Covid, Gary got married in Rome and Kenny and I made three ‘homemade’ bottles of gin for Gary and his wife Gail, as a present, and named it ‘Old Back Row Gin’. We often joked thereafter that we should do it for real one day, and the rest is history.”

With a company name registered, and a Distiller onboarded, the team outlined their thoughts on recipe ideas and what flavour and profile they were looking to impart on their flagship London Dry Gin. Through this process, and many ‘Tries’ in the tasting process (Rugby pun for you there) the boys landed on their first tasting bottle of gin and had their recipe nailed. You could say that they’d scored ‘a Touch Down’… (yes, I’m aware that’s not a Rugby pun. It was a cleverly disguised & purposeful error for comedic effect. I know it’s called a ‘goal’ in Rugby). 

Big G, Ken & Gazza (we’re all friends here by this stage) approached Summerhall Distillery in Edinburgh, who agreed to make their gin. And after the unenviable task of getting HMRC approval, they forged ahead to ‘Tackle’ the creative process. Graham explains that “the water for making the gin in the distilling process comes from the ‘Pentland Hills’ in Edinburgh and helps provide our unique taste. Some of our botanicals are Orange, Angelica Root, Orris, Coriander and Dried Chilli”. 

Having spent the best part of two decades smashing unsuspecting opponents in to the ground like freight trains, it’s clear that their bond is as strong as ever. And so it is fitting that the teams strap line is ‘The Spirit of Friendship’.

But this is far more than a retirement time filler – this is a brand with a heart. As Big G explains “we are donating £1 for every gin bottle sold to ‘My Name’5 Doddie’ foundation for research into Motor Neuron Disease” in a heartfelt attempt to give back to the sport and community that has given them so much. 

Old Back Row Gin launched on Tuesday 1st July 2025 in Glasgow, and the lads have been on the marketing campaign ever since. “The feedback for our gin taste is very positive” Graham explains. “Our preferred tonic is Fever-Tree, however any tonic will do. We believe that our gin tastes even better with using either slices of pink grapefruit or oranges as a garnish. It also works very well with Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer instead of tonic.”

Old Back Row Gin to Taste

All this talk of exercise and sport related themes is thirsty work. And with word of positive initial reviews, I was more than a little intrigued to have a Try for myself (yep. Same Rugby pun used twice in the same blog. And what? Don’t @ me.). 

The tall, sleek bottle cuts an imposing figure, with a royal blue & gold colour scheme and ‘in your face’ font type that will ensure it’s not missed on the backbar. I really like the personal touch of the real Old Back Rows squad numbers sitting proudly at the top of the label, and the ‘spirit of friendship’ tag is a nice touch.

I’m not sure the bottle can be considered ‘finished’ just yet, as I always think that brands pivot and reimagine their image as experience grows. I’d perhaps like to see some additional touches – maybe some rounded edges, or some embossed ‘rugby ball dots’/laces or squad numbering to play on the story line. But these designs are an expensive game, and come with time and investment. That said, I do think that the team are on to something here, with an ‘up market’ feel I really enjoy.

On the nose I get an initial punch of spice studded oranges. The citrus notes feel massive on the nosing, like freshly cut ‘half time’ orange wedges, with juices spilling out across the side board.  

There’s a nice chilli heat that pinches the nostrils, and hits the back of the throat, supported by a feisty amount of leafy coriander. There’s also a pleasing depth of juniper to the neat spirit – it’s pungent, ripe and well rounded. 

The neat vapours feel far weightier than the 40% ABV would suggest. Whilst perhaps a tad aggressive on the initial approach, I must admit that I don’t dislike it one bit. It drives intrigue and suspense. What I don’t know is whether it’s about to tackle me in to the dirt like Mark ‘Something’ when I move to the first sip…

On the palate, this one spicy meatball! I’m not in the mud by any means, but it’s a little further over the booze-o-meter than I’d like. It carries a bit of a burn when sampled neat, that I think could be reigned in and softened a little – it would be to the gins benefit as a total package. 

But here’s some things that I really enjoy…that chilli heat & white pepper kick remain firmly in place for a robust and meaningfully long finish. The warmth of the coriander, which feels even more herbaceous on the tasting, combines nicely with a depth of earthiness – it adds a great sense of complexity and interest to the mouthfeel. The earthy roots and bite of juniper help to deliver an almost wood like sensation to the gin, which feels refined and well considered.

Despite the initial harshness, I’m pleased to say that as the gin settles in the glass & opens up, so too does its profile. It seems to evolve in to something a little more mellow as the palate adjusts. Dare I say it, that I also detect notes of vanilla and a slight creaminess to the neat gin. The oranges deliver a fruit forward punch to the liquid, harmonising nicely with the aforementioned spicing.

This gin was made to sit in a G&T. The addition of the mixer does nothing to dent the spirits character. If anything it just helps to soften some of the edges, and enhances all of the very best bits of the gin. The oranges shine a little brighter, whilst the herbal elements sing softly in unison. The confidence of the juniper combines nicely with the quinine, whilst the tonic also elevates some of the earthiness found on neat tasting. 

There’s something about the gin that tells me it would work wonders in a Negroni, with the citrus & juniper profile lending itself perfectly to the short serve classic. 

Man of the Match; Old Back Row

July and August will have been a blur for sure. Getting any brand live and in to the world is a huge accomplishment and one to be celebrated. But the Old Back Row aren’t resting on their laurels, and see this launch as very much just the beginning of their journey. 

“Our plans are to target certain retail sectors, rugby clubs/pubs, delicatessen’s and online sales. We also plan to make other flavours in the future along with ‘miniature specials’ for certain specific events which we will target, along with Gin Tastings and Festivals. We also have a number of other patents in place to make other gins.”

I for one can’t wait to see what other creations the team add to their ‘Lineout’ in the months and years to come. (I also really hope they refer to the fuller range as their Lineout).

And in closing the review, the biggest twist is yet to come. That Mark ‘Something’ character I mentioned at the start of this blog? It was me all along! Didn’t see that one coming did you?!

…nah just kidding. He was massive, and I’m a wimp. I still know nothing about Rugby. But I do know about gin, and this is a good’un. I’ll drink to that. Cheers.

Contacts us; The Team Sheet

With huge thanks to Graham, Kenny & Gary for the sample bottle of Old Back Row Gin! Make sure you keep up to date with their exciting next steps on their website and across social media!

Instagram: @oldbackrowgin

Facebook: Old Back Row Gin

Website: https://www.oldbackrow.com

And don’t forget to stop by @theginshelf across all social media platforms for more blogs & event updates. Stop by, say ‘Hi’ & chat gin!