BOMBAY SAPPHIRE: Master Distiller Dr. Anne Brock about innovation and sustainability

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE in its iconic blue bottle is one of the best-known gins in the world. The gin is still distilled in the Laverstoke Mill distillery in southern England, based on the recipe from 1761.BOMBAY SAPPHIRE attaches great importance to the perfect balance of a unique combination of ten hand-picked exotic botanicals from all over the world. Each drop is 100% steam distilled – a process that skillfully captures the natural aromas of the botanicals. In all of this, the focus is on sustainability: all botanicals come from sustainable cultivation and the design of the distillery has been awarded “outstanding” by BREEAM, the world’s leading environmental assessment for buildings.

Dr. Anne Brock, Master Distiller at BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, is someone who deals with precisely these things on a daily basis. We spoke to her in an interview about her path into the industry, gin production and the topics of innovation and sustainability.

What was your path into the industry and what unique perspectives do you bring to the world of distillation and gin production?

Dr. Anne Brock: I came into distilling after studying organic chemistry at the University of Oxford. Having decided that medicine wasn’t for me, I wanted a career which would use some of the knowledge and skills that I had developed in all my years at university, but I also wanted to work in an industry I was passionate about – Gin distilling brought my love for great spirits and science together.

As a woman, being in the minority in the industry has helped me stand out. During some gin events I remember frequently being the only woman in the room, but as a woman leading a brand like Bombay Sapphire, I feel that it is important that I stand up and be counted, being visible may help encourage more women into the industry. Distillers are very welcoming, and I wholeheartedly recommend it as a career.

Creativity plays a significant role in gin production. What role does it play at BOMBAY SAPPHIRE?

Dr. Anne Brock: Gin is such a versatile spirit that pairs wonderfully in so many different drinks, the opportunities to develop this spirit are endless. Creativity is at the heart of what we do at the Bombay Sapphire distillery, we embrace a unique vapour infusion process using ten botanicals, enabling us to create a complex and balanced gin expression, where individual flavours can then be accentuated depending on how the liquid is used. It inspires versatility and creativity in cocktail-making, which is why bartenders around the world have recognized Bombay Sapphire as a canvas for creativity.

What processes do you use at BOMBAY SAPPHIRE to ensure a consistent and high quality product?

Dr. Anne Brock: While ordinary gins boil their botanicals directly in the spirit to achieve their flavour, the wonderful distinctive taste of our gin is created using the vapour infusion process. Each still directs the vapour through an infusion chamber, which holds copper baskets containing all our botanicals. We still use our original Carterhead stills – Thomas and Mary – from the 1830s.

But we have now added two state-of-the-art 12,000 litre copper pot stills – Henry and Victoria – to our refurbished original stills. No matter what happens in my day, the one thread that runs through every single day at the distillery, is nosing/tasting the distillate. Every single distillate we make gets nosed and tasted and signed off by a couple of distillers who are trained to be able to recognize deviations.

The new design for the limited edition Artist Edition was created in collaboration with artist Maggie Enterrios. How was it created?

Dr. Anne Brock: BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin features 100% sustainably sourced botanicals and works closely with suppliers and growers, not only for direct access to the finest ingredients, but also to support their development. This process was the inspiration behind the artist edition label design – celebrating not just the responsibly sourced botanicals, but also the creativity and collaboration behind the gin-making process.

The artwork was inspired by the connection between BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and our suppliers to honour craftsmanship. It is our responsibility to care as much about the farmers and their community as we do about the plants they grow and harvest for BOMBAY SAPPHIRE. By looking out for their well-being and investing in sustainable farming practices, we help protect the environment and their livelihoods for generations to come.

How does the artwork reflect the essence of the botanicals used in BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin?

Dr. Anne Brock: Maggie Enterrios drew inspiration for her artwork from our botanicals and illustrated them in their various stages of growth: from seeds to blossoms to flowers in their full glory – the fruit skins, pods, roots and leaves. Maggie always said she really wanted to make people feel as if they are looking through the bottle directly into the soul of the gin. The design is a representation of the gin’s taste and a celebration of the different flavours, all interwoven and bursting with movement.

How do partnerships with artists, designers and other creatives contribute to the identity and success of your brand?

Dr. Anne Brock: Creativity has always been truly at the heart of all we do at BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, from the moment our blue bottle was launched to stand out among a sea of green and brown glass, behind the bar. The brand has worked with artists from the likes of Tracy Emin and Tom Dixon in the 90s and 2000s, through to our more recent work with artists such as Yinka Illori, Hebru Brantley and most recently our ‘Saw This Made This’ campaign with creative visionary Baz Luhrmann. Artists and creatives play an active role in every part of what you see from us, even the iconic glasshouses that still stand proud at our distillery, Laverstoke Mill, were designed by the incredible architect Thomas Heatherwick.

How does BOMBAY SAPPHIRE address sustainability in its production processes?

Dr. Anne Brock: We at BOMBAY SAPPHIRE approach sustainability from end to end, which means botanical selection – distillation. Sustainability is a journey, as it is for any brand, and no one has all the answers yet, but we are proud of our consistent commitments to reducing environmental impact.

Our Master of Botanicals Alessandro Garneri is responsible for overseeing the field-to-distillery journey of every botanical used to craft Bombay Sapphire. A consistent quality and flavour profile of each ingredient is key in the creation of Bombay Sapphire and Alessandro controls this by sourcing sustainable botanicals from only a handful of producers in designated regions around the world.

We are also fortunate to work in the beautifully and sustainably designed Laverstoke Distillery which was awarded ‘outstanding’ by BREEAM (the world’s leading environmental assessment for buildings) as the distillery uses 100% renewable energy, achieving the Carbon Trust Standard, with all waste recycled or converted into energy. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is environmentally conscious throughout, with every bottle made with its iconic 100% recyclable blue glass and label crafted from certified sustainable paper.

What initiatives or projects are planned for the future – particularly in the area of innovation and sustainability?

Dr. Anne Brock: You’ll have to wait and see what is to come for BOMBAY SAPPHIRE but rest assured sustainability will always be a huge focus for us as well as creativity remaining at the heart of all we do. I have been heavily involved with all our recent innovations including our latest super premium expression Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru, a small-batch gin, handcrafted to celebrate nature’s finest flavours of Murcia’s most exquisite citrus and Bombay Citron Presse, our most recent innovation is inspired by the classic Tom Collins cocktail and captures the taste of freshly squeezed Mediterranean lemons.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE | Website | Instagram | Facebook

+++ We thank Dr. Anne Brock for the open and very interesting interview! If you also have an interesting brand, then we should talk. Just send us an email with the subject “about-drinks interview” to redaktion@about-drinks.com – we look forward to hearing from you! +++