Emma Watson Gin

In what she labelled as a proud sister moment, actress Emma Watson is co-launching her own gin brand Renais with her younger brother Alex Watson. 

“an ode to the sun-kissed vineyards of Chablis”, where the siblings' family “has been making wine these past 30 years”. The name Renais is derived from the French word for rebirth, and is in reference to the fact that the brand reuses locally-sourced organic pressed Grand Cru grapes - handpicked and upcycled from French wine pressing - in their gin.

Cultivated in France and distilled in England, Renais features a range of botanicals in addition to juniper berries (which must legally be used in order to be labelled a gin). The botanicals used including Grand Cru grapes,  

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“We steep the spirit in Kimmeridgian rock to create a distillate, which is then blended into our liquid and supplemented with a pinch of rock salt to help replicate that mineral and slightly saline flavour you’d pick up from a Chablis wine. It’s completely mad, and when we first tried the spirit that had been blended with the terroir, we were amazed by how much flavour it actually imparts.”

According to the official tasting notes, consumer can expect Renais Gin to balanc(e) the minerality of a Chablis wine with fresh citrus and juniper, warming spices, floral notes and a hint of sweetness.

The elephant in the room: Whether Renais gin would be written off as yet-another-celebrity-brand due to Emma Watson's association? On that, Alex Watson had this to say: 

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“Of course I get it. I think any time a celebrity is involved with any brand, or in this case a spirits brand, there will be an avenue of criticism that will open up. What I hope to be able to communicate is that this is something that our family has actually been doing for more than 30 years, and something I’ve made my career out of this past decade.

“Emma and I were born in France, and both did our first grape harvest when we were probably just six and four years old respectively — so this really is a lot more than skin deep.

“I also believe that it’s evident in the product itself, though. So much care and attention to detail has gone into developing the liquid with some of the best talent in the industry, so I believe that when people taste it, they will recognise how much love and thought has gone into it.”By Jonah Flicker Jonah Flicker Jonah Flicker's Most Recent Stories Taste Test: This 42-Year-Old Ghost Distillery Whisky May Actually Be a Bargain at $15, 000 a Bottle WhistlePig Is Know for Its Rye, but It Just Dropped Its First Straight Wheat Whiskey Jim Beam Is Bringing Back the Fan Favorite 13-Year-Old Baker’s Bourbon

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Emma Watson is the latest celebrity to get into the spirits business with the launch of a new gin in partnership with her brother Alex. But this isn’t a classic London dry—Renais Gin has deep ties to winemaking, starting with the fact that it’s made from a grape spirit base.

Emma Watson might be new to the world of gin, but her family has a long background in French wine. The siblings’ father, Chris, planted the Domaine Watson vineyards three decades ago. In 2002 he took second place as the best indie Chablis grower and won a Medaille d’Argent, and subsequently became the Chablis ambassador to the U.K. Emma’s brother Alex has worked for a decade in the beverage industry, including a stint with drinks giant Diageo.

Drawing on this background, Renais Gin is made from a base spirit distilled from the byproducts of the winemaking process instead of grain—specifically, “upcycled French pressed wine grape skins and lees, ” according to the brand, some of which came from the family vineyard. This is mixed with something called “Kimmeridgian stone distillate, ” pressed Grand Cru grapes, and botanicals including linden flowers, cubeb berries, acacia honey, and of course juniper.

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“Not only does the Chablis region evoke very special memories of growing up, I’ve loved having the opportunity to create something with my brother Alex, ” said Emma Watson in a statement. “I’m particularly proud of upcycling grapes from vineyards (including my dad’s) to reduce waste and create something new, being one of the only gins on the market using mushroom packaging, and our carbon neutral product status.”

“I wanted to do something that no one had ever done, ” added Alex, “to capture the essence of a specific terroir, the uniqueness of Chablis, by drawing on the traditions, techniques and ingredients from the land, and embodying those characteristics in a gin.”

About that mushroom comment—the Magical Mushroom Company created biodegradable packaging for the gin, part of an sustainability initiative that includes the use of solar powered stills, offsetting carbon emissions by supporting wind farms in India through Climate Partner, and the use of the upcycled grape skins that are at the core of the spirit.

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The gin is meant to be served neat, over ice, or in a variety of cocktails ranging from a classic Martini to a gin and tonic or a Negroni. Tasting notes from the brand mention “Chablis minerality, fresh citrus, white grape, garden herbs, flowers, and juniper.” Renais Gin will be available in the U.K. for £60 ($75) via the brand’s website in a limited initial run of 3, 500 bottles. Or you can visit the Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London if you’d like to try it in a cocktail before you bring a bottle home.Emma Watson may have made her name as an actress and activist, however she has now returned to the family business and launched a gin with her brother Alex. Called Renais, the spirit’s roots are firmly set in Chablis, where their father Chris has owned vineyards for over 30 years.

The base spirit of Renais is made through the distillation of wine grape skins and lees, with some sourced from the family’s own Domaine Watson. Kimmeridgian limestone – the basis of the ground in Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru vineyards – has been distilled and combined with the grape distillate, with the intention of expressing the appellation’s terroir. Botanicals include pressed Chablis Grand Cru grapes, linden flowers, cubeb berries and acacia honey.

‘It certainly isn’t the easiest way to go about making a gin, ’ declared Alex at the intimate launch. ‘I wanted to do something that no one had ever done: to capture the essence of a specific terroir, the uniqueness of Chablis, by drawing on the traditions, techniques and ingredients from the land, and embodying those characteristics in a gin.’

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The result is a thoroughly modern gin, with floral notes of violets and spring blossom jumping out of the glass, accompanied by aromas of wet limestone, lemon and lime, thyme and clear juniper. The palate is initially soft and silky, with a clear lemon oil note before a slightly grippy, dry texture comes in on the mid-palate. Juniper, pine tree, violets and spicy black pepper are all present, before a mineral kick comes in on the finish.

The name Renais means rebirth, with a nod to sustainability through the use of salvaged grape skins. ‘Emma was very passionate about making it sustainable, ’ explained Alex, with the gin also being made using solar-powered stills and coming in biodegradable mushroom packaging. Remaining carbon emissions are offset through wind farm initiatives in India.

‘To me, Renais is a family project – not only does the Chablis region evoke very special memories of growing up, I’ve loved having the opportunity to create something with my brother Alex, ’ said Emma. ‘I’m particularly proud of upcycling grapes from vineyards – including my dad’s – to reduce waste and create something new.’

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Domaine Watson consists of seven vineyards that total five hectares, with the land bought slowly by Chris with the help of his Burgundian friends. ‘I would go fishing with one of my friends all over the region, and eventually he said, “We need to find you a vineyard!” I bought my first one in 1991. My friends in the region would say to me “You’re a Burgundian who was unlucky enough to be born English!”’.

An inaugural special release of the gin is now available.  The next batch will be on sale in June (£45, 70cl, 40% abv). See the Renais website.

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Emma Watson and her brother Alex have released a very family-based gin, Renais, that is a lot more authentic than you might expect

On hearing that Emma Watson is releasing a gin, you could be forgiven for rolling your eyes and saying, “Not another celebrity spirit launch”. But the thing with this release is that it’s actually not just another celebrity vanity project; it is a gin that has deep roots in Watsons family’s