Inductee No. 17

Tessa Gerlach

Co-founder
Elephant Gin

Tessa Gerlach is the co-founder of Elephant Gin, alongside her husband Robin Gerlach. Tessa’s area of focus stretches from product development to all marketing and branding aspects. She is also responsible for the distillery’s collaborative conservation efforts with partner foundations.

She holds a master’s degree in management and finance from University College London as well as a bachelor’s degree in film production and marketing communications from Emerson College, Boston. Before founding Elephant Gin, Tessa spent six years working in the film industry (including with Universal Pictures and Working Title Films in Los Angeles and London).

In 2013, Tessa and Robin were inspired to create their range of premium gins following adventurous trips together across East Africa and South Africa. Unsure of what the future held for African wildlife, they decided to take action to help protect the African elephant.

An integral part of the Elephant Gin business model is its charitable efforts, with 15 per cent of all bottle profits donated to foundations that support conservation efforts for African elephants.

Inductee No. 16

Alexandre Gabriel

Master Blender
Citadelle Gin

Alexandre Gabriel is the creator of Citadelle Gin, and the owner and master blender at spirits company Maison Ferrand and the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. Alexandre was born and raised in France on a farm in southern Burgundy, where his grandfather taught him how to make wine and distil spirits.

Alexandre founded Maison Ferrand in 1989, basing his company in an ancient Cognac house in the Grand Champagne region of Cognac, France. In the 1990s, he decided to develop an artisanal gin and spent years lobbying the French government to use his Charentais Cognac stills for gin production. Citadelle Gin was launched in 1996. To create it, Alexandre invented a ‘progression infusion’ process, which saw botanicals integrated with the base spirit at different times to capture the optimum flavour from each. He subsequently applied for and was granted a patent for the process, and to this day it remains the only patent given to a gin infusion method. 

Since then, Alexandre has consistently demonstrated his creativity with the brand, with launches such as Citadelle Old Tom and Citadelle Jardin D’Éte, along with innovative and exclusive limited editions such as the eccentric Citadelle Vive le Cornichon.

Alexandre’s passion for creating high-quality spirits is boundless, and the fruits of his labour are appreciated by many, from bartenders to spirit aficionados. 

Inductee No. 15

Anne Brock

Master Distiller
Bombay Sapphire

Dr Anne Brock is an accomplished distiller whose experience of gin production ranges from a start-up to a multi-million-pound facility. Beyond her impressive professional achievements, Anne has also provided inspiration, encouragement, and knowledge to distillers from around the world.

Anne worked in the hospitality industry before studying for a chemistry degree, and then a PhD in organic chemistry, at the University of Oxford. Following the completion of her academic studies, Anne decided to pursue a career in distilling to combine her interests in bartending
and chemistry. Her move to distilling came at the same time as the establishment of Bermondsey Distillery in London, producer of Jensen’s Gin. She joined the company in 2013 as its lead distiller.

Anne has conducted research into some of the thornier issues of the gin industry, encouraging practical knowledge sharing that has made a real difference to how many distillers approach production and has helped many to improve their industrial efficiency.

Anne joined the board of the Gin Guild in 2015 as its technical advisor, encouraging further investigation into the science behind gin. In 2019, she took on a two-year term as the Gin Guild’s grand rectifier.

In 2017, Anne joined Bombay Sapphire as its master distiller, based at the idyllic Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire, England. Although it was a significant departure from a distillery beneath a railway arch in Bermondsey, Anne is keen to stress the similarities between the two and the common challenges and opportunities that all distilleries have, despite differences in their size. This has really helped to bridge any perceived gap between small and large distilleries and bring the industry together.

Inductee No. 14

Jonathan Adnams

Chairman
Adnams (Copper House Distillery)

Jonathan joined brewing company Adnams, based in Suffolk, England, in 1975 as an apprentice brewery engineer and has since worked in all areas of the company. He joined the board of directors in 1988, running Adnams’ pubs and property, before assuming the role of managing director in 1997. In August 2006, Jonathan took over the role of company chairman, the position that he still holds today.

Jonathan has been instrumental in propelling Adnams forward in terms of innovation and sustainability, leading the project teams responsible for the redevelopment and modernisation of the Sole Bay Brewery. 

He was the inspiration and driving force behind the concept and building of the Copper House Distillery in 2009, which took Adnams into the world of distilling and has resulting in an award-winning range of gin, vodka, and whisky.

Jonathan was made an OBE in 2008 for his commitment to corporate social responsibility, including the promotion of energy-efficient architecture at the brewery. The past decade has seen two further major achievements: he celebrated his 40th anniversary at Adnams in 2015, and was made an honorary fellow of the University of Suffolk in 2022. 

Inductee No. 13

Carolus Nolet Sr

Chairman and Owner
Nolet Distillery

Carolus Nolet Sr has been at the head of the Nolet Distillery for more than 40 years. Founded in 1691, the Schiedam-based company is the oldest distillery operating in Holland today.

