Patently Different – advances in still design - Ginposium 2021

Abhi Banik

Abhi Banik is the Head Distiller at the Copper Rivet Distillery, which has been distilling from 2016 and officially launched in 2017 by HRH the Princess Royal, Copper Rivet is Kent’s only Grain to Glass Distillery. It is based at (and absorbs the rich history of) Chatham’s Royal Dockyard.

The distillery’s headline gin is Dockyard Gin, crafted through the distilleries unique hand-made copper still ‘Janet’. In March 2020 Copper Rivet Distillery was awarded a patent for its Banik Still, which was developed to enhance maceration and vapour infusion.

Developed by and named in honour of Copper Rivet head distiller Abhi Banik, the still was created to address the “limitations of traditional distillation. Abhishek Banik is the Head Distiller and Technical Production Manager.

He has an advanced science background including a Masters of Science in Brewing and Distilling at the International Centre of Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh. He worked as a research associate there, then enrolled for a PhD, during which time he was also employed by the University as a teaching assistant and worked on many government-funded KTP projects.