What did you do before creating your distillery and Luftbremzer Gin? I was working for a major Croatian oil company as a geologist. I started as an exploration geologist and ended up being a project manager for all kinds of company’s oil and gas exploration ventures, before I decided to so recklessly embark myself into entrepreneurship and start a gin distillery! For me geology is a fascinating and very special profession which I continue to pursue as a consultant, along with the distilling business. What made you decide to create your distillery and gin? I always find it exciting how during distillation the essence is extracted from the mash. It’s like we take out the very soul of the botanical and put it into a bottle. That’s how I look at distillation. I started distilling gin in my kitchen using laboratory equipment and was been amazed with the results. At that moment my enthusiasm and appreciation of gin, combined with the opportunities of the booming gin market, led to the distillery business plan being developed. My goal was to make a high quality, honest and approachable product that is down to earth, unpretentious and with a touch of good humour.
Can you tell us more about the distillery and distillation process? It’s a small-batch manually operated distillery with a cutting edge 100 litre stainless steel still. The gin is produced by utilising both the boiler and vapour infusion to achieve depth and complexity on the palette. There are 11 botanicals used that are sourced within the region and depict the local flavours. We take special care to be sustainable also, using natural cork stoppers and 100% recycled glass apothecary-style bottles that are produced in a way that does not exclude bottles with cosmetic ‘imperfections’ - we feel it adds a crafty feel and uniqueness to every bottle while reducing waste and saving energy. What have been the biggest challenges and achievements so far? The beginning is always hard. Without the experience and connections within in the spirit industry and hospitality market it was rather challenging to launch the brand. A lot of trial-and-error moves have happened on the way. But with persistence and fast learning we have proved it can work and so here we are, still in business! Honestly, a bit of luck played its role in the whole story too. Just some of our achievements include Awards in the San Francisco Spirits Competition, Craft Spirits Berlin and Swiss Spirits Review.  How would you describe your gin in 3 words?
Meticulously crafted in Zagreb. What's your favourite way to drink your gins? Luftbremzer Gin in a Negroni. Luftbremzer Wine Barrel Aged Gin in a Hanky Panky. Which gins would you always have on your gin shelf (other than your own of course!)? At the moment I am really enjoying Stockholms Branneri products, brand, story and everything they do. What's next for you and Luftbremzer Gin - any exciting plans? Let’s just wait for it. Enjoy it and relax. You Might Also Like...
Comments are closed.
|
RSS Feed