Carolus Sr is a 10th-generation member of the founding family, and custodian to more than 300 years of distilling knowledge. He took charge of the Nolet Distillery in 1979, and in the decades since, has been pivotal in modernising the company and building its brands into an international force.

He led the development of the company’s Ketel One Vodka in the mid-1980s, and successfully targeted its sales and marketing in the US – a country to which his grandfather had started selling Nolet spirits in the 19th century. He also led the creation of Nolet’s Finest Gins, launched in 2010: a 40-year project to combining his own love of distilling and refined palate with the Nolet family’s vast legacy in spirits production.

While still holding the post of company chairman, Carolus Sr is now working closely with his sons Carl Jr and Bob, passing his lessons and those of his forefathers on to the next generation.

Inductee No. 12

Philip Moore

Founder and Distiller
Distillery Botanica

Philip Moore’s journey into distilling began with horticulture. He created Australia’s first large-scale wholesale herb nursery, with a network of growers in Australia and New Zealand, before his love of deconstructing flavours in food and drink eventually led him to distilling.

He founded Distillery Botanica, one of Australia’s first craft gin distilleries, in New South Wales in 2007, and taught
himself to distil. With this new skillset, he began to transform his favourite herbs and plants into spirits and liqueurs, including the award-winning Moore’s Dry Gin. In a nod to Philip’s first career, the distillery is surrounded by a three-acre garden, from where he sources ingredients for
distillation.

Philip’s approach to gin and liqueur making has helped not only to create some truly unique liquids, but also
to put Australia on the craft distilling map. He remains at the heart of the distillery, and can often be found at the cellar door sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for his craft with visitors.

Inductee No. 11

Joanne Moore

Master Distiller
G&J Distillers

Joanne Moore got her first job in the distilling industry more than 20 years ago, after completing a degree in biochemistry. In 1996, she joined the quality department at G&J Greenall’s (now G&J Distillers, part of Quintessential Brands).

Her enthusiasm, skill and vociferous appetite to learn more about distilling, particularly gin, meant she rose quickly through the ranks. This journey culminated in her being named the company’s master distiller in 2006, at a time when there were hardly any female master distillers.

Joanne knows all about attracting new faces to the industry with her work creating Bloom Gin: designed specifically to appeal to even the most reluctant gin-drinker, the brand has gone from strength to strength since its inception.

Joanne’s insatiable curiosity around distilling and her desire to innovate made her infinitely worthy of becoming one of the world’s first female master gin distillers. Holding this senior position at one of the UK’s largest gin producers has enabled her to remain at the forefront of the industry and act as a role model to other young women in distilling.

Inductee No. 10

Nicholas Cook

Director General
The Gin Guild

Nicholas Cook has held the role of director general of the Gin Guild since 2012, when the non-profit organisation was incorporated by the Worshipful Company of Distillers.

During his tenure, Nicholas has helped to build the Gin Guild into a globally recognised body that connects and supports all corners of the gin industry. It hosts forums for members to meet and network, provides resources, training and events to members and non-members, and recognises quality among products and producers. The organisation is also connecting with gin drinkers and helping them to better understand what is in their glass via its Gin Notes.

Through Nicholas’ direction, the Gin Guild is standing up for the integrity of the gin category; it has taken a firm stance against products that do not meet the regulatory requirements to be called ‘gin’, but nonetheless attempt to trade on the spirit’s good name.

In leading the development of a platform for all in the gin industry, and encouraging a spirit of custodianship among them, Nicholas helping to secure a bright future for the world of gin.

Inductee No. 9

Jean-Sébastien Robicquet

Founding Chairman
Maison Villevert

As founding chairman of France’s Maison Villevert, Jean-Sébastien Robicquet has been in pursuit of spirits innovation and excellence for more than 20 years.

One of the greatest steps the company has made in this direction came with its G’Vine Gin de France, launched in 2006. At the time, the use of grape base spirits – perhaps a natural choice for a French distillery, although still a novelty in the gin world at the time – and botanical vine flowers set it apart from other gins, and it has maintained a reputation for its unconventional composition and unique taste.

Drawing on his family’s rich history in the Cognac industry, Jean-Sébastien has earned Maison Villevert a name as a challenger of norms and producer of world-class spirits. Simultaneously, through his natural charisma and prodigious knowledge, he has built a name for himself as an innovator, while also working fiercely to protect and celebrate the heritage of his home region, and French savoir-faire.

Inductee No. 8

Natasha Bahrami

Owner
The Gin Room, St. Louis

Since her first encounter with a Dirty Martini, Natasha has been passionate about, and a passionate advocate for, the world of gin. She has dedicated her professional life to elevating gin, teaching its fans more about the spirit and introducing more people to the category.

She 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.

Through her renowned venue, Natasha helped found the Gin Week festival in St. Louis in 2015. She is also the founder of The Gin World, a platform designed for the ‘exchange and expansion of knowledge’ on the world of gin; it has so far expanded to St. Louis, New York City, Washington DC, San Francisco and New Orleans, with gin festivals featuring educational programmes with distillers and brand ambassadors.

