As the only master distiller & master of wine, William Lowe stands out as a highly accomplished and personable individual in the drinks industry, with few rivals who can match his impressive credentials.
What does it mean for you personally to be launching in Portugal?
It is absolutely one of the most gratifying and one of the biggest sources of pride that we have when we get to see the products that we make being enjoyed all around the world. And we’ve got a huge list of accolades and awards that are given directly to the distillery. But there’s nothing that can quite replace the sensation that we get personally when we see somebody in a different country specifically ordering something that we’ve made because they understand the impact of the quality that we’ve been working towards. That in itself is a huge source of pride.
Cambridge Distillery has been recognised as the most innovative distillery in the world on three separate occasions. What is it about this distillery that makes it truly different from all others?
I think all this really comes back to a single aim, which is to make the best gins in the world. Full stop. Sometimes we can employ techniques and methods that already exist, but sometimes they just aren’t good enough. So we have to go into this process of innovation and reinventing to get there. It does mean that we end up with awards for innovation, but really the innovation that we do is all in the service of quality.
What inspired you to seek out such unusual botanicals, such as truffle and ingredients such as in spring gins?
So the reason that I look for different ingredients is a top down approach where I first have an idea of a flavour experience that I want to deliver. Usually it’s the case that the idea is born of necessity. There’s a gap, there’s an opportunity that’s not yet been realised. So once I’ve decided what I want that experience to be, I work backwards. And that’s the voyage of discovery towards the botanicals and various ingredients that would have you right.
As the world’s only master distiller, to hold the prestigious master wine qualification, what benefits does one knowledge base bring to the other?
So I see my study of wine whilst being a practitioner in spirits as being the athletic equivalent of cross-training. You know, if you want to run a marathon and you want to run it in a good time, you don’t just keep running 26 miles every day. You have to get out and get in the pool and get on the bike and do the stretching as well.
So by me taking an analytical and academic approach to tasting other things, it’s made me a more effective taster, a more considerate producer, and all round better suited to deliver experiences to the class in the way that I intend to answer the normal right. To be awarded the prestigious Master of Wine Qualification requires a tremendous amount of knowledge, but also a tasting ability that few are capable of possessing.
What do you think has helped you to develop such an expert palate?
So I want to question some of the question there. And this idea that becoming a master of wine requires some kind of basic skill that very few people have. I would argue that anybody is capable of becoming a master of wine. The genetic equipment is there in most of the population. What’s lacking for most people is the dedication and determination to get there.
What we need to do is train our brains to be able to use our palate in a way to have that ability to analyse and interpret the evidence as it’s shown in the glass. And it’s that pursuit of knowledge that increases our ability to work so flexibly and fluidly with flavour.
What makes a great gin?
Can I answer that in a way that will sound silly? The first thing it’s got to be free from faults and that’s what makes a good gin. It’s a harder bar than you might think, to rise above, First of all, make sure it’s free from faults. After that, to move from good to great. That’s when we need to look at all the combinations of the liquid itself. It should be balanced, it should have length and concentration and complexity, and personally, I think that the top level of outstanding gins, really comes from provenance and expression. Something that you can tie to the origin of the liquid itself.
What trends do you envision emerging within the gin category?
The next trend that I’m looking for is a trend of reduction, rather than expansion. The gin category has got way too carried away with itself. There’s more flavours than I could care to mention. Most of them are there as commercial gimmickry rather than the pursuit of quality. The trend that I can already see emerging and that I’m proud to be pioneering with Cambridge Distillery is that of true provenance and true quality, where we’re making a really expressive approach to gin rather than just creating different flavours and different colours for the sake of it.
Have we reached peak gin? If so, how has this benefited Cambridge Distillery?
I think in terms of the number of different gins available, we’re probably getting to saturation point now, absolutely. I’m looking forward to seeing a degree of focus develop through the industry, through the trade. I can see that happening already. I think the important thing is that once the excitement of the trend has bubbled down, we’ll see the quality producers really starting to shine. And that’s really the long game that Cambridge Distillery is playing. I’d like to see less noise and more music.
What are you working on now?
Usually I’m working on things that you’ll see in three, four or five years time. That’s absolutely the case. Now we’ve got some really interesting projects in liquid form that are in the process of being completed or have already been completed. So they’ll be released in the next couple of years. Also, from a personal point of view, I’m currently writing a PhD at Cambridge University, studying the chemistry of quality in wines and spirits.
You just celebrated ten years of distilling. Do you see the brand developing over the next ten years?
So we’re ten years in. We’ve got a lot more than ten years left to go. And the thing that I think has really been part of the success thus far of Cambridge Distillery is that the whole time we’ve had one singular aim, it remains our singular aim. It is to be the world’s preeminent luxury gin producer by luxury “how am I defining that?” fundamentally, we put experience ahead of expense. In terms of priority, we leave no stone unturned in this pursuit of excellence, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.
What is the defining value of Cambridge Distillery and how has that led you to its success?
The simplest way to explain our defining value is just one word, quality. I’m really interested in what quality actually means, how we created it, how we perceive it, and how we communicate it. And we work tirelessly on all three of those sort of trifecta combinations to try and create a level of quality that’s previously been unseen within our category.
What does it mean for you personally to be launching in Portugal?
It is absolutely one of the most gratifying and one of the biggest sources of pride that we have when we get to see the products that we make being enjoyed all around the world. And we’ve got a huge list of accolades and awards that are given directly to the distillery. But there’s nothing that can quite replace the sensation that we get personally when we see somebody in a different country specifically ordering something that we’ve made because they understand the impact of the quality that we’ve been working towards. That in itself is a huge source of pride.
