British super-premium gin brand Brockmans has appointed respected drinks industry veteran Jean-Philippe Aucher to lead its expansion in travel retail.
Aucher departed Stoli Group in January 2022 after a 12-year tenure as Global Travel Retail Director. He is currently representing a curated portfolio of spirits brands, including Brockmans, with his new consultancy JP Global Travel Retail.
The brand sold more than one million bottles in the domestic markets of over 55 countries last year. Following a £25 million (US$30.5 million) marketing investment, the brand has launched in the UK, US, Australia, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and in key markets across Latin America and Asia Pacific.
Brockmans was recognised by IWSR as the largest privately-owned British super-premium gin brand of 2020.
“We see moving into the exciting travel retail channel as a natural progression for the brand, building on our growing international reputation and market penetration” commented Brockmans CEO Guy Lawrence.
“We have ambitious plans to grow our market share in 2022 and beyond and we see entering travel retail as an important vehicle for achieving that.
“We are confident that Brockmans’ appearance in airport and cruise retail will be a great help in increasing the recognition of the brand across the world.”
Lawrence added, “We are delighted to have secured the services of Jean-Philippe ‘JP’ Aucher to lead our move into travel retail. His track record in the industry is an exceptional one, and as a result he is well-known by all the key travel retailers around the world. His input will help give us an exciting new dimension