Bengaluru man revives a 19th-century French perfumery to make gin
The Hindu
Bhagath Reddy, CEO and founder of Comte de Grasse, grew up with a love of whiskey. His distillery in Grasse, France, produces 44°N Gin and 06 Vodka Rosé, using copper pot stills and modern science. The three-step process of maceration, vacuum distillation, and CO2 extraction creates a unique olfactory journey. The bottle design is inspired by a perfume bottle, and the vodka draws inspiration from Provence. Both products are available in retail stores in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
“My father and grandfather both enjoy whiskey and through them, I developed an appreciation for it. It’s almost as if single malt runs in our veins instead of blood,” chuckles Bhagath Reddy, CEO and founder of Comte de Grasse, who launched his 44°N Gin and 06 Vodka Rosé around June this year in India.
The Bengalurean went on to establish his distillery in the 19th-century perfumery, Roure Bertrand & Fils, in Grasse, France, the fragrance capital of the world. Grasse is home to perfume development centres of luxury brands such as Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. (It is also where the jasmine for Chanel No. 5 perfume is grown.)
Now, the distillery produces 44°N Gin and 06 Vodka Rosé. Bhagath explains why his distillery fits so well into the perfumery. “Both perfume and spirits traditionally rely on copper pot stills for distillation,” he says, adding that the expertise, techniques, and technology used in fragrances can be applied to the creation of spirits.
When Bhagath arrived in the south of France and met with researchers to discuss his idea of using copper pot stills for distillation, he was surprised to learn that none existed. “They said, ‘we’re trying to figure out where we can find a copper still for you.’ I said, ‘What do you mean? This is the perfume capital of the world. They should be here, everywhere.’ That’s when they told me, ‘Yes, they’re here, but in museums. And it’s because nobody has actively used this technology in perfumery for the past 30 years,’” Bhagath recounts.
That is when he discovered that perfume distilleries had embraced modern science for their production. Over the past 30 years, perfumes required advanced technology and research to extract delicate botanicals such as jasmine and roses efficiently. In contrast, the spirits industry leaned on tradition and aging. This, according to him, transitioned his company into a liquor tech company that utilises modern science to craft its spirits.
The 44°N Gin undergoes a distinctive three-step process. Ultrasonic maceration rapidly infuses botanicals like alexanders, samphire, verbena, grapefruit, immortelle, rosa centifolia, mimosa, jasmine, and lavender, surpassing traditional gin distillation methods. Vacuum distillation in a 100-litre flask, during the second step, evaporates the liquid at lower temperatures, increasing alcohol content while preserving the aromatic profile.
The final step involves CO2 extraction, originally used by perfumers, to extract essential oils from botanicals. Bhagath highlights, “This three-step method is our own and uses less energy and natural resources than traditional gin production and makes the process faster.”
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