IT has long been known as "mother's ruin".

But the drink that was seen as the favourite of the old and the posh has had a reinvention as a hipster's favourite.

And Glasgow is helping lead the way in the gin revolution with its dedicated gin bars - Gin71 and Virginia.

The Finnieston, on Argyle Street, also has a gin cocktail bar, stocking more than 60 gins, while Glasgow Distillery Company makes the city's own gin - Makar Glasgow Gin.

Earlier this year, Gin71 was one of five bars around the world chosen as a finalist in the World Gin Day international cocktail competition.

Head bartender David Craig beat off challengers from The Walrus Room and Reverend JW Simpson in London; The Churchill in Manhattan, New York; and La Habanera in Madrid.

His concoction, the Irn Bro, impressed voters and saw him take the top prize.

David was given a two week placement at Gin71 after undertaking a scheme run by employment charity Springboard and drinks giant Diageo.

He said he felt that he wasn't as good during the two weeks as he could have been and so asked for the chance to become better.

Within a year he was head bartender at the company's Renfield Street branch.

And, most recently, he was invited by gin brand Brockmans to give a gin cocktail masterclass to bartenders from across Scotland.

Gin71, on Renfield Street, and its sister bar Viginia, in the Merchant City, is what Brockmans calls a "lighthouse account" - or, the best bar for gin in any city.

I was invited along to find out some of the tricks of the trade and, as someone who's dedicated a lot of time and effort to the resurgence of gin in Glasgow, I was quick to say yes.

As David lined up the ingredients for the Irn Bro, I asked him why he thought gin was suddenly so popular.

The 22-year-old said: "The gin scene exploded a couple of years back. Spain was very big on gin and then it's made its way across Europe.

"There are very strict regulations around distilling whisky whereas there are none for distilling gin, which means it's relatively quick to do and you can add whatever you like to it.

"For whisky, you can start a batch and then it's not in the bottle for 12 years. So a lot of whisky companies are making gin in the meantime and selling it while they wait for the whisky to age.

"It means there's a lot of choice for consumers."

A classic Negroni contains only three ingredients - gin, vermouth and Campari.

For David's Irn Bro, he mixed gin with Aperol and an ingredient I hadn't heard of before, RinQuinQuin, a peach apéritif produced in the south of France.

It's pretty straightforward to make, which David said is part of the appeal for bartenders - when you have dozens and dozens of drinks to make, simplicity is a blessing.

It also tastes delicious and is a big change from the usual G&T.

Gin71 has a section of the menu dedicated to the classic gin cocktail, the Negroni.

And David is determined to keep the flavours interesting by using as many unusual ingredients as he can, such as infusing vermouth with chipotle chillis.

He added: "I have complete control of everything that's on the new menu.

"We are very big on staff having a say on what we serve so if anyone has an idea then we might offer it as the Gin Genius cocktail of the week - and they get to show off that week with their cocktail.

"I started off learning a lot from the person who was then head bartender before me and learned a lot about how the bar actually works so I'm keen to help others learn and develop their skills."

In 2015 gin sales in the UK topped £1billion for the first time.

The boost was said to have come from younger drinkers giving up on vodka and trying artisan gin instead.

A survey by Mintel found that more than two in five people in the UK aged 18 to 34 had drunk gin in 2015, compared with 27 per cent of over-45s.

And the consumer trends company also said the taste change would continue with UK gin sales expected to top £1.3bn by 2020.

Gin71, which has just expanded with a new branch in Edinburgh, is so-called because it has 71 different kinds of gin on the menu.

But does anyone still want a simple Gordons and tonic?

David added: "One of our most popular drinks is a plain gin and tonic. People come in to see what we're about but they still want to stick with the classic.

"Some will try a gin flight, which has three kinds of gins and mixers, and other will get adventurous and maybe try a cinnamon stick or some peppercorns in their gin - but a classic G&T is still a favourite.

"There's a lot of great gin bars in Scotland. In Edinburgh, I'd say my favourite is the Jolly Botanist.

"But that was only before we opened.

"The trend for gin is definitely here to stay and Glasgow is definitely ahead of the curve when it comes to the gin scene."