Olivier Ward got his start in gin in the mid-oughts, working on projects for Hendricks, and the he hasn’t been able to shake the gin world since. The people, places, and processes captivate him, and building or telling those brand stories has been a major focus for the better part of the past two decades. As chief gin judge for the IWSC, he tastes thousands of gins in any given year and has a context for flavor and approaches that few possess. Now, with Everglow Spirits (https://everglowspirits.com), he’s taking a fresh approach to both education and consultation, helping distillers (and would-be distillers) articulate their visions and understand the challenges of creating and growing brands.
In this episode, Ward and host Molly Troupe discuss:
Thinking about gin beyond just flavor
Opportunities and risks in direct-to-consumer sales
The common mistakes that brands make, and how great brands hone their focuses
Finding resonance beyond baseline expectations for quality
The variety of creative approaches and tasting profiles around the world
Base spirits and their impact on gins
Categorizing for competition with process in addition to flavor
And more.
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