Highclere Castle Gin’s Adam vonGootkin On Breaking Into The U.S. Market & “Downton Abbey”
Famous around the world as “the real Downton Abbey,” Highclere Castle recently introduced an award-winning London Dry Gin to the U.S. market. Its exceptionally smooth taste begins with botanicals grown on the estate and refined over centuries of harvests, including lavender planted by the Bishops of Winchester in the 9th century, citrus from the Victorian-era orangery and juniper that has grown wild at Highclere since Roman times. Tradition and also top-quality ingredients.
Reportedly, the 8th Earl & Countess of Carnarvon own and manage the estate and their family has lived at Highclere since 1679. The gin is produced in England’s oldest gin distillery located above an ancient underground water source. Highclere Castle Gin has won gold awards from both Critics Challenge and Proof awards, and received a score of 94. And should the “Highclere Castle” brand name ring a bell to you beyond the earlier-mentioned Downton Abbey connection, it is indeed related to the Highclere Castle Cigar Company, which had been officially launched at an edition of the annual conference of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.
I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with Highclere Castle Gin (and Highclere Cigar) co-founder and CEO, Adam von Gootkin. Mr. Von Gootkin — who once gave a TED Talk — is full of both inspiration and insight. More on all things Highclere Castle can be found online at www.highclerecastlecigar.com.
A lot of people believe that all gin is the same. What do you feel makes Highclere Castle Gin stand out from other gins?
Adam vonGootkin: Using botanicals from the estate and being distilled in England’s oldest gin distillery is certainly a key differentiator. My favorite and in my opinion, the most unique feature of the gin, is the famous Highclere Castle oats that we use in the botanical blend. It was Lord Carnarvon’s idea originally, and we had no idea what it would do to the flavor profile. It was brilliant, in that it created a super-long and incredibly smooth velvet finish. The result is that Highclere Castle Gin is the only gin I’ve ever had that you can enjoy straight on the rocks. Customers all over the U.S. and U.K. are enjoying it straight! We call it the “noble” way. You can imagine how smooth it is in cocktails and Gin & Tonics.
Where did the Highclere Castle name come from?
Adam vonGootkin: Highclere Castle, famous around the world as Downton Abbey, is one of the most recognizable and iconic castles in the world with a history of entertaining royalty, statesmen, celebrities, scientists and artists. The castle and estate have enjoyed Gin for many generations, and the Highclere Castle Gin was created to celebrate and honor the history and exceptional pedigree. The name itself was first recorded as early as 1320 by King Edward II as Bishops Clere, referencing it being owned by the Bishop of Winchester, aliased as Highclere, which is how it’s known today.
How is it that Highclere Castle is able to produce such a high-quality product yet sell it for a lot less than $40 USD per bottle?
Adam vonGootkin: Highclere Castle Gin is distilled in England’s oldest distillery above an ancient underground water source. Our glass bottle is custom made in England as well and is the finest quality glass available on the market — so our entire package is the best of the best. Because gin is not barrel aged, we don’t have the costs associated with letting it rest. However, the extremely high-quality ingredients used in the product push it to a price point of affordable luxury. It was important to us that everyone has the opportunity to afford to bring a bit of Highclere and its lifestyle into their home to enjoy.
Do you remember the first bar in the U.S. that really embraced Highclere Castle?
Adam vonGootkin: Being so new, Highclere Castle Gin has just arrived in the U.S. just a few weeks ago. But I would say, the very first U.S. restaurant to feature our gin is the Griswold Inn, in Essex, Connecticut. Fittingly, it is the oldest continuously operating tavern in the United States. They sold out of product in just 48 hours!
In Atlanta, Georgia, I’m particularly excited about a party we are throwing with Lord Carnarvon at Bazati in late October and hope everyone will come party with us! The restaurant has incredible food and Highclere is being served on a gin cart in the most fantastic atmosphere. They also carry the Highclere Castle Cigars.
What is coming up for Highclere Castle in the coming months?
Adam vonGootkin: We will continue expanding distribution in the U.S., closing the year with 25 States and focus on supporting our customers in those States. We have a large amount of press scheduled with both Lord & Lady Carnarvon visiting soon to meet customers and we will host more exciting gin parties. And we are entertaining more exciting options for distribution around the world. It is quite the adventure.
How did you personally wind up in the spirits industry?
Adam vonGootkin: In 2009 my business partner and I wanted to get into the spirits business. My family had a distillery in New England back in the 1800s, and we were also involved in a bit of exciting spirits activity during prohibition. As a tribute to that, we opened Onyx Spirits Company, a distillery producing New England style moonshine and whiskey. While entirely different than Highclere Castle Gin, it is the same in that it’s about honoring tradition and family, utilizing local agriculture, and entirely committed to exceptional quality.
When not busy with Highclere Castle, how do you like to spend your free time?
Adam vonGootkin: Lately, it feels like I have very little free time, but what time I do have I like to spend with my wife, my two-year-old son, and newborn daughter. We all like to laugh a lot — the secret perhaps to staying happy and healthy.
What was the last concert you attended for fun?
Adam vonGootkin: The annual Sergio Franchi concert, paying tribute to the famous Italian Tenor. The highlights, of course, were Highclere Gin & Tonics, Italian food, and some of the greatest Italian tenors in the world.
Finally, Adam, any last words for the kids?
Adam vonGootkin: Those seeking out the finest gin in the world can visit our website at www.highclerecastlegin.com, follow our Instagram @HighclereCastleGin and have a bottle shipped to their door at www.reservebar.com. Reserve Bar is also the exclusive carrier of our limited Special Launch Edition, just 500 numbered boxes of some of the first bottles from our production line.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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