5 questions for Thomas & Jamie
A distillery in Arles, why and how?
Thomas: Provence was my office for a long time, in cosmetics, and the Camargue, my heartland. It took me 4 years in London to rediscover gin, understand that it has everything Mediterranean about it, and not wait too long to return to Arles this time to set up a gin distillery.
How did you meet?
Thomas : It was while visiting a distillery in East London, when I was living there, that I started to imagine my own project. Looking at the history of this recent distillery, I saw Jamie's name. He has supported some incredible micro-distilleries in the UK, I contacted him, shared my idea, and the project began.
Jamie: Thomas called me one day. He had this idea of starting a distillery in the south of France. I'd never done a project outside the UK before, so I immediately accepted the challenge.
How did you work on the recipe?
Jamie: Thomas had a very clear idea of the gin he wanted to make. I helped him balance the notes, and precisely dose each plant, each flower so that they complemented each other and harmonized.
Thomas: I wanted to make a "real" London Dry, fairly classic and recognizable, then give it a distinct, almost brutal Camargue character. I started with the sensations and impressions one might experience in the Camargue—the breathlessness, the salt crunching underfoot, the sun-baked sand—and translated them into flavor.
How do you make a London Dry with a Camargue character?
Jamie: We start with a classic heart: wild juniper berry in the center, coriander for its lemony note and length, angelica root for the base and a citrus fruit, lemon of course, for freshness.
Thomas: I came to facet this classic heart with the incredible variety of aromatic plants from Occitania, Provence, Corsica. We added a bouquet of wild herbs: thyme, savory, fennel. I wanted what the English call the kick . This sensation that we have on the palate at the first sip, like a sensation of being out of breath. The green pepper contributes to this kick. I also wanted to finish with a warm sensation, like the sun on the sand dunes. The Immortelle, this yellow flower of the dunes and the cardamom bring this round, warm, almost dry finish.
Gin O'Clock, what's it like with Bigourdan Gin?
Jamie : Gin & Tonic, of course! Plenty of ice and a really good tonic. For garnish, just a slice of lemon.
Thomas: Gin & Tonic! A verbena leaf. I also like the Soho Negroni. Equal parts Bigourdan gin, Suze and white vermouth, a slice of orange.
