Leading spirits company, Quintessential Brands, has been recognised by one of the top global drinks industry competitions, the International Spirits Challenge, as Gin Producer of the Year for the fifth time in six years, holding on to the prestigious title for the third year in a row, a feat never achieved before in the competition’s history.
The title has been awarded to Quintessential Brands, following the excellent performance of its gins in the tasting categories, where they were blind-tasted by a panel of spirits experts.
Quintessential Brands was established in 2011 when its founders bought G&J Distillers in Warrington with a clear vision to put the distillery at the heart of the gin resurgence that was beginning to emerge in the UK and other parts of the world. Almost a decade later, the company is producing some of the best-selling gin brands in the world, including Greenall’s, BLOOM and Opihr, alongside some of the most successful retailer gin brands in the UK, helping to keep the gin category thriving.
Rob Curteis, Group Marketing Director for Quintessential Brands comments; “We’re delighted to have once again received the title of Gin Distiller of the Year – it’s a great honour for us to be recognised by our industry peers and it means a lot to everyone in the company. This award really is a testament to the dedication and hard work of so many within our business, but especially to our talented liquid development team – led by our three Master Distillers, Joanne Moore, Derek Sharples and Louise Hayes – and the wider production team who, global pandemic or not, work tirelessly to produce spirits of outstanding quality for consumers to enjoy worldwide.”
Continuing the Gin Boom
This year has seen Gin continue to grow in the UK by 12% in volume and over 13% in value, with Greenall’s now the second largest brand in the category[1]. Quintessential Brands’ gin portfolio has been at the heart of the category’s continued strong performance, as Rob Curteis explains; “It’s been a fantastic year of innovation for our premium gin brands with the launch of unique, new flavour variants, such as BLOOM Passionfruit and Vanilla Blossom, Opihr Regional Editions and Greenall’s Blood Orange & Fig. Innovation and quality are at the heart of liquid development and we’re proud to be making gins that not only garner industry praise but that also inspire consumers to share our passion for great quality gin.”
Located in Warrington since 1761, G&J Distillers is renowned in the spirits industry for its unrivalled gin heritage and world-class manufacturing capabilities. Thanks to excellent management of the site and the dedication of the production team, G&J Distillers has been able to continue production throughout the coronavirus pandemic, maintaining high service levels to customers whilst also providing local hospitals and care homes with much needed PPE.
G&J Distillers is a leading employer in the Warrington area, employing over 160 people at the distillery and in its neighbouring offices. With 45 employees having worked at the company for over 10 years, G&J has a reputation for nurturing local talent. Master Distiller, Joanne Moore, who grew up in Stockton Heath, joined the company in 1996 as a graduate and after years of training, she was appointed Master Distiller in 2006, the first female Master Distiller in the company’s 250-year history and one of the first female Master Distillers in the world. Today, Joanne is the guardian of the recipe for Greenall’s, the Original London Dry Gin and G&J Distillers’ flagship brand, as well as the creator of some of the leading gin brands in the market, including BLOOM Gin and Opihr Gin.
[1] Source: IRI Supermarkets GB & NI – 06.09.2020.
For more information, please contact the communications team at Quintessential Brands by e-mail: [email protected]
ABOUT QUINTESSENTIAL BRANDS GROUP
Quintessential Brands is an award-winning international spirits company, dedicated to distilling and crafting the world’s best alcohol brands for consumers and customers globally. Pioneering spirits of the industry, inspired since 1761 by their founder, Thomas Dakin, Quintessential Brands Group delivers a diverse portfolio of award-winning, best-selling spirits with unrivalled heritage and craftsmanship.
Founded in 2011 by Enzo Visone, former CEO of Gruppo Campari, and entrepreneur, Warren Scott, Quintessential Brands Group owns world-class manufacturing facilities across Europe, including G&J Distillers, the world’s oldest continuous gin distillers, in Cheshire, UK; L&L in France, a leading manufacturer of fruit spirits and liqueurs; Irish Cream artisan producers, First Ireland Spirits; and the Dublin Liberties Distillery, which opened in 2019. Renowned for its white spirits expertise at G&J Distillers, Quintessential Brands has won International Spirit Challenge Gin Producer of the Year three times and is fast winning a reputation as one of the most exciting new Irish whiskey producers to emerge on the scene.
Quintessential Brands’ award-winning premium brands portfolio includes Greenall’s The Original Handcrafted Gin, BLOOM London Dry Gin, Thomas Dakin Small Batch Gin, Berkeley Square London Dry Gin, and Opihr Gin. Its Irish brands include The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey, The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey, Feeney’s Irish Cream Liqueur and O’Mara’s Irish Country Cream. iqueurs in the portfolio include Alizé and Toussaint Coffee Rum Liqueur. The company is also a leader in contract bottling and own label & private label spirits, working with retail partners across the world to provide spirits solutions of unrivalled quality.
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