An Interview with Tom Lord, founder of Hospitality Gin
We sat down with Tom Lord, founder and director of Hospitality Gin, to talk about the unprecedented impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the hospitality industry, and how he - with a little help - is aiming to change things for the better.
So, first off, could you introduce yourself for us?
Hi, I’m Tom Lord. I’m the founder of Hospitality Gin, and a hospitality veteran of over a decade.
How did you get into the drinks industry initially?
Like many in our industry, I started in bars aged 18 and at university. I ran my student bar for a year rather than attending any lectures before I got a job glass-collecting in a bar and club. I dropped out of uni shortly after that and the rest is history! Since then I’ve been hooked, and I’ve been lucky enough to have worked in and managed a number of venues, from large chain bars to small independents.
Tell us a bit about the story of the brand, Hospitality Gin – how it was initially set up and how it responds to the unique challenges posed by the coronavirus.
It was clear very early on that Coronavirus was going to have a devastating impact on the hospitality industry. I remember speaking to friends and colleagues a week before the initial lockdown and for the most part, they were pretty dismissive of the threat COVID posed. I took it on myself to ensure that bars and individuals had access to unbiased, accurate and timely updates on the latest relevant news, guidance, and restrictions. I set up an online group of hospitality professionals from all over the UK and between us we shared information to tens of thousands of people.
The most heart-warming thing to see has been how the hospitality industry has pulled together and really helped each other out in any way they can.
Off the back of that, people and businesses were contacting me asking for advice on their individual situations. I was told stories of businesses that had been let down by accountants and had to make their whole team redundant. One particularly difficult story was of a guy who had worked in the same business for ten years and had accepted a job elsewhere. He’d decided to take a month out between jobs to spend time with his wife and two kids. Because of that – no furlough. He wasn’t eligible because he wasn’t on anyone’s payroll.
Obviously, I helped out where I could but there was only so much I could do. I wanted to find a way to provide long-term support to the hospitality industry and its people. A few days later the idea for Hospitality Gin hit me. Less than 8 weeks later, I had the first gin in my hands and I’ve been riding the rollercoaster ever since!
We’re just one brand doing what we can to provide support to the people who need it. We’ve pledged to use 100% of the profits from Hospitality Gin: Charity Dry to support the industry, initially through donations to The Drinks Trust and Hospitality Action,
How do you see these challenges being addressed by brands like yours, and products such as our virtual cocktail classes?
We’re just one brand doing what we can to provide support to the people who need it. We’ve pledged to use 100% of the profits from Hospitality Gin: Charity Dry to support the industry, initially through donations to The Drinks Trust and Hospitality Action, but we’ve got plans to set up our own fund in the future.
The most heart-warming thing to see has been how the hospitality industry has pulled together and really helped each other out in any way they can. Another thing that I’ve been impressed by is the creativity that our bars, restaurants and clubs are showing to find ways that they can operate safely, despite the constantly shifting labyrinth of guidelines and regulations. Alongside the never-ending Zoom quizzes, DJ live-streams, and 14-day push-up challenges, we saw bars emerge with ideas that fitted the “new normal” at the time. Frozen margarita slushies delivered by bartenders on bikes, businesses working together to form city-wide delivery systems made up of furloughed staff, and cheese board delivery services! What is there not to like about that?
I first heard about TT Liquor’s virtual cocktail classes a couple of months ago, and was blown away by their simplicity, and how well they were run. It’s a simple idea but TT do them so effectively.
What was it that drew you to TT Liquor in the first place?
I first heard about TT Liquor’s virtual cocktail classes a couple of months ago and was blown away by their simplicity, and how well they were run. It’s a simple idea but TT does them so effectively. Since then we’ve been wanting to work with them, and leapt at the chance to have Hospitality Gin: Charity Dry featured as their mystery spirit. In fact, we’re launching a Hospitality Gin cocktail class with them sometime soon, although I don’t know if we’ve officially announced that yet! We’re looking forward to seeing the finished product. We’re tweaking the drinks at the moment and it’s clear that they’re going to be damn tasty!
Now, without any further ado, tell us a bit about the liquid that goes into the bottle itself – the processes behind it etc?
Hospitality Gin is hand-distilled by Cooper King Distillery in North Yorkshire using state-of-the-art glass vacuum stills. The botanicals include local honey and lavender, zesty lemongrass, a warming hit of cumin and cardamom, alongside a big dose of juniper. By using glass vacuum stills, we can pull the freshest and brightest flavours out of the botanicals by the alchemy of cold-distillation. While this sounds complicated the basic idea is very simple. Normal distillation involves boiling the spirit which can destroy the more delicate flavours and remove the nuance of the spirit. By distilling at a lower temperature we can extract those flavours and nuances that would be lost, and create a boldly flavoured but delicately balanced gin which showcases its botanicals beautifully.
What cocktails would you say it works best in? What’s the ‘Perfect serve’ for you?
I’m actually really torn by this question! I think my favourite serve for it is a straight G&T with a hefty wedge of grapefruit, although just behind that is a classic Dry Gin Martini. Or a Negroni. The big, bold flavours in Hospitality Gin: Charity Dry means that it stands up in a long mixed drink such as a G&T, and also holds its own in a short drink with other big flavours, such as a Negroni. It plays nicely with other flavours so give it a go in your favourite cocktail and find out!
If you’re feeling a little adventurous, one of my other favourites is a Gibson Martini. A Dry Gin Martini with (at least!) one pickled silverskin onion. Sometimes I’ll add a tiny dash of the pickling vinegar to give it a bit more bite. It’s bloody delicious, but not to everyone’s taste!
What sort of plans can you reveal in terms of Hospitality Gin’s future? Anything exciting on the horizon?
We’ve actually got a second gin dropping any day now! We’re launching our Bartender Series, a range of gins distilled with some unexpected flavours that lend themselves to experimentation. First up is Bartender Series #1: Pineapple + Pepper, which is distilled with pineapple, green pepper, pink peppercorn and lemon thyme alongside our base of botanicals. It’s a complete departure from the artificially flavoured “gins” which have flooded the market over in recent years. The botanicals in our gins are all completely natural, and nothing is added after distillation. The green pepper and the pineapple complement each other beautifully. They both bring a mouth-watering tropical citrusy zest and an unexpected savoury note which I keep going back to. I’m looking forward to releasing it into the wild and hearing what you guys all think!
