Seventy One: ‘quality in gin is becoming a priority’
Tasso Ferreira, managing director and co-founder of Seventy One Gin, spoke to us about how consumers are becoming more ‘savvy’ about what defines luxury in spirits.
Launched in 2021 by Ferreira, fashion photographer Mert Alas and former president of Diageo Reserve Steve Wilson, Seventy One looks to uphold a ‘qualitative approach’ above all else. Ferreira believes the “centrepiece” when talking about luxury is quality – “quality at giving the information and the true information to the consumer, and then all the rest comes around”.
As premiumisation adjusts, price is no longer the main measuring stick for quality with consumers becoming more ‘savvy’ to what they are drinking, regardless of how expensive the bottle.
“They want to know what is the craft behind the liquid. It’s not a marketing campaign and a high price on a bottle that makes luxury”, Ferreira says, speaking to The Spirits Business. “On the bottle of Seventy One is ‘quality has no time limit, but is a work of devotion’, and we are not in a sprint, but in a very long run in order to do what we believe. I think the consumer appreciates that more and more. When you look into the brands that are growing, the experiences consumers are looking for, and so on, it is not something shallow.”
No premiumisation slowdown
If there is any inclination that premiumisation may be slowing down, Ferreira does not agree – so long as the focus is on quality.
“First, I think quality has no downsides,” he says. “If you focus on doing a qualitative product and focus on the liquid, there is always a consumer that will appreciate it. If there is an idea that luxury is going down, then I completely disagree, and maybe I’m the antithesis of the market.
“We know we don’t feel this with Seventy One, we actually feel that the space is becoming even more interesting. There are much more high quality, or quality-focused venues that are willing to work with liquids that have the quality as the first credential. Quality is something that you will never go back on, once you try something that is done in a way that delivers more for the consumer.”
Ferreira notes that the brand didn’t launch to target a certain consumer or with a “position” in mind. “We don’t target,” he maintains. “And funnily enough, it was not in even ‘a position’ when we launched. We stand for three pillars: love, life and art.. We want to have an idea for the night that never ends, a beautiful night where you dress your best and you’re drinking from the best glass.
“We have very strong aspects about fashion as we are all about creativity, to provide the best quality possible, and the fashion crowd kind of connected to what we are doing, but we never target that we ‘are in fashion’, so to say.
“One of the reasons why we created Seventy One, is that there is a consumer that wants to drink better, but perhaps on fewer occasions, which is fine. It’s much better to go for a Friday night where you have the best liquids in front of you, than to drink the whole week.”
‘Quality in gin is becoming a priority’
When Seventy One debuted, it was in London only, however now it is available in 25 cities, and launched in New York last month.
Ferreira calls New York “the big one”. He believes “if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere”.
“I was in New York recently and I was very surprised with how upgraded the scene is,” he recalls. “Hotels are playing a very strong part in this and I think that industry has evolved so much, especially in the ones focused on quality that give us a completely fruitful environment to develop in.”
“We’re looking for places that share this idea with us, which is a Martini done perfectly, and then served in an environment that brings back this idea of ‘the night that never ends’.”
Additionally, Ferreira spoke of his excitement to develop the brand’s distribution in Europe, and that it also has a foot in the Middle East in Dubai and Turkey. Asia is also seen as a promising market with Ferreira adding that the region is in the brand’s plans.
“Asia has a very strong appreciation for craftsmanship, but one thing that we are very careful about with Seventy One is to find the right partners that are doing the right thing. For example, we are at The Aman Hotel in Phuket. Doing everything (distributing everywhere) at the same time is not our philosophy, but Asia for sure will come in the next few years,” he says.
Reflecting on the shape of the premium gin segment, Ferreira says “we’ve been seeing different gins evolving into quality as well”.
“Before, that was something that was very limited in terms of a ceiling of price and quality and taste, but the industry is picking up, and I’m quite glad to see this – that quality in gin is becoming a priority,” he adds.
Signing off on premiumisation, he says: “A point that I would correct is not about the demand for luxury, but the demand for quality. No matter if there is craftsmanship, true craftsmanship, if the company is outputting the work, the consumer will never let them down. We live in a world of information, so there’s nothing to hide anymore. So I think the consumer has all this information and it is reflecting in their consumption.”
At The Luxury Masters 2023, Seventy One was awarded a Gold medal in the Gin – Ultra Premium section.
Related news
Saigon Gin maker moves to new distillery
