Scaling Ultra-Premium Gin: Alex Watson on Growing Renais from London's Cocktail Bars to National Retail & International Distribution

Renais Gin has exceptional sustainability credentials: B Corp certified, circular economy principles, repurposing wine industry waste. Alex Watson deliberately doesn't lead with any of it.

We discuss this counterintuitive strategy with Alex Watson, who co-founded Renais with his sister Emma Watson, building a grape-distilled gin from their family's Chablis winemaking heritage into London's elite cocktail bars, Waitrose shelves, and 15 international markets.

The Strategic Choice: Flavor First, Virtue Second

Most brands with strong ESG credentials lead with them. Sustainability sells, right? Corporate buyers have targets. Consumers care about environmental impact. The logic seems airtight.

We discuss how Alex deliberately sequences his presentations: grape distillation first, terroir and wine heritage second, then sustainability third. The reasoning is straightforward but often missed: consumers buy based on taste, not virtue.

Leading with sustainability can inadvertently position a product as compromise. It signals good for a sustainable gin rather than exceptional gin that happens to be sustainable. The flavor and quality must stand alone before introducing environmental benefits.

DEAR DRINKS BUILDER,

If the above resonates, it's because you live it every day.

Your stakeholders want numbers. Your team wants direction. Aligning the two? That's where everyone struggles.

I spend 51% of my time in the field. 49% in boardrooms. Both rooms talk to me because I understand what the other one is dealing with.

What follows are patterns from 1000+ practitioner conversations. Things people tell me they'd never say publicly. Principles to navigate your own reality. Not playbooks.

For drinks leadership, serious about seeing clearly. 👇🏻