23: Morgan McLachlan of AMASS and De Soi Builds Thoughtful Botanical Bases for Both Gin and Nonalcoholic Spirited Beverages

Morgan McLachlan, the Los Angeles–based cofounder of Amass Spirits and Katy Perry’s nonalcoholic De Soi brand, has a flair for theatrics that’s only fitting for someone who started her career as a camera operator for film and TV. Every nuanced performance is built on layers, some barely noticeable—but understanding the purpose of those creative choices is essential for McLachlan, as she constructs everything from gins and nonalcoholic spirits to fragrances and other botanical-based products.

In this episode, host Molly Troupe and McLachlan discuss:

• McLachlan distilling background, which began in her own bathtub
• distilling clementine oranges into a citrus spirit
• using strategies from the fragrance and culinary worlds to produce compelling botanical blends in spirits
• the varied impacts of house-made and sourced botanical extracts as well as different extraction techniques
• challenges when working in the nonalcoholic space with water as a solvent
• how certain terpenes behave through the distillation process for unexpected results
• managing challenging botanicals such as cardamom
• creating gin that’s both classically versatile and noteworthy
• regulatory challenges with specific ingredients

And more.

G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Sid Dilawri from Filibuster Distillery says, “From the design and engineering to installation and start-up, G&D was easy to work with. We’ve had great customer service since commissioning our chiller, and I’d highly recommend them for any distillery system.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.