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Gin Guild appoints grand rectifier
Beefeater Gin’s master distiller emeritus, Desmond Payne MBE, has been named The Gin Guild’s new grand rectifier at its annual Ginposium.
Succeeding Lesley Gracie, master distiller of Hendrick’s Gin, Payne will take up the post on 20 October 2023 for two years.
Payne, who has previously received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Guild, commented: “The Gin Guild has been instrumental in guiding and protecting this splendid and rapidly expanding spirit, and it has also given us all the opportunity to get to know each other and enjoy the fruits of our labours.
“To be nominated grand rectifier is a great honour and I am looking forward to taking up the position later this year.”
A Q&A between guild chair Christopher Hayman and Payne was hosted, in which Payne shared insights from his 55 years in the industry.
The Gin Guild has now welcomed more than 450 members, including Hanna Kaur, the beverage architect behind Crafter’s gin.
“It is an incredibly empowering experience to stand beneath the tall stained glass windows of the London Guildhall with juniper berries in hand and swearing to uphold the gin tradition,” said Kaur. “Becoming a member of this esteemed organisation is a tremendous honour for any gin distiller, and I was deeply moved by the invitation to join their ranks.”
“As a member of the Guild, we have the opportunity to actively contribute to the development of gin as a beverage. Moreover, it allows us to access the research carried out at the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, which has an institute dedicated to brewing and distilling. This valuable knowledge greatly enhances our research efforts in Liviko’s laboratory.
Gracie added: “The Gin Guild membership is truly global and has grown to reflect the diverse and vibrant nature of our industry and gin-loving consumers.”
Ginposium
The appointments were announced at The Gin Guild’s annual Ginposium, hosted at RSA House in London on 9 June, which focused on the sustainability of the gin industry.
More than 120 members from across the globe attended the event, where Guild members shared experiences and latest thinking in producing, promoting and celebrating gin internationally.
Participants were given the opportunity to taste Crafter’s gin, among other beverages, at the event to celebrate welcoming new members.
Pal Gleed, director general of The Gin Guild, said: “Clearly sustainability is at the forefront of many members’ thinking and the coming year will see a focus for The Gin Guild to work with members to develop and demonstrate their approaches even further.
“The gin industry is extremely vibrant and fast moving and it is exciting to see members turn their dynamism to this globally important subject.
“We also announced plans to lead a project to help establish a model ‘gincentric’ sustainability strategy for members, taking in both the latest thoughts from the global sustainability movement, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and benefitting from expertise within The Gin Guild membership internationally.”
Highlights of the event included a keynote presentation by Sandrine Ricard, deputy director sustainability and responsibility for Pernod Ricard in the UK, alongside specialist presentations on sustainable bottling and packaging from members Allied Glass and Atom Brands.
Analyst Chris Pitcher, from equity research group Redburn, returned to interpret the latest gin industry global sales statistics, and Keli Rivers from Sipsmith discussed the rise of the Martini.
Meanwhile assistant professor Matthew Pauley from Heriot-Watt University provided an update on The Gin Guild’s sponsored research into juniper profiling.
Pitcher said: “Gin has enjoyed phenomenal growth over the last ten years and has become one of the most widely consumed spirits globally. The cycle may have turned in some key markets, but others are picking up the slack with a variety of new trends helping further support the trajectory of the post-pandemic recovery.”
To mark The Gin Guild’s 10th anniversary, the organisation will be undertaking research amongst its membership to help shape its strategy for the next 10 years after growth from four to 450 members from more than 20 nations in its first decade.
In February, The Gin Guild announced the Jay Dhawan Scholarship in partnership with Nao Spirits, awarded annually to one student from the Indian food and beverage sector to pursue an MSc in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in the UK.