Ginposium 2021 

Panel Discussion: What’s New?

Tasting with D T Smith (and panel)

Family Planning – Adding to the (brand) family

Rosie Milsom, Atom Brands: New Product Development

Winning Ways – Spirit Competitions – The benefit to brands

Dimple Athavia, IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition)

Patently Different – advances in still design

Abhi Banik, Head Distiller, Copper Rivet Distillery

Trespassers will be prosecuted

Nicholas Cook, The Gin Guild: Protecting the gin category

Scientific Exploration of Juniper

Matthew Pauley, the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University

Stay on top of Intellectual Property

Ciara Cullen, International law firm RPC: A helpful reminder and update on intellectual property issues.

The Distiller of London

Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller
Mixellany Ltd

Written in code in 1638, the Distiller of London protected the distilling craft’s ‘mysteries’, as practiced by the Worshipful Company of Distillers.

Award-winning authors and drink historians Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown decipher the recipes and offer modern day readers glimpses of the evolution of distilling as it transformed in the 16th and 17th century England from medicine to social beverage. Their research includes a new understanding of the origins of gin, drawn from evidence within the original text, challenging existing historiography with new primary evidence.

The authors are generously donating the net proceeds of sale of the hardcover and trade paper editions of the book to the Worshipful Company of Distillers’ Distillers Charity (charity number 103 8763) to carry forward the Liveries philanthropic work, so of course we would encourage you to purchase your copy now.
Jared Brown is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild.

Gin Ripples across the Pond

Natasha Bahrami
The Gin Girl

Gin and variants viewed from the USA, including observations on:
Distilled – Redistilled – Compounded
Zero ABV / Low ABV / Canned Cocktails (RTDs)
The flavoured gin market

Natasha Bahrami is the owner of The Gin Room in St. Louis, Missouri, a bar with hundreds of world gins on its shelves which also hosts gin seminars and workshops to engage and educate drinkers. She is also the founder of The Gin World, a platform designed for the ‘exchange and expansion of knowledge’ on the world of gin, which hosts gin festivals featuring educational programmes with distillers and brand ambassadors. Natasha was recently inducted into the Gin Magazine Hall of Fame, for her work elevating gin, teaching its fans more about the spirit and introducing more people to the category.
Natasha Bahrami is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild

Gin distilling: from field to bottle

Kirsty Black
Arbikie Distillery

Making your own base spirit (GNS)
Kirsty is a graduate of Heriot Watt University, with a Masters degree in Brewing and Distilling.Kirsty was involved in the design and building of the Arbikie distillery from scratch. The product line includes Arbikie’s first gin formed from a potato-based spirit and botanicals that capture her local environment. As testament to how well she is regarded at Arbikie, her name is on their gin, ‘Kirsty’s gin’. The distillery also produces Nadar Gin, a climate positive gin.
Kirsty Black is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild

The Richness of Nature*

Rachel Sutherland
Flavour and Sensory Development Specialist
Warner’s Distillers

*The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.” – Claude Monet
Developing a local true London Dry Gin reflecting local botanicals.Growing up in the Scottish Highlands, Rachel gained early experience working with a number of local distilleries. She completed a Master’s degree in Chemistry at Heriot-Watt University, which included a year’s placement as a Process Technologist at Diageo’s Science and Technical Centre in Menstrie, Stirling.

This work mainly focused on process optimisation of distilled spirits.Rachel’s current role is as a Flavour and Sensory Development Specialist on an InnovateUK funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), working in partnership with Warner’s Distillery and the University of Nottingham. The aim of this research is to develop a deeper understanding of the interactions between botanical ingredients in the distilling and post-distillation processes to improve quality, drive new product development and promote consumer engagement for increased sales.Rachel is currently undertaking a postgraduate qualification in Sensory Science at the University of Nottingham as well as WSET qualifications. Rachel was recently awarded the IWSC Award for Emerging Talent in the Spirits Industry 2021.

The State of Gin – Panel Discussion:

Dr. Anne Brock
Bombay Sapphire / The Gin Guild

Featuring:
Dr. Anne Brock (The Gin Guild and Bombay Sapphire)
Dr. Georgia Billing (City of London Distillery)
Siobhan Feeley (Sacred)
Bernadette Pamplin (Under The Ginfluence / Craft Distilling Expo) (Chair)
Vanessa Piromallo (ilgin.it)
Caroline Childerley (TheGinQueen)

Dr. Anne Brock is Bombay Sapphire’s Master Distiller and a Director of the Gin Guild. Educated at Oxford University, Anne achieved a PhD in Organic Chemistry from St. Catherine’s College and spent four years as lead distiller at a small distillery in central London. In September 2017, she joined the Bombay Sapphire team at the Laverstoke Mill Distillery in Hampshire, bringing with her technical experience and a passion for and in-depth knowledge of the exciting and rapidly expanding gin category. Working alongside the Master of Botanicals, Ivano Tonutti, Anne is responsible for fulfilling the global demand for Bombay Sapphire gin, leading the team of 16 distillers who produce every drop and bottle of Bombay Sapphire at Laverstoke, enjoyed around the world.
Anne is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild and is its current Grand Rectifier.

