THEY’RE AWARDING
OUR GIN WHERE?!
New Zealand gin Scapegrace Gold has been given the
highest possible accolade in the global industry – named
best London dry gin in the world from more than 600
other gins from nearly 90 countries at the prestigious
International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.
www.foodtechnology.co.nz 77
It is the first time in 49 years of competition
that a New Zealand brand has won the
accolade, with judges calling it “staggeringly
good” and “a magnificent gin.” Founded by
Auckland-based friends Mark Neal, Daniel
McLaughlan and Richard Bourke four years
ago, the gin – recently rebranded from Rogue
Society after a tussle with an American company
with a similar brand name - is now stocked in
35 countries. “The irony isn’t lost on us that
our gin is the best London dry gin in the world,
even though we’re based on the exact opposite
side of the world to London,” Neal says. “We
spent years researching and developing our
recipe; from day dot we were committed to
creating a gin for New Zealanders which we
could take to the world.” Scapegrace Gold is
distilled in small batches with 13 botanicals;
lemon, orange, coriander, cardamom, cloves,
juniper berries, nutmeg, angelica root, liquorice
root, orris, cinnamon, cassia bark and tangerine.
The last botanical is the “lucky 13th,” Neal
says, differentiating Scapegrace Gold from
its sister gin Scapegrace Classic. “It might
seem surprising to see a New Zealand gin win
this award when you think of the history and
tradition behind the artisan liquor in the UK and
Europe, but the reason our gin tastes so clean
is because of our water which we source from
a natural aquifer just north of Christchurch,”
Neal says. And it’s these elements the judges
commended. “Scapegrace Gold has the
classic juniper burr running through it, joined
by powerful but balanced spice and root
flavours combining to make a complex, teasing
expression demanding of attention on the
palate,” the judges say. McLaughlan says
Scapegrace was designed to shake up the
liquor industry by creating something for the
new generation of gin drinkers. “We wanted
to shift away from the old classics, the stuff
you’ll find in your parents’ liquor cabinet, by
introducing a modern and progressive way of
doing gin. Everything from our ingredients, to
the processes used, and even the bottles they
come in, pays tribute to the craft of gin making,
but also to being a bit rebellious from those
traditions and paving a new way for the craft.
Thus our name, Scapegrace.” The popularity
of gin continues to soar around the world, with
more than 50 million cases now sold every year,
and sales of gin tripling in the UK alone since
2009.
company wanted to align itself with cost-cutting
opportunities. “Cost is a big driver for us,” Dawson
says. “In both the good and bad times, we enjoy
steady, competitive pricing and great value. We
want to build relationships with our suppliers. This
project saw a big focus on energy saving, and
a mandate to minimise air leaks to help save on
money and energy. In conducting an air leak audit,
the maintenance team at the company tested the
cubic feet of air used and wasted. When using
a sonic tester to find and measure the leaks, we
realised that leaks were costing the company about
$95 of energy per normal operating day.” Based
on the findings, SMC supplied a range of products
for everyday use such as air cylinders and solenoid
valves, as well as more advanced energy saving
products such as digital pressure switches which
form part of the process control systems. “Thanks
to the upgrades and replacement of components,
we saw a major improvement on leaks,” Dawson
says. “This translates to a saving of approximately
$ 24,000 per annum.” SMC area sales manager
Saul Weste says the project’s objectives went far
more than “just kitting out machinery,” with the
team looking to help drive down costs and improve
efficiencies. “We wanted to go above and beyond
to deliver,” he says. “The state-of-the-art machinery
contains an automated air processor with electronic
solenoid valves controlled by a PLC; here, digital
flow switches were included.” www.smcanz.com
/www.foodtechnology.co.nz
/www.smcanz.com
