Carolus Nolet Sr

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 10thgeneration 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.