Full name: Chris Molyneaux
Role: Managing Director/ Founder
DOB: 10/5/77
Birthplace: Sketrick Island, a small island in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland
Twitter Handle: @daffysgin
Website: www.daffysgin.com
Fun Fact: “I enjoy summer and winter hiking in the Alps and sleeping in Igloos with the family “
J: So, I read that the first bottle of Daffy’s arrived in this world on 01/12/14 and, not soon after, that you ended up scooping a gold at IWSC 2015! How’s the experience been so far?
C: The entire experience has been better than we could ever have possibly imagined. The ambition with Daffy’s was always to take things back to basics and produce the best London Dry Gin possible, but the reception we’ve had from customers, retailers and some of the world’s best bars, has been truly overwhelming. To win IWSC so early on, was such an honour.
Leading from above, I read that you always wanted to start your own food and drink business. Could you tell us a little about the very beginning to where you are now? I believe chartered accountancy, winemaking in France and a stint at Diageo were all part of the journey? You grew up in Northern Ireland right? Did this have much of an effect on you growing up and did you always know that you’d be a food and drink person? Please tell us about your roots!
I grew up in Northern Ireland, but it was my grandfather who opened my eyes to the wonders of the world of wine, teaching me about different grapes and regions. At 17, I ambitiously wrote to 200 French vineyards, asking for a job as an apprentice winemaker. As you’d imagine, most didn’t reply or said ‘not a chance’ outright!
I got my break when Peter Sichel, owner of Chateau Palmer in Bordeaux and one of the planet’s most respected wine producers, said ‘perhaps’. I started out painting stairs, then was gradually entrusted to work with the vines, do lab work and learn about producing, blending and tasting fine wine. It’s a very romantic and fun industry, with lots of hard work and long hours during the harvest. I loved it.
I also became incredibly interested in distilling brandy and grappa. It was on a trip to visit Scotland’s distilleries that life took another turn and I met my future wife, and Daffy’s co-founder, Mignonne.
By 17, I’d decided that someday I’d love to start my own drinks company, but I quickly realised I’d need a solid business grounding to make that happen. I undertook a business degree at University of Edinburgh, before qualifying as a chartered account. In 2008, I joined Diageo to train as a distiller.
Four years ago, I took the plunge and started working on bringing Daffy’s to market.
Your wife, Mignonne, has been a big part in this (that’s her face on the label and you once described her as The Nose?). Where did you guys meet and what’s her involvement with the gin?
I first met Mignonne when she was studying law in Edinburgh, and she’s always been incredibly charismatic. I know that’s not just me being biased, because when I approached artist Robert McGinnis to create the artwork for the Daffy’s bottle, he was resolute that Mignonne would be the muse for the design!
Mignonne also manages the commercial side of Daffy’s, but she actually comes from a purer distilling heritage than I do. She’s the fifth generation of a prestigious wine making and distilling family in the Bequaa Valley in Lebanon, where her father actually grows the Lebanese mint we use in Daffy’s.
How did you guys end up using that Lebanese mint as a botanical and what flavours does it impart? How long did it take you to arrive at this recipe? I’ve yet to try the gin, but I hear you’ve managed to create a flavour profile somewhat close to scotch…caramel notes, etc?
There was a huge amount of experimentation with our botanicals, continually building on what worked best. I created around 400 different recipes over three years, before we reached Daffy’s perfect balance.
Daffy’s gin has its roots in Scotland, but our ingredients are sourced from across the globe. We’re passionate about using only the very best ingredients, the finest French grain, Belgian angelica root, Malaysian cassia, Moroccan orris root and juniper from the Balkan States.
But it’s the Lebanese mint that really sets Daffy’s apart. I was initially reluctant to try mint, as I didn’t want a minty flavoured gin, but Lebanese mint is a salad mint, resulting in creamy, buttery and toffee notes that we were able to accentuate – which gave Daffy’s the ‘X factor’ we were after.
A precise 43.4% bottling strength creates a perfect balance of strength and flavour – any stronger and the notes become too potent, any weaker and the balance and complexity is diluted. We’ve created a gin packed with flavour, with a smoothness that means it can be enjoyed straight over ice.
Due to your distilling training, I read that you’ve developed a rather unique distilling process (at least for a London Dry gin) – could you tell us a little more about that?
Daffy’s is produced in a 120 year old Islay copper whisky still in small, single batches. In principle, the process is very simple and similar to that of slow cooked food. The more gently you cook/ distil, the less you aggravate the spirit and the more depth of flavour you are able to retain – while minimising any harshness or ‘burn’ in the gin.
We also steep our botanicals for four days (a lot longer than is normal) which adds and retains an immense depth of flavour. Not cheap, but definitely effective.
Could you tell us how you got Robert McGinnis aboard for the logo? I read that you contacted him expecting a ‘polite no’ but things turned out quite differently…?
McGinnis is my favourite artist, best known for his ionic sixties movie posters for the likes of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and classic James Bond films. I’d studied Robert at university and while a longshot, I wrote to tell him he was my dream collaborator. I didn’t think that he’d be interested, but he loved the concept of Daffy’s and when he saw a picture of Mignonne, he asked she fly to New York so he could paint her as Daffy, the Goddess of Gin!
We’re still in regular contact and he is very proud of the brand. Our customers genuinely love his design for our bottle.
Where do you see the UK/world gin scene going in the next few years? It’s really an exciting time to be a gin lover isn’t it?! Any trends you think we should look out for?
The buzz, interest and appreciation of great gin is exceptional at the moment, both in the UK and overseas. I see this appreciation enduring, even once the buzz dies down.
The surge in small batch producers over in recent years has produced some really excellent and exciting gins. There is a customer appetite to learn about the distillation process of different gin brands, as is seen with whisky. As people become more educated, I definitely think we will see a growing trend of experimentation at home to create homemade infusions, with new takes on classics such as sloe or raspberry gin.
What’s a ‘day in your life’ like? Could you give us an insight into the distilling business?
Every day is different, but a regular mix between managing production, working with the team on various projects, events, partnerships, interacting with customers, exploring new market opportunities and of course dealing with the wonders of admin. Life is certainly never dull!
What’s your greatest/most memorable professional moment been, so far?
Earlier this year we hired a big country house and took the whole team plus kids, away for a long weekend on the west coast of Scotland. After a manic Christmas, it was amazing to all hang out, feast, drink and be merry. I remember looking around the dinner table and feeling immensely proud and grateful for how things have come together and the team that we’ve formed.
Where do you get your ideas?
The best ideas most often come to me in the shower!
What’s your philosophy, summed up in a sentence?
Have fun working in a field that you enjoy, never shaft anyone and avoid working with people who do!
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had, how did you overcome it, and what did you learn from it?
We had one new export market with a lot of customer interest, but were struggling to find the right distribution partner. We had the option to sign-up with someone who had little experience in our field, but was bright and very keen.
We liked them very much personally, so took a big risk and signed them up. It has turned out to be one of the best commercial partnerships we currently have. Lesson learnt – trust your instinct and don’t be afraid to take a risk.
Who’s the person who’s most inspired you in your work – food industry or otherwise? Is there anyone that you draw inspiration or strength from? Do you have any specific influences?
There’s been many over the years, but Mignonne is the perfect tonic for my gin! She says it like it is, and is creative with fresh ideas, but also pragmatic. She reigns me in when I get carried away!
While her legal and commercial experience is invaluable and practical, her passion for food, drink and general love of life, has meant that working together has been perfect – and Daffy’s is more successful for it.
What do you enjoy most and least about what you do?
The thing I enjoy most is working with the team and developing creative ideas together. Least would be not being ready, just yet, to supply some overseas markets who are crying out for us to supply them with Daffy’s which can be very frustrating… hold on USA!
What advice would you give to aspiring food and drink entrepreneurs who’d want the kind of results that you’ve had?
Take the plunge and get going as soon as you can. If it’s something you are passionate about and you are prepared to work hard, it will most likely be a great success.
Before you jump, do the planning and pull things together while you still have an income. And be prepared to put your non-work, social life on hold for a bit!
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing instead?
Making rum in the Caribbean? I’ve always fancied the idea of being a lobster fisherman.
If you could get anyone to try the gin (fictional or real, living or dead) who would you pick? Assume that they go on to be your brand ambassador…
Giacomo Casanova was certainly a charmer and enjoyed a drink but at the same time might be a bit of a liability. I’ll stick with Lindsay Blair, our current Ambassador, who is all round amazing, makes much better cocktails that Giacomo could ever have done and has yet to be jailed for offending anyone!
What’s your ultimate aim and goal for Daffy’s? If you could achieve anything with it, what would you pick? Money and reality are no obstacle, so shoot for the moon…
Keep gaining accolades and growing in the same way that we have been so far – then hopefully in a few years we will have a company and brand that has a great reach to do a lot of fun and good things with.
Where next for you and the gin?
Peru.
And we always ask three customary ridiculous questions…
If you had a day to spend in the life and body of your seven year old self (but with your current experience and mindset), what would the first three things you would do?
Skip school and hang out with my grandparents. Schedule some jam sessions with the guys in my school who went on to form Snow Patrol. Put £10 on Manor Racing winning Formula 1 in 2016.
If you could swap lives for the day with any fictional character (and you’d be guaranteed to return to your life after 24 hours), who would you choose, and why?
Hal or Roger from the kids’ adventure stories of Willard Price that I’m reading to our boys right now. The sailed, dived and explored their way round the world on some crazy fun adventures that always worked out for the best.
You have acquired a pet dragon and are morally obliged to look after it. It is 25 ft tall at the hips, spits fire, eats half a ton of raw meat a day, and likes long walks. What would you call it and what would you do to keep it entertained and housed?
Good question! Bob would help us produce some dragon-flame-smoked botanical gins and cocktails. [Ed: strong]