19: A Global Perspective on Gin With Olivier Ward of Everglow Spirits

Explicit content warning

11/13/24 • 67 min

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, 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.

Brought to you by:
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Jim Kuhr, VP of Manufacturing at Red Boot Beverages says, “G&D has been with us since the early days. Their knowledgeable engineers and service techs are there when we need them. We’re in the midst of a large expansion, and they have been right there with us to select chiller solutions for today and the future.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com

Modern Process Equipment: Attention all distillers! The MPE Gran-U-Lizer is the precision roller mill that will change the way you approach distilling. The MPE Gran-U-Lizer masters every grain with unparalleled consistency—providing better flavor extraction and a more efficient process. One distiller even saved more than $38,000 a year after switching from a cage mill to an MPE roller mill! This is your key to achieving a perfect grind every time. Learn more on the Modern Process Equipment website: mpechicago.com!

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.

Previous Episode

18: Mark Vierthaler of Whiskey Del Bac Is Pursuing a Distinct Sense of Place, Transparently

Whiskey Del Bac in Tucson, Arizona, has pursued a taste of place in its spirits since opening in 2011, using local mesquite wood instead of peat to smoke-dry malt for its single-malts. Head distiller and blender Mark Vierthaler—also the interim marketing director—joined the team in 2021, leading the production of what he calls the distillery’s “love letter to the Sonoran desert.”

In this episode, Vierthaler joins host Sydney Jones to talk terroir, transparency, marketing, blending, and balancing art with pragmatism. Among other topics, he discusses:

transparency and sense of place as integral to the brand
sourcing rye whiskey—transparently—and filtering it through mesquite charcoal
adding a rye that fits the locally rooted brand
collecting and interpreting sensory data to craft a blend that’s better, not just to spec
the push-and-pull of creativity and the needs of the business
marketing perspective and brand consideration for distillers
the Distiller’s Cut series as an outlet for creativity
fermenting hot, up to 95°F (35°C), with special ester-forward yeast
fermenting and distilling a cleaner product meant for aging in the hot climate
using thick-staved barrels to mitigate for dramatic daily temperature swings in an arid climate
leaning into Arizona flavor for wider appeal

And more.

Brought to you by:
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Rebecca Harris, president and head distiller of Catoctin Creek recently shared, “Service after the sale is what really separates the quality of a supplier relationship. G&D Chillers has always been a phone call away when we needed them. For a small business like mine, that partnership makes all the difference.” Whether you distill batch by batch or in a continuous operation, for more than 30 years, G&D has had the proven solution. Visit them today at gdchillers.com.

Next Episode

20: Sherrie Moore Uses Data and Experimentation to Understand and Optimize Whiskey Flavor and Consistency

There aren’t many problems in whiskey that Sherrie Moore hasn’t tackled and solved. Over her 30+ years at Tennessee’s renowned Jack Daniel’s distillery, she’s worked in just about every role imaginable—from chemist and processing manager to barrel warehousing manager and, eventually, director of whiskey production. She’s since directed whiskey production for Nearest Green Distillery, and for the past few years she has expanded her scope to help smaller brands dial in processes, products, and operations.

In this episode, Moore and host Sydney Jones discuss: