Manchester design agency LOVE has won a three-way pitch to design an immersive Gin Distillery Experience in Manchester for Quintessential Brands–owned, Thomas Dakin.

The distillery, which received full planning permission in 2018, is already under construction with the aim of opening to the public early Autumn, 2019.

The gin distillery will be located in the heart of Manchester between Deansgate and Albert Square, with three craft copper pot stills taking pride of place behind the distillery’s impressive glass frontage.

Alongside the working gin distillery, the venue will be filled with experiential and personalised moments that include a gin bar, an Instagram-enabled event space for hospitality events, and entertainment.

The Thomas Dakin Gin Distillery is expected to become one of the city’s top tourist attractions, with 70,000 visitors expected in the first year.  The experience will create more than 50 jobs and will have the capacity to produce over 1 million bottles of gin every year, ensuring the growing global demand for Thomas Dakin Gin is met.

The new distillery will continue the legacy of Thomas Dakin, the 18th-century visionary who pioneered the development and refinement of quality English Gin and set the benchmark for London Dry Gin in 1761. Inspired by his passion, commitment to craft, and his entrepreneurial attitude, Thomas Dakin plan to add more gins to its collection, combining traditional techniques created by Dakin himself, paired with modern methods to break new ground in craft gin.

Trevor Cairns, CEO of LOVE, commented: “Thomas Dakin has a rich heritage in innovation, but an even more exciting story in its craftsmanship and ambition to become the most desired distillery in the world – which is a great brief to be a part of. Having designed brand experiences all over the world, it’s particularly special to be creating one in our hometown, Manchester”.

David Hume, Director of Thomas Dakin at Quintessential Brands Group, comments; “LOVE have really inspired us with their innovative response to our brief to build an exciting gin distillery experience in the heart of Manchester. We’re looking forward to working with their talented team to bring this to life in their home city.”

LOVE, the multi award-winning agency, has a long-standing track record in designing innovative consumer experiences around the world, from the award-winning Johnnie Walker Houses in Asia, to the iconic Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.

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London based experiential design studio, FDDS was commissioned to design the experiences and interiors of three rooms of the newly refurbished Strathisla Distillery – the oldest continuously working distillery in Scotland and home of Chivas Regal whisky. FDDS worked closely with Chivas Regal, from the creative team to the Master blenders, to deliver a custom experience and the interior around it. As a whisky enthusiast, or a newcomer, the Strathisla tour was a sensory experience, both memorable and informative.

After learning about the process to make Strathisla single malt whiskies, guests were guided to the Tasting Room. They were invited to take seats around the whisky expert who guided them through the tasting of 3 scotch whiskies: Chivas 12, Chivas Extra and Chivas 18. The room featured a specially created artwork, The Constellation, made of suspended, mouth-blown, amber glass bubbles. As the expert deconstructed the several flavours of each whisky, the sculpture animated itself to represent the complex network of flavours.

Florian Dussopt, FDDS Founder, commented “It is interesting to notice that if the whiskies do share certain keynotes, most of them are different. It is not always easy to distinguish all the characteristics without the skills of the Master Blenders, but there are no wrong answers. Each perception is unique and personal.”

“By giving the time to reflect and discuss, the tasting ritual of the Constellation Room aims to open the door to memories that the senses of smell and taste can uniquely bring back.”

The Blending Room then offered an exclusive practical experience: an opportunity for guests to appreciate the intricacy of combining malt and grain whiskies to create a superior blended whisky. Guests could sample, analyse and ultimately blend their own whisky under the guidance of the house expert with each combination labelled to be gifted.

The creative studio also designed and fabricated the 5m long brass chandelier, to accompany the story within the details.

Finally, The Lounge, an angluar room enveloped by strong and graphic brass arches with historical bottles on display, provided guests with a place to seat and relax around a whisky dram.

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