Joanne Moore, G&J Distillers
From: G&J Distillers from Quintessential Brands
From the changing industry to winter tipples, we talk all things gin with Joanne Moore, Master Distiller at G&J Distillers.
THE GIN GUILD: How long have you been distilling?
JOANNE MOORE: Since 1996! I’ve just celebrated my 20th year at G&J Distillers and my 10th anniversary as their seventh Master Distiller.
THE GIN GUILD: How has the industry changed over this time?
JOANNE MOORE: The industry has grown from a handful of recognisable brands to now a plethora of choice for the consumer. For me it’s always been a fun and interesting industry to work in, but it’s only in the last few years that general consumers are recognising this and think my job is cool!
THE GIN GUILD: Why did you choose distilling as a career path?
JOANNE MOORE: I often describe myself as an accidental distiller in that I didn’t set out to become a distiller. I started working for G&J Distillers straight after completing my degree in Biochemistry. I worked in the quality lab testing raw materials and finished product initially, then became Quality Manager after a few years, which gave me the opportunity to work with our previous head distillers on New Product Development.
I was fascinated by the world of botanicals and enjoyed playing around with flavour combinations to the extent that I discovered a talent for creating gins. This was recognised by the company in 2006 when I was appointed their seventh Master Distiller.
THE GIN GUILD: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
JOANNE MOORE: It would have to be creating the brands such as BLOOM, Berkeley Square, Opihr and more recently Thomas Dakin. Having your name on the bottle, in the case of BLOOM, is very much a proud moment for me and continues to be.
THE GIN GUILD: What is your favourite part of your job?
JOANNE MOORE: Working on creative briefs and seeing the final product go live.
THE GIN GUILD: What is the most challenging thing about distilling gin?
JOANNE MOORE: Botanicals not behaving as you expect them to, but that’s also the fun part. If you don’t make mistakes you can never learn and progress.
THE GIN GUILD: How do you choose which botanicals to use?
JOANNE MOORE: That all depends on whether you’re given a creative brief or a blank piece of paper – for the latter I take inspiration from things around me and look to other categories to see what trends are going on that would lend themselves to gin.
THE GIN GUILD: Generally, how long does it take you to perfect a recipe?
JOANNE MOORE: How long is a piece of string? It’s hard to say as each project is unique but in the case of BLOOM and Berkeley Square it was nine months , Opihr five months and Thomas Dakin nearly 12 months – but I did have a slight career break on this one to have a baby.
THE GIN GUILD: What advice do you give to those looking to begin their career in distilling?
JOANNE MOORE: Be creative and enjoy what you do.
THE GIN GUILD: With winter on the way, what’s your favourite way to enjoy gin in the colder months?
JOANNE MOORE: There are some great hot toddy cocktails such as our Opihr and Chai tea but I’m always partial to a French 75 regardless of the time of year.
THE GIN GUILD: Tell us something interesting about yourself that people may not know?
JOANNE MOORE: This is a difficult one to answer. There are lots of things I would consider are interesting but not so sure anyone else outside of my family and friends would , so I would have to say that my chosen career and being one of the first female gin master distillers is something people find interesting.
THE GIN GUILD: What inspires you?
JOANNE MOORE: Acts of kindness inspire me.
THE GIN GUILD: What does the next 12 months have in store for G&J Distillers?
JOANNE MOORE: Growing our current brands into new markets and working on the innovation pipeline for new products; some may make it to market some may not.
THE GIN GUILD: Have you ever made a gin for a third party and been disappointed that it was so good that you did not really want to give it up?
JOANNE MOORE: I’m proud of all the gins I have created and been involved in over the last 20 years, so it’s nice to watch them succeed from the side lines.
THE GIN GUILD: BLOOM gin has probably been your own most distinctive signature gin to date. Are you always on the lookout for new and distinctive products and, in what is already a crowded market, are we likely to see any new gin products from G&J Distillers anytime soon?
JOANNE MOORE: Collectively we are always working on new gins so there’s no doubt you will see new gins in some form from G&J Distillers.
Further reading
G&J Distillers from Quintessential Brands
G&J Distillers, owned by Quintessential Brands Group. G&J Distillers is the world’s foremost gin distilling company with over 260 years of heritage and expertise, distilling gins since 1761. No one’s Read more
BLOOM London Dry Gin
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BLOOM Jasmine & Rose Gin
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BLOOM Lemon & Elderflower Gin
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BLOOM Strawberry Gin Liqueur
BLOOM Strawberry Gin Liqueur is infused with real strawberries to bring a delicious taste of summer to any occasion.
Berkeley Square London Dry Gin
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Greenall’s Blueberry Gin
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Greenall’s Wild Berry Gin
The original handcrafted pink gin, Greenall’s Wild Berry takes its inspiration from English countryside hedgerows, combining blackberries and raspberries with Greenall’s Original London Dry Gin to form a sugar-free flavoured Read more
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OPIHR Oriental Spiced Gin
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OPIHR Arabian Edition Gin
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OPIHR Far East Gin
The OPIHR Far East Edition combines the unmistakable taste of OPIHR London Dry Gin with distinctive botanicals from along the Ancient Spice Route and global flavour trends from across the Read more
Thomas Dakin Gin
Thomas Dakin Gin is a small batch gin of unmistakable savoury character, handcrafted using the finest, carefully selected botanicals and inspired by Thomas Dakin, the forefather of quality English gin. Read more
G&J Distillers
G&J Distillers is the world’s oldest, continuous gin distillery based in Warrington, Cheshire. Boasting unrivalled gin distilling heritage and expertise, it has been distilling British gin since 1761. Today, G&J Distillers continues to produce the distillery’s flagship London Dry Gin, Greenall’s, alongside the company’s other world-class, award-winning gins, including OPIHR Oriental Spiced Gin, BLOOM Gin, Thomas Dakin Gin and Berkley Read more