Everything We Know About Emma Watson’s New Gin Brand, Renais

On April 27, actress Emma Watson announced the launch of her own gin brand, Renais, made in collaboration with her brother, Alex Watson. The announcement came following an interview with Financial Times’ How To Spend It, in which Watson shared details about how she was introduced to spirits at a young age in a wine-making family.

Let’s take a look at everything we know so far about the “Harry Potter” star’s new gin brand.

Renais Gin is an Ode to the Watson Family’s Vineyards

With a family involved in the wine-making business, it only makes sense that Watson’s gin draws inspiration from and shares some of the characteristics of white wine from Burgundy.

“With a heart full of warmth and nostalgia, I am thrilled to introduce – Renais Gin,” Watson shared on Instagram. “It is an ode to the sun-kissed vineyards of Chablis where my family has been making wine these past 30 years. Renais Gin is our love letter to Chablis; a carbon-neutral product, lovingly made from upcycled wine grapes.”

Adding to the topic, Alex Watson, who used to work at global drinks company Diageo, explained, “my dad first planted our vineyards more than 30 years ago, whilst working as a barrister in Paris.”

“There’s a long story in there about how an Englishman was permitted by the locals to buy land for vineyards in France, but you’d need to ask him about that – the short version as I understand it, is that that he fell in love with the place and after consuming enough wine, they seem to have fallen in love with him too.”

Cultivated in France and distilled in England, Renais Gin is a terroir-driven spirit, drawing inspiration from the land it is made in through its ingredients and production process.

Renais Gin is Made Sustainably

Renais Gin is made with sustainability in mind, with the mission to take care of the land that provides its grapes. Additionally, Renais Gin is a certified carbon-neutral product, according to the brand.

“Every step of our supply chain is evaluated to cut out as much carbon as possible, and offset the remainder through humanitarian and ecological initiatives,” the brand explained. “We are proudly certified as a Carbon Neutral Product, thanks to the independent work of Climate Partner. We know we’re not perfect, but are committed to offsetting our footprint while working in the background to minimise our impact.”

Related: Celebrate Earth Day With These 7 Eco-Friendly Gin Brands

The Gin’s Name References Rebirth

“Renais is short for renaissance, meaning ‘rebirth’ – and this is our essence,” the brand shared. “We use botanicals and materials in our gin that are sustainable, salvaged or recycled.”

Commenting on his gin’s name, Alex Watson added that the spirit is a continuation of his family’s legacy and “a new interpretation of the traditions and rituals of a region.”

Renais Gin is Made With Unique Botanicals

“Botanical” is a term used in reference to any herb, flower, fruit or natural ingredient used to flavor gin, which starts its life as a neutral grain spirit similar to vodka. According to Renais, its gin is made with the following botanicals: pressed grand cru grapes, juniper berries, Kimmeridgian stone, angelica root, linden flowers, acacia honey, cubeb Berries, lemon peel, whole lime slices, rock salt and coriander seed

Compared to other popular gin brands, which sometimes feature the likes of over 25 different botanicals, Renais offers a list of 11 ingredients. Let’s dive into each listed botanical.

Pressed grand cru grapes: Renais Gin is made from a spirit base using salvaged, recycled grand cru grape skins. Using spent grapes as a spirit base offers up both an interesting flavor profile and a more sustainable alternative to other spirit bases, such as grains and corn. Grapes also recall gin’s predecessor, genever, which is a malty juniper-flavored spirit originally made from distilled wine that can only be produced in Holland or Belgium. Some other gins that use grapes as a base include Mallard Point Pinot Noir, G’vine Floraison and Poli Marconi 42.

Not only does Renais use grapes as a base, but it also is blended with additional grand cru grapes.

Kimmeridgian stone: Typically used in Chablis and Chablis Grand Cru vineyards, Kimmeridgian stone is a fossilized-marine-life-filled limestone that provides a spirit with a rich mineral taste. We have truly never before seen such an ingredient featured as a botanical in a gin. Renais Gin’s wine inspiration rings loud and clear.

Linden flowers and acacia honey: Linden flowers come from various species of Tilia, or lime trees. They provide a spirit with softly floral, citrus notes and can be found used in Apiary Gin and Highclere Castle Gin. Meanwhile, acacia honey is a light-colored and mild-flavored honey produced from the nectar of the black locust tree, also known as the false acacia. It has a high concentration of fructose, a low glucose content and a slow crystallization process. The only other gin we know of that uses this type of honey is the ultra-premium brand, Procera.

Juniper, angelica root, grains of paradise, cubeb berries and coriander: These are common botanicals found in many a gin. Juniper, specifically, is required to be in gin or it can’t be called gin. Juniper berries offer zippy, piney tasting notes, while angelica root is often compared to bitter and sweet licorice.

Grains of Paradise is a species in the ginger family and is closely related to cardamom. The peppercorn-shaped grains impart notes of black pepper, citrus and ginger. In the same vein, cubeb berries make gin peppery and a touch spicy. Coriander is the dried seed of the cilantro plant and gives gin an herbal, earthy flavor.

Lemon peel, whole lime slices and rock salt: Citrus is often considered a crucial facet of London dry gin, with the dried peels of the fruit being frequently employed. Lemon peel is found in top gin brands like Beefeater and Bombay Sapphire, while whole, fresh lime slices are seen less frequently. One gin that does proudly feature fresh citrus is Tanqueray No. Ten. Rock salt is another unique ingredient in Renais gin and most likely provides the spirit a soft, subtle salinity, similar to how salty kelp imparts flavor on Gray Whale Gin.

Another last feature of the gin worth mentioning is its straw-like hue, which makes it look like a barrel-aged expression. The brand has yet to specifically state how the spirit gets its unique color. Perhaps it’s the honey?

Overall, Renais offers both unique and traditional gin botanicals that are sure to attract the seasoned gin drinker and adventurous sipper alike. Although we haven’t tasted it yet, so we can’t be certain.

Renais Gin Tasting Notes, Via the Brand

“Balancing the minerality of a Chablis wine with fresh citrus and juniper, warming spices, floral notes and a hint of sweetness.”

Where to Buy Renais Gin + Its ABV

Renais Gin is currently available for purchase on the Renais Spirits website, priced at £60.00 ($74.96) per 70cl bottle. The spirit rests at 40% ABV, a standard alcohol-by-volume percentage for gin.

What Cocktails to Make With Renais Gin

So far, the brand has released seven cocktail recipes for its new gin: Provence Smash, Renais & Tonic, Cucumber Rickey, Terroir Martini, Grand Cru Negroni, Bees Knees and The Emma. All of the recipes appear to be riffs on traditional gin cocktails, save for The Emma, which is an original creation made from Domaine de Watson Chablis, elderflower syrup, lemon juice, Suze gentian liqueur and soda water.

Find the full list of Renais Gin cocktails here.

Read next:

The 5 Top-Rated Gins of April 2023

‘A Taste of Wild Scotland’: Sam Heughan Announces Release of His New Gin While Donning a Stylish Kilt

The Royal Gin Martini: Inside King Charles’ Daily Cocktail Ritual

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