FROM THE JOURNAL - DISCOVER GIN
Gin Pioneers
The People Who Changed the Spirit
Gin has been around for centuries, but the gin we know today is a much more recent story.
The modern gin revolution wasn't started by one person or one distillery.
It was shaped by a handful of curious minds who challenged the rules, experimented with new ideas and proved that gin could be so much more than a traditional London Dry.
These are some of the pioneers who helped change the world of gin.
Sipsmith – Reopening the Door for Craft Distillers
When Sam Galsworthy, Fairfax Hall and Jared Brown set out to create Sipsmith, they discovered an unexpected problem: the rules made it almost impossible for a small distillery to operate in London.
A 19th-century licensing rule required distillers to use stills of a certain size, effectively preventing smaller producers from obtaining a licence. After campaigning for change, Sipsmith became the first new copper-pot gin distillery to open in London for nearly 200 years in 2009.
They didn't just make gin — they helped create the opportunity for hundreds of small distillers to follow.
Alexandre Gabriel – Gin Finds a New Home
Gin has always been closely associated with Britain, but Alexandre Gabriel helped prove it could belong anywhere.
As the owner of a Cognac house, Gabriel used traditional copper stills and the craftsmanship of the Cognac region to create Citadelle Gin in 1996.
Working within a world governed by strict Cognac regulations, he challenged the idea that gin had to be made in one particular way or place.
Citadelle helped show that gin could have a sense of terroir — shaped by its surroundings, its traditions and the hands that make it.
Roger Jorgensen – The Voice of South African Gin
Long before South Africa became known for its thriving craft gin scene, Roger Jorgensen was laying the foundations.
Through Jorgensen's Distillery, he championed the use of South African botanicals and showed that gin could tell the story of a landscape. Rather than simply recreating a London Dry style, he encouraged distillers to look closer to home — to the unique plants, flavours and biodiversity of South Africa.
His influence helped inspire a new generation of South African gin makers.
Lesley Gracie – Turning Botanicals into Stories
Lesley Gracie helped change the way people think about gin.
Through her work creating Hendrick's Gin, she introduced drinkers to the idea that gin could be unusual, imaginative and full of personality. Cucumber and rose may sound unexpected, but they helped transform gin from a simple mixer into a spirit people could explore and discuss.
She helped move gin into the world of storytelling — where botanicals became part of the experience.
These pioneers all changed gin in different ways.
Some challenged laws.
Some challenged traditions.
Some challenged what gin could taste like.
Together, they helped create the gin world we know today — one where a bottle can tell the story of a country, a landscape, a botanical or the person who dared to do things differently.
The result? A spirit that has travelled the world while becoming more local than ever.
Every bottle has a story. These are some of the people who changed the story of gin forever.