Dr. Georgia Billing is the General Manager at the City of London Distillery & Bar. She holds a PhD in Nutrition Research. Having grown up in the hospitality business, Georgia has worked in the bar industry since 2004.
Georgia now incorporates her own handmade ingredients, from cordials to vermouths, creating unique cocktail experiences for every customer. Georgia co-founded the Reina Lab., which produces bespoke ingredients for cocktail menus and competitions, using foraged botanicals wherever possible. Georgia’s bitters recipe won her a place in the New Malt Order, an international group of 12 innovative bartenders, who collectively made the first Bartender’s Malt scotch whisky. Georgia was also a top-ten finalist in the Diageo UK World Class bartender competition 2018.

Siobhan Feeley started fresh out of college working in The Oliver Conquest (OC), a little pub in the middle of Aldgate that specialised in gin. Her knowledge and passion for gin and spirits grew from there and through it she was introduced to Ian and Hilary, founders of Sacred Spirits in Highgate, north London. She joined them as an Apprentice Distiller, and is now Distiller and Distillery Manager.

Bernadette Pamplin of Under The Ginfluence writes for Gin Magazine and Distiller Magazine and works behind the scenes for the Craft Distilling Expo. She has judged for Gin of the Year, the World Gin Awards, Spirits Business Awards, Gin Guide Awards, IWSC and the American Distilling Institutes Judging of Craft Spirits, held in San Francisco.

Vanessa Piromallo (ilgin.it) started writing about gin in 2014. She’s the founder and Editor in chief of ilGin.it, the most read Italian website about Gin & Tonic, and a consultant for gin producers. Her mission is to spread the culture of gin in Italy and to make Italian gins known in the world.

Caroline Childerley launched ‘The Gin Queen’ in December 2013 to share her enthusiasm for gin and the people who make it.
Since then, she has launched Junipalooza Melbourne and Sydney with her business partners Spirits Society, and her business The Ginporium, Australia’s First Gin Concierge. She was the first Australian member to be inducted into The Gin Guild and in 2020 was named Icons of Gin ‘Communicator of the Year’.

The Gin Queen is now Australia’s most influential website dedicated to all things gin. Caroline was a Judge for Tasting Australia Spirits Awards 2019, The American Distilling Institute Spirits Competition 2020, Judge for World Gin Awards 2020 and Associate Judge for the 2017 & 2018 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards.

Juniper – Upfront and essential?

Aaron Knoll
Spirit Historian

with:
• Jason Barrett (Black Button Distilling).
• Jeff Fairbrother (Black Button Distilling).
• Melissa Katrincic Durham Distillery (US).
• Maggie Campbell (Privateer).
• Stephen Gould – (Golden Moon Distillers).

How little is Too Little Juniper for a Gin to be Considered a Gin? A view from America.

Aaron Knoll is a spirit’s historian, botanical spirits expert and author. He’s written several books on gin including Gin: The Art and Craft of the Artisan Revival which was named among the best gin books of the year by The Guardian and has been translated into six languages.

Aaron is the founder of The GIN is IN— an online resource dedicated to educating consumers on gin, gin flavour and created the first search tool for finding gin based on flavour. He also has served as judge for several international gin competitions including the American Distilling Institute and World Gin Awards. He was inducted into The Gin Guild as a Rectifier in 2019 for his contributions as a writer and educator. Aaron currently lives, works, and tastes gin out of Denver, Colorado.

Jason Barrett is the Proprietor of Black Button Distilling, which he started in 2012. Based in Rochester NY. He is a Warden Rectifier in the Gin Guild

Jeff Fairbrother conducts the day to day production of gin (and bourbon) at Black Button Distilling. He is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild

Melissa Katrincic is a scientist turned gin maker and is the marketing guru behind the gins produced by Durham Distillery (USA). She is the vice president of the North Carolina distillers Association and has sat on panels as a gin expert for ACSA and ADI conferences. She is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild

Maggie Campbell is a spirits, wine, flavour, and aroma expert with production and executive experience in the global drinks industry. Maggie served as President and Head Distiller of the spirits company Privateer Rum for 9 years elevating the company to cult brand.
Maggie served two elected terms on the Board of Directors of the American Craft Spirit Association and two elected terms as Vice President, she also serves as their Spirits Judging Director. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Resistance Served and the Wine and Spirits Education Trust’s International Advisory Alumni Board, representing the United States.

