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“I've always been fascinated by the world of spirits. The craft, the history, the way something as simple as grain or botanicals can be transformed into a drink with real character and cultural significance.”
Thomas Taylor joined William Grant & Sons in 2018 as a Process Support Technologist in our Girvan distillery. In 2024, he became our Hendrick’s Apprentice Master Distiller, learning the craft from current Master Distiller, Leslie Gracie.
Despite a career start as a geologist, Thomas pursued a Master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling inspired by his love of whisky and the craft. Throughout his degree, his focus took an imaginative turn into the world of gin following a trip to our Girvan distillery, as he explains:
“We visited the Girvan site on a field trip and toured the Hendrick’s Gin Palace. Leslie led that session and I remember being struck by her approach –playful and instinctive yet grounded in deep knowledge.
“The visit really stuck with me and shaped my ambition to eventually work at Girvan. I thought it was an incredible site, with so much going on.”
Following the completion of his Master’s degree, Thomas joined the team at our Girvan distillery as a Process Support Technologist, it was not until a few years later that he learned about the role of Hendrick’s Apprentice Master Distiller on our internal careers website.
“I’d been at Girvan for six years, working in innovation and supporting new make spirit across our distilleries. I had occasional touch points with the Hendrick’s team – helping out with sensory work, reviewing raw materials or supporting documents.
“I felt I had a good sense of the culture, expectations and the care that goes into every aspect of the brand. I also had a support network at work, people around me who believed I’d be a good fit for it – so I went for the role.”
It’s not every day you get the chance to become an Apprentice Master Distiller, and there’s a rigorous recruitment process to find the right Rare Character for the role.
“It was a very thorough interview process; I’d never been through one quite like it before.
“I spent a lot of time preparing, reflecting on past experiences, challenges I'd faced, decisions I'd made, what I'd learned, and how I could apply those lessons in in the new context.
"Alongside the formal interview preparation, I put together a few creative ideas for the brand. From liquid concepts to storytelling and positioning. I found myself thinking quite a lot about marketing, which isn't usually my focus, but it felt important in the Hendrick's context."
Hendrick’s helped carve out a space for premium gin in the market and continues to innovate today, and Thomas sees this as a big opportunity for the brand, “Hendrick’s has never followed the crowd. That originality is what drew me to it in the first place, and I think it's also key to where it goes next.”
“It’s one of the most recognisable brands and spirits, not just because of the liquid, but the world that surrounds it. What Leslie, the family, the brand team and the wider business has built over the years is astonishing.
“The opportunity now is to keep building on that strong identity to preserve what makes Hendrick’s so distinctive while still exploring new directions – there’s so much creative territory still to uncover.”
“My current role is a full circle moment for me. My Master’s degree had a strong focus on gin, my Master’s project was entirely gin focused, and I grew up with parents that were lifelong gin lovers.
“This role allows me to combine a lifelong connection with gin with everything I’ve learnt professionally and technically. It lets me use both sides of my brain – analytics and creative – to service a brand I genuinely care about.
“I see it as a responsibility, a privilege, and I’m here to do it justice.”