How Is a Gin Company Going to Change the World? With Dr. Jo Davy and Dr. Helen Gower

What do marine biology, menopause, and gin have in common? More than you might think!

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jo Davy and Dr. Helen Gower – two marine biologists turned gin distillers and ethical entrepreneurs. They met in a university lab studying marine ecosystems and coral diseases, spent decades working in science and public health, and then went on to start a gin company – but not your typical one. Unlike the bearded, serious craft distillers that dominate the industry with glass bottles (you know how I feel about that), Jo and Helen bring something different. A science-and-ethics-first approach to creating something delicious for an underserved, often invisible group of consumers. And they’re having fun doing it.

In this episode, they share:

• Their backgrounds in marine biology and the journey to gin-making
• Why glass isn’t the sustainable solution we’ve been led to believe
• The massive carbon footprint of traditional spirits packaging
• How they started distilling gin in a leaky garage between lockdowns
• The scientific method behind their gin formulations (yes, they have lab notebooks)
• The connection between gin and menopause
• Why their brand is reclaiming the lost history of female distillers
• How they navigate the male-dominated, “hairy seriousness” of the spirits industry
• The challenge of convincing people that two women actually make their own gin
• Their transition from paperboard bottles to post-consumer recycled aluminium

Key Quotes

“People see glass as premium, but they have no idea about the environmental cost.”

“We walked into a gin festival, looked at the tiny still in the corner, and thought - we can do that.”

“We’re invisible. And if you stand up for yourself, that can be annoying and irritating and people don’t like that.”

“If someone swaps a gin that they might currently purchase regularly that might be actually damaging the planet… that could move the needle quite a lot.”

More about Jo and Helen: follow them on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/joandhels/

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