Scotland is blessed with many fantastic gin producers, and Daffy’s is definitely one of them. Lockett Bros caught up with managing director Chris Molyneaux to learn more about this distinctively Scottish gin.
The man behind Daffy’s Gin – one of Scotland’s most exciting gins – started distilling as a young man… to impress a girl.
Chris Molyneaux was working as an apprentice winemaker in France when he decided his distilling efforts could be a good way to catch the attention of the local girl.
Cut to today and Daffy’s Gin aren’t impressing local girls, they’re impressing gin connoisseurs with their smooth drink. But what was it that led Chris to start on the long road to producing a world-class gin?
Chris – who worked as a distiller for a major firm, travelling the world – said: “I thought, the world needs a gin that is amazing to drink straight and so we started looking at how we could make that happen.
“There are two very simple things in distilling gin, and that’s to get the process right and get the botanicals – the ingredients you’re going to put in – right.”
With the clear aim of producing a gin that was smooth enough to enjoy neat, Chris got to work and it became clear to him very quickly that it was going to be a London Dry Gin that he produced.
“The ultimate gin is the London Dry Gin because it is the purest, so you can’t disguise the flavour by adding lots of sugar or even strong botanicals. The eureka moment came from the slow-cooking distillation process.
“When you slow cook something you have all the flavour retained and none of the harshness. Our gin is strong, 43.4 per cent, but it’s flavoursome and very smooth.”
Daffy’s Gin has already won many plaudits for its depth and character – indeed, the day we spoke to Chris he had just learned that Daffy’s came second in a blind tasting of 22 of the world’s best gins by Imbibe – the drinks trade bible.
Daffy’s use Lebanese mint, a salad mint, which gives toffee, cream and buttery notes. When you drink Daffy’s by itself you get that real depth that few gins can match.
So what’s the perfect serve for Daffy’s? Chris has no hesitation in answering that question.
“It’s one part Daffy’s, two parts tonic, as much as ice as you can get in your glass, with fresh mint and lime as the garnish. Really easy and really refreshing.”
Just as we’re about to move on to another question, Chris poses an inviting question of his own: “Do you want to know the secret to the perfect G&T?”
Of course we do!
He continues: “It has to be as cold as possible and fizzy as possible, so pour the tonic gently on the side of the glass. And don’t use too much tonic!”
So what’s next for Daffy’s? Well, they will continue to produce world-class gin but their audience could be about to get a lot bigger after a new deal to take the brand to Belgium, Luxembourg and the north of France.
“Globally Scotland has a phenomenal strength and being Scottish is definitely a string to the bow for distillers here,” said Chris.
The Daffy’s Gin branding is incredibly striking, but who is the blonde lady on the front of the bottle, you might be asking. It’s Chris’ wife, Mignonne Khazaka. Now you know!
You can buy Daffy’s Gin from our online store here or by visiting the Lockett Bros store at 133 High Street in North Berwick.
