Meet the founders
Andrew Murray-Watson and Calandra Smith are partners in life as well as gin. Things they love most in the world (in no particular order); Rose, their 9 month old daughter, Lucas, their 3.5 year old rescue dog from Crete, walkies in Brockwell Park, yummy food, all the gins, and some wine thrown in for good measure.
Andrew has lived in Brixton since 2004. In 2017 he turned his love for food into a business, opening what is now an award-winning indulgent food and drinks shop in Brixton Village called Guzzl. Calandra has always dreamt of starting her own business, but the moment was never quite right. She even completed her qualifications in wine and spirits in anticipation of this moment. Then she had a baby and lockdown happened...
It was time. They decided they could either learn more about garden plants than was healthy, or start a gin company. They chose gin.
They set out to create a gin that was inspired by Brixton – one that gave back to its community and one that also sourced its botanicals from Brixton. They’ve created a gin that is delicious and distinctive but that uses ingredients literally rooted in the neighbourhood – including honey from Brixton’s Bees.
Brixton has always been a place that does things its own way. Botanicals grown on the urban streets of Brixton?! It’s not your usual origin story. The result is hopefully something that really stands out in a crowded market
Gustav Grais was born Gustav Eichler in Marienburg, West Prussia on 1 December, 1860, the son of Carl and Louise Eichler. In England, he changed his name to Grais and ran a circus of baboons and zebra. He was also an accomplished trapeze artist, juggler and an all-round showman. A pioneer of the parachute, he undertook daredevil jumps from gas filled balloons all over the world.