An all-star cast

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the Gin Magazine Awards 2023, encompassing the Icons of Gin, World Gin Awards, and Gin Magazine Hall of Fame.

This year’s Gin Magazine Awards were presented in February at a glittering gala dinner at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel in central London. It was the first time the awards had been held in person since 2020, with the 2021 and 2022 awards results announced virtually. It was a fitting return for the global ceremony, with guests from more than 25 countries in attendance to share an evening of fine dining, musical entertainment, and, of course, gin.

Although there is now some distance between us and the darkest days of the

Covid-19 pandemic, the intervening years have been far from easy for gin producers. And for some, residual troubles from this period have been compounded by supply chain challenges and the escalating price of raw materials, energy, and transportation linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But the spirit of the gin community remains as strong as ever. As the best learning comes from making mistakes, so the greatest resilience is built through hardship, and those distilleries and brands that have not only survived but thrived over the past three years can certainly claim the descriptor ‘resilient’. It is the great privilege of the Gin Magazine Awards to celebrate this resilience, as well as creativity and sheer brilliance.

The Icons of Gin competition recognises the very best people and places in the gin industry, from distillers and brand ambassadors to communicators, retailers, and bars. The World Gin Awards commend innovation and excellence on the part of gin producers, celebrating products from around the world in 11 globally recognised style categories. Finally, induction into the Gin Magazine Hall of Fame is reserved for those who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the gin world, with four new inductees being welcomed to the hallowed halls in 2023.

Each year the fields for these awards get broader and stronger – a clear signal, if any were needed, that the global gin industry still has a lot of potential to realise.

INDUCTEE NO. 14

Jonathan 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.

Outside of work, Jonathan is a keen farmer and sailor. He also spent three decades as part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat crew in Southwold.

INDUCTEE NO. 15

Anne Brock, 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 (previously made by another gin industry legend, Charles Maxwell, at Thames Distillers). She joined the company in 2013 as its lead distiller.

Around this time, the London-based Craft Distilling Expo began running gin distilling classes for budding distillers and, along with her colleague David T. Smith, Anne ran several of these classes both in the UK and the USA. The sessions were attended by people from more than 100 distilleries around the world (based in countries including South America, Australia, India, and Hong Kong), and led to a project working with Nao Spirits in Goa, India to help develop its multi-award winning Greater Than and Hapusa gins.

Anne has conducted research into some of the thornier issues of the gin industry, such as one-shot versus multi-shot distillation and the role of fixatives in gin, and has presented her findings at industry conferences across the UK and US.

This practical knowledge sharing 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. She supported the organisation during the pandemic, helping it to maintain global connections and continue to support distillers through the use of online materials.

In 2017, Anne joined Bombay Sapphire as its master distiller, based at the idyllic Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire, England.

With responsibility for the production of every drop of Bombay Sapphire (and Oxley Gin), this role was a significant departure from a distillery beneath a railway arch in Bermondsey. However, 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. 16

Alexandre Gabriel, 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.

In 1989, Alexandre came upon an ancient Cognac house in the Grand Champagne region of Cognac, France. Through his passion and vision, the young entrepreneur turned the small house into Maison Ferrand, a specialist artisanal spirits company which today produces an award-winning portfolio of world-renowned brands including Citadelle Gin, Ferrand Cognac, and Plantation Rum.

In the 1990s, Alexandre made the decision to develop an artisanal gin and spent years lobbying the French government to use his Charentais Cognac stills for gin production outside the Cognac distilling season. Citadelle Gin was launched in 1996 – at the time, a breakthrough in the field of juniper spirits. To create his gin, 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 has described the spirits he creates as “aromatic sculptures” or “gastronomic paintings” – he considers them not merely as products, but as an embodiment of history, emotions, and experience.

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

INDUCTEE NO. 17

Tessa Gerlach, 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.