Head Distiller & Global Brand Ambassador.
Q1) What inspired you to become a distiller, and what fascinates you about the craft?
I started my career working as a Quality Technician for Thames Distillers, one of the largest distilleries in London, in 2013. I was fascinated by the science of aroma of spirits, the chemistry and the limitless expressions that one could create. In my eight-year tenure there I was involved in the manufacturing of more than 100 brands of gins, rums, vodkas, liqueurs, whiskies, aromatised wines and no-alcohol distillates and this left a permanent imprint in me.
Fast forwarding into present time, I continue to be amazed by the range of nuances that a distiller can create through fermentation, distillation, botanicals, flavouring, barrel maturation and blending techniques. Creating formulas and supervising that they are manufactured commercially and consistently is one of my key responsibilities in my current job.
Q2)How do you think the industry evolved over the years?
In western Europe, where I originally come from, vodka, rum and whisky used to be very popular categories in the 1990’s. Moving through the 2000’s and 2010’s gin took the crown, and in the first half of the 2020’s I have noticed the settling of premium brands and the entry of no-low alcohol distillates.
In India, where I currently work, the trend is different. While whisky has been king for the past 20 years, followed by brown rums and brandies, premium gin has skyrocketed during the past 5 years. The Indian market demands premium gins that they can relate to, so there is still room for growth in this category for the next 5 years. Along with this, agave spirits, both imported and distilled domestically, are growing significantly.
Q3)What do you think are the key trends in the global beverage industry?
Western brands of spirits from the largest global spirits companies will continue to expand and settle across existing and new geographies, including west Africa and south Asia.
New premium spirit brands will continue to appear and those that can demonstrate compelling and self-explanatory branding stories, along with solid distribution and export strategies will hold ground and succeed.
For wines made from grapes, inexpensive western brands of mostly reds, will continue expanding across Asia, Africa and the Americas. When it comes to premium wines, western European consumers are saturated with brands, therefore premium wine brands can only grow in new markets through consumer education. Therefore, premium wine brands that enter international markets will do so in hand with continuous workshops, sommeliers, and wine schools into the year 2030.
Q4)What advice would you give to aspiring spirits professionals?
For anyone wishing to enter the spirits industry I would recommend starting with a job in a bar, a winery, or a distillery. If those options aren’t possible another entry point in this industry is an accredited course, such as WSET courses. These are well-structured, dotted with interactive tastings and taught in a way that even complete beginners can follow the syllabus.
