Dr Anne Brock from Bombay Sapphire

Cocktails Distilled

For many of us, the idea of distilling gin is a mix of alchemy and mysticism. But for Dr Anne Brock, the head distiller at Bombay Sapphire, it is pure science and sensory memory.
As the latest custodian for the brand, Brock has spent the last four years leading a team of 16 distillers at the brand's Laverstoke Mill Distillery but maintaining the core expression, while adding in innovation, isn't always easy.
We talked to Brock about creativity, agility, and adding a little personality to an established brand.

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1. Dr Anne Brock from Bombay Sapphire (00:00:00)

2. Now, you have an organic chemistry background. Do you feel that that gives you an edge when it comes to distilling? (00:01:23)

3. Which is more important, do you think, that chemical knowledge or your nose and sensory memory? (00:02:02)

4. I imagine that must have been quite intimidating when you started in the role, the idea that people do expect it to taste the same every time. (00:03:10)

5. I imagine that you could have distilled anything with your background. Why did you specifically choose gin? (00:04:16)

6. You mentioned the distillery that you set up in London, Bermondsey. How much of an adjustment was it to move from a small distillery like that to a brand of such renown as Bombay? (00:04:56)

7. How difficult has it been to step into the shoes of the brand's past master distillers and play that part of guardian? (00:06:38)

8. Bombay was, of course, the first of the modern gins to feature botanicals, especially on the bottle, as well as the marketing material. Do you believe that it's that transparency that has helped propel the brand to its current level of popularity? (00:10:46)

9. There are, of course, a variety of different ways to create gin. Why do you believe that vapor infusion is the best? (00:11:52)

10. Are there other aspects of the product that you've been allowed to tweak at all, or would you tweak things? (00:13:22)

11. Now, you spoke a little bit about sustainability. How important do you think that is to modern gin production? (00:14:22)

12. Can you give us some idea as to what future plans will be, what you will be doing over the next, say, five to 10 years to help that sustainability along? (00:15:08)

13. Recently, the brand has been bringing out a number of limited-edition expressions. Which do you prefer working on, the established brand or creating these new taste flavours? (00:16:55)

14. Now talk us through a bit of the process of creating those new expressions. Where does the inspiration for the flavours come from, and where do your ideas originate? (00:18:10)

15. You mentioned that these expressions need to work with the original Bombay Sapphire. Are you ever allowed to go completely off the reservation and not necessarily use the original as your base? (00:19:21)

16. When you're coming up with these new expressions, is there a particular, overarching direction that you're following, or can the ideas really come from anywhere and every idea is worth trying? (00:20:39)

17. The gin craze, especially in the UK, has been going for a while now. Do you think there's still a lot of room for innovation in gin? (00:21:25)

18. In terms of the expressions and innovation that has been done during your time at the reins, what would you say would be your favourite (00:22:24)

19. What is it do you think about Bombay Sapphire that really captures people's imagination? (00:23:27)

20. If we could take you to a bar right now, what would you order? (00:25:06)

21. Speaking of COVID, did you, like everybody else, expand your home-bartending skills? (00:27:09)

22. Take us through a typical day. What do you normally do? (00:28:27)

23. What do you want people to take away from their experience with Bombay Sapphire? (00:29:58)