The Surrey Copper Distillery has been established by industry renowned former Chief Brewer at SABMiller PLC, Professor Katherine Smart, and her husband Dr Chris Smart, former Head of Brewing Services for food and drink consultancy Campden BRI. The distillery launches with the release of the naming and brand identity developed by Nude Brand Creation.
The founders spent years studying to become brewers and distillers. Their academic backgrounds, careers in brewing and lifelong passion for historical literature have inspired them to create a ground-breaking ‘library’ of spirits in their own distillery. Using original historical recipes unearthed from rare collections they have brought history to life crafting distinguished spirits for the discerning consumer.
Chapter and verse
Katherine and Nude met at the The Ginposium, a meeting held by the Gin Guild, where Nude showcased their insightful approach to brand creation. Katherine and Chris asked Nude Brand Creation to create a name for the distillery as well as a brand mark that reflected the couple’s dedication to the craft of distilling and their passion for history. The distillers, who live in Shere, were keen to establish a distillery in Surrey that was dedicated to crafting fine spirits using a bespoke solid copper still. The first meeting with Nude Brand Creation was held in the White Horse Inn in Shere. The conversation was lively, brimming with old local tales and yarns. Shere, rich in history, became the inspiration for the Distillery name. During the 1830s a local policeman from Godalming famously put a stop to a sheep-stealing ring who legend had it, plotted and planned in the White Horse Inn in Shere. This “Surrey Copper” was deemed a local hero and has long been remembered.
The Surrey Copper Distillery brand was born and the mark is reminiscent of historic illustrations found on the very antique book covers where historical references to recipes could be found. A traditional copper pot still sits at the centre, with a long neck to reference the process of distillation and the distillery’s bespoke still. Copper hues tell the story of the Italian-made copper still that will be in use at the distillery and are a nod to the brand’s name. Botanical ingredients nestle intertwined in the etching-style illustration, communicating the key ingredients that will be used in distilling a wide range of spirits.
Tony Enoch, Partner at Nude Brand Creation, says: “Chris and Katherine have a highly academic and scientific background – and a wealth of experience in creating spirits. Having this top team behind the brand will be a huge selling point and is bound to attract a lot of interest from the industry.
“The identity and name needed to communicate this expertise and the cerebral nature of the venture they’re embarking on. So, we created a brand with substance that would flex across packaging design, the website and other collateral, but that also reflects their academic backgrounds and their bid to reinvigorate historic recipes.”
Katherine and Chris add: “Nude really understood our passion for distilling and that we wanted to create special drinks based on historical recipes. The identity communicates who we are, but also tells the story of our expertise in this field, our love of distilling and our passion for books. It’s an identity that sets the scene for the next exciting chapters that will be revealed at The Surrey Copper Distillery very soon.”
The identity is rolling out across stationery and website. The first distillation will be ready this summer.
