The Gardener Gin will make its debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, taking place from the 16 May to 27 May at the recently renovated Carlton hotel.
It is made from wheat in copper stills, and the botanicals include pink grapefruit, lemon, liquorice, angelica, coriander and bitter orange from Cap d’Antibes.
The goal was to create ‘the ultimate London Dry Gin’ by combining ‘purity of flavour and elegance thanks to the exceptional quality of its fresh citruses’.
Pitt made his first foray into the drinks trade when he and his now ex-wife, Angelina Jolie purchased Château Miraval for a reported $67m in 2011.
A mutual friend introduced the Hollywood couple – dubbed Brangelina – to the Perrin family, the long-term owners of Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the Perrins have been producing Château Miraval’s popular rosé wines ever since.
Pitt and Jolie have now separated, sparking a legal battle over Château Miraval, but Pitt is still working closely with Famille Perrin. They joined forces last year to launch a skincare range featuring active ingredients sourced from Famille Perrin’s vineyard.
Pitt and the Perrins hatched a plan to create a gin that captures the essence of the French Riviera.
They brought in Nichol – who retired from his role at Tanqueray in 2015 following a 42-year career – to oversee production.
Nichol, a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gin Guild, has dabbled in a few intriguing projects since retiring, but this is his most high-profile venture.
The Gardener, an organic gin, is designed to ‘translate the terroir’ of the French Riviera.
Its launch follows hot on the heels of Renais, a gin launched by actress Emma Watson and her brother, Alex. The Harry Potter star and her brother used grape skins and lees, with some sourced from the family’s own Domaine Watson in Chablis.
Other famous names to launch gin brands include Snoop Dogg, Gordon Ramsay and Ozzy Osborne.
Yet the most successful launch was Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, sold to Diageo – the company that owns Tanqueray and Gordon’s – for $610m in 2020.
The Gardener will be presented at Cannes, where guests will be offered a cocktail called ‘Secret Garden’ – gin, lemon juice, orange juice, strawberry syrup and egg white.
It was created as a collaboration between Nichol and bartenders at the Carlton hotel, which has just reopened following a €350m renovation.
The gin will then be distributed worldwide. It will be available in the UK from June and the US from September.