5:30am I love life but hate alarms. I force a kickstart to most days with a short run along the Water of Leith or a swim, which always feels like a drag at the start, but so worth it in the end.
7am I do my best thinking in the shower. Also, when I was working on the original recipe for Daffy’s, mornings were when my palate was sharpest and I would start the day by nosing a line-up of 15 or so recipe variations at 33 per cent ABV, writing out tasting notes and thinking about adjustments in botanicals and balances.
10am I start connecting with stockists, mixologists and customers. This is daily by phone, or on regional customer visits every couple of weeks. Before launching Daffy’s, all the work was focused on designing the spirit and packaging. Now nine months in and having been voted The World’s Best London Dry Gin at the 2015 International Wine and Spirits Competition, the work is largely about trying to meet demand.
Noon Lunch. We have a big kitchen and a herb and vegetable garden on site, and the four of us in the company take turns to cook. A glass of chilled white or merlot is usually on the cards, finishing with strong coffee. My wife, Mignonne, is passionate about food and drink and her sense of smell edges mine, hence she’s The Nose. It’s saved us from the odd house fire, and ensures the quality of our product is consistent. The Lebanese mint that gives our gin its toffee buttery notes is grown by her father on his Beqaa Valley vineyard.
5pm I hang with our two boys after school, playing tennis or cricket or most anything that involves a ball and non-stop running.
9pm Mignonne and I still manage to chill for an hour or so at some point, when we begin planning
our next weekend campervan trip.
• Daffy’s is available at most independent offsales in Scotland. Try the famous D&T and other Daffy’s cocktails in Juniper, Jolly Botanist, 56 North, Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Bar and many others across the capital.