Stephen Gould is co-owner of Golden Moon Distillery and speakeasy. He is a board member of the Colorado Distiller’s Guild, a small distillery member of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and a member of the American Craft Spirit Association. He is the first American ever to be named a Warden of London’s Gin Guild and is a Liveryman of its parent body, the Worshipful Company of Distillers (a distilling trade body dating back to 1638). He has an extensive library of distilling works and is a passionate historian of distilling.

What’s New – Gin Tasting 2021 with David T Smith

David T Smith
@Summerfruitcupwith
• Alice Pearson – Cotswolds Distillery
• Rosie Milsom- ATOM Brands
• Sarah Miller – Gin A Ding Ding
• Emma Stokes – Gin Monkey
• Bernadette Pamplin – Under The Ginfluence

David T Smith is a gin specialist and spirits writer who has spoken at conferences, judges’ spirits competitions and consulted on gin projects on both sides of the Atlantic. He is a regular contributor to Gin Magazine and to the Gin Guild seminar programme. He is the author of many books about gin, including: ‘The Craft of Gin’, ‘How to Make Gin’, ‘Forgotten Spirits and Long-lost Liqueurs’ and “Gin, The Dictionary’.
David is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild.

Alice Pearson leads New Product Development for the Cotswolds Distillery, working with a variety of spirits including gin, whisky and liqueurs.

Bernadette Pamplin is an international spirits writer and judge. She started blog www.undertheginfluence.com six years ago, and since then has judged for various awards in the UK and US, and written for publications like Gin Magazine and Distiller Magazine.

Emma Stokes, aka Gin Monkey, is an author, spirits judge, bartender and, during the day, scientist. Most importantly though, she is Chief of World Gin Day, a day which unites gin lovers across the world in their love of the juniper-flavoured spirit.
Emma is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild.

Rosie Milsom is Global Head of NPD at Atom Brands. With a demonstrated history of working in the spirits industry, she is a self-confessed packaging geek and flavour enthusiast, delighted by beauty, functionality and taste.
Rosie is a Rectifier in the Gin Guild.

Sarah Miller is the founder of Gin A Ding Ding, which launched in 2016. An experienced spirits judge and writer, Sarah also hosts the popular social media challenge #GinADayMay.

The Gins

• Supercritical Gin – 47.0% ABV
Atom Brands
Juniper, Coriander, Angelica, Orange, Liquorice, Lime
Botanicals extracted by supercritical process, using super-chilled carbon dioxide in a “supercritical” state whereby it simultaneously behaves as a liquid and a gas.

• Procera Green Spot – 47.0% ABV
Nairobi Distillers
Juniperus Procera and Juniperus Communis

• Hendrick’s Amazonia – 43.4% ABV
William Grant & Sons
Based on the original Hendrick’s recipe, this has additional tropical botanicals inspired by Master Distiller Leslie Gracie’s botanical quest to the South American rainforest.

• Citadelle Jardin d’été – 41.5% ABV
Maison Ferrand
Made using the classic 19 Citadelle Botanicals plus extra orange distilled via “progressive infusion”.
Yuzu peel, mango and lemon flesh are all vacuum distilled.

• Bombay Sapphire Sunset – 43.0% ABV
Laverstoke Mill
The classic 10 Bombay Sapphire botanicals are joined by white cardamom, turmeric, and mandarin peel.

• Adnam’s Jardin Mexicano – 40.0% ABV
Adnam’s Distillery
10 botanicals inspired by Mexican cuisines, including: avocado leaf, angelica leaf, angelica root, cassia bark, epazote, coriander, lime peel and Mexican oregano.

• Cotswolds Wildflower #3 – 41.7% ABV
Cotswolds Distillery
A classic London dry gin with the addition of yarrow, mint, and a selection of genepi.

• Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale – 41.3% ABV
Charles Tanqueray & Co.
Based on the classic Tanqueray London Dry Gin, but with the addition of French blackcurrant, vanilla and black orchid.

Trespassers will be prosecuted – protecting the gin category

Nicholas Cook
The Gin Guild

Why the Gin Guild is acting as a custodian and providing a route for the protection and support of the regulated descriptors for gin, for the benefit of the gin spirit industry as a whole.The Gin Guild is a prestigious organisation supported by many of the world’s leading gin brands, their distillers and colleagues and celebrate and promote excellence in the distillation and promotion of gin.

Family Planning – Adding to the (brand) family

Rosie Milsom
Atom Brands

New Product Development, concept research & development, competition, market assessment / demand, launch pitfalls (and when to abort/call it a day).

Rosie Milsom is Global Head of NPD at Atom Brands and Scrum Master for Atom Labs, with a demonstrated history of working in the spirits industry. Self-confessed packaging geek and flavour enthusiast, delighted by beauty, functionality and taste.

With more than 8 years of dedicated service at Atom Brands, taking ideas from simple concepts through to award winning physical products.

Winning Ways – Spirit Competitions – The benefit to brands

Dimple Athavia
IWSC
Brand Manager

Having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019, the IWSC remains as relevant today as it did when wine chemist Anton Massel founded the original format back in 1969. Massel’s aim was to reward excellence in drinks worldwide, ensuring recognition for the very best wines and spirits.

The IWSC is proud to set the international benchmark for quality, standing out in the crowded world of drinks awards with hundreds of global experts – including buyers, producers, distillers, sommeliers, distributors and influencers – judging wines and spirits throughout the year.

The Gin Guild is pleased to annually sponsor the four key IWSC Gin Trophies, and in addition, in support of the industry during Covid 19 lockdown offered 2020 gin medal winners in 2020 the opportunity to deploy a limited version of Gin-Note™.

Gin-Note is a Gin flavour guidance template designed by the Gin Guild to allow consumers, retailers and others, to benefit from access, across a wide range of gins, to a standard flavour summary of each of those gin brands. So successful was the IWSC deployment that the 2021 IWSC gin medal winners will again be offered that option.

Patently Different – advances in still design

Abhi Banik
Head Distiller
Copper Rivet Distillery

Distilling from 2016 and officially launched in 2017 by HRH the Princess Royal, Copper Rivet is Kent’s only Grain to Glass Distillery. It is based at (and absorbs the rich history of) Chatham’s Royal Dockyard.

The distillery’s headline gin is Dockyard Gin, crafted through the distilleries unique hand-made copper still ‘Janet’. In March 2020 Copper Rivet Distillery was awarded a patent for its Banik Still, which was developed to enhance maceration and vapour infusion.

Developed by and named in honour of Copper Rivet head distiller Abhi Banik, the still was created to address the “limitations of traditional distillation. Abhishek Banik is the Head Distiller and Technical Production Manager.

He has an advanced science background including a Masters of Science in Brewing and Distilling at the International Centre of Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh. He worked as a research associate there, then enrolled for a PhD, during which time he was also employed by the University as a teaching assistant and worked on many government-funded KTP projects.

Scientific Exploration of Juniper

Matthew Pauley
Heriot-Watt University

The Gin Guild has been pushing frontiers in gin in recent years, including the now legendary Gin-Note, but have also been exploring the analytical and sensory science of gin.

In association with the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University, The Worshipful Company of Distillers, Krautermix and Beacon Commodities, Mathew Pauley reviews the latest work exploring juniper, gin sensory performance and analytical chemistry and talk about the next steps for the research trying to gain greater understanding of the link between the gin in your glass and smell of the gin your nose.

Matthew Pauley has been assistant professor of distilling at the Heriot Watt International Centre for Brewing and Distilling since 2016. The centre is at the front of distilling education, having taught Brewing and distilling since 1903 in the home of distilling Scotland.

https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/study/research/international-centrebrewing-distilling-icbd.htm

Staying on top of Intellectual Property

Ciara Cullen
Partner at international law firm RPC

Ciara Cullen, a Partner at international law firm RPC (and a previous #Ginposium speaker), and colleagues have issued a helpful reminder and update on intellectual property issues.

Whether you’re just starting out or launching a new product, there are a wealth of intellectual property issues to consider in the world of distilling. Here, Ciara Cullen, Ben Mark and Sarah Mountain outline those do’s and don’ts, the changing landscape and how to thrive in 2021 and beyond.

Find out more about the Gin Guild:

Benefits of Gin Guild Membership

As detailed in the Guild objectives, membership brings together Gin distillers and industry leaders involved in the production, promotion, distribution and consumption of Gin.

The Guild annually arrange, co-host and/or facilitate access for Guild members to a programme of gin related events and celebrations.

Current details are available on request, but include:

Annual Gin tasting event

Guild installation ceremonies (including an option for full members of Guild installation at the prestigious venue of the Mansion House, London, followed by a combined Banquet with the Worshipful Company of Distillers in the famous Egyptian Hall).

Gin Guild Promotion

The Gin Guild Website is regularly up-dated and the Guild produce a regular magazine covering both Guild events and gin articles.

Education and Development

The Guild develop its links and encourage further education and research into gin, and work with the London based Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the International Centre for Brewing & Distilling at Heriot-Watt University, Scotland and the Institute of Brewing & Distilling in London.