Natasha was inducted into the Gin Guild in 2017 and was made the director of gin curation and education at the US Museum of Distilled Spirits in 2020.

Inductee No. 7

David T. Smith

Spirits writer, judge and consultant

Renowned independent spirits writer, consultant and judge David T. Smith is a global ambassador for the gin category.

Few have done more to promote and publicise gin to a wider audience in the modern era: he judges gin and other spirits with the World Gin Awards, International Wine and Spirit Competition and American Distilling Institute; he helps to organise industry events such as the Craft Distilling Expo; he has authored numerous books on gin production, history and mixology; and he has hosted distilling workshops on both sides of the Atlantic.

He is held in high esteem not only by gin consumers and commentators but also by producers, having fostered relationships with distilleries around the world and consulted on the creation of gins in six continents.

He offers his consulting services to organisations including the Gin Guild, and is also the contributing editor of Gin Magazine.

Inductee No. 6

Lesley Gracie

Master Distiller
Hendrick’s Gin

A chemist by trade, Lesley Gracie has been working with William Grant & Sons since 1988. In the late 1990s, she was asked by Charles Gordon to develop a gin that would defy the conventions that had dominated the category for decades.

The result was Hendrick’s Gin, released in 2000, the brand for which she is still master distiller and which helped to launch a worldwide craft gin resurgence.

While at the helm at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace in Girvan, Scotland (a spectacular complex that she helped to design) Lesley’s skills have powered the quirky brand’s rise to global prominence in the premium spirits market and she has helped to craft new expressions that continue to push boundaries in gin creation, even travelling deep into the Amazon jungle in search of inspiration.

With an unfaltering dedication to precision and a desire to innovate in her spirits, Lesley serves as a beacon of excellence in the distilling industry, both in the UK and abroad.

Inductee No. 5

Myriam Hendrickx

Master Distiller
Rutte Distillery

Myriam Hendrickx has led production as master distiller at eighth-generation Rutte Distillery in the Netherlands since 2003. The spirits industry caught her eye while she was working as a food engineer; thirsty for knowledge, she spoke to master distillers everywhere to learn all she could.

Her prodigious spirits knowledge impressed the team at Rutte, which offered her a job as PR, marketing and technology manager before putting her in charge of production two years later – her first official role as a distiller. When the distillery was taken over by De Kuyper in 2011, she carved a place for the brand’s craftsmanship and history in its new international framework.

Myriam has used her long-standing passion for genever – Rutte’s core product – to raise its global profile, as well as keeping the brand at the forefront of gin innovation. Its Old Simon Genever and Rutte Celery Gin placed as the only genever and gin in the Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient category at the annual Spirited Awards 2016, Tales of the Cocktail.

Inductee No. 4

Desmond Payne

Master Distiller
Beefeater

Like Beefeater, where he has been master distiller for 15 years, Desmond Payne is a giant of the British gin industry and a shining example of how tradition and innovation can work in harmony. Having started his career in the wine cellars at Harrods, he was introduced to spirits after joining Seager Events in 1967 – an encounter which kickstarted a career in gin that has so far spanned five decades.

After spending 25 years in charge of production at Plymouth Gin, Desmond joined Beefeater in 1995 and was named master distiller in 2005. He has helped the veteran producer to stay nimble amid gin’s seismic shift into one of the world’s most popular and diverse spirits, steering it to numerous international awards and overseeing the creation of expressions such as Beefeater 24 and Burrough’s Reserve.

As Desmond marked his 50th anniversary as a distiller in 2017, his peers paid tribute to a gentle man brimming with passion for his craft, who tested the boundaries while maintaining the highest standards. He was made an MBE in 2018 for his service to the spirits industry.

Inductee No. 1

Charles Maxwell

Master Distiller
Thames Distillers

Charles Maxwell comes from a long line of distillers, with his family distilling gin in London since the 1680s. Charles himself joined the Finsbury Distillery Company in 1976 following its merging  with Matthew Clark. In this role Charles received a grounding in all aspects of the business, before becoming a director in  the 1990s.

Not afraid to make difficult decisions, Charles left Matthew Clark in 1992.

Today he works as master distiller at the contract distiller Thames Distillers. In this capacity, Charles has played a key role in the development and production of hundreds of gins, many of which have spurred on and sustained the gin boom that has swept the globe. His dedication to the industry, particularly through the challenging 1990s, can be tasted and enjoyed through products on sale across the world.

By creating new gin recipes and understanding different taste profiles, Charles has established Thames Distillers as a business that has given those dreaming of creating their own gin brand a masterful helping hand.

Would there be so many quality gins on our shelves were it not for the  assistance, dedication and knowledge of Thames Distillers and its distiller Charles Maxwell? Probably not. Without him, it is unlikely that we would be enjoying such a gin-boom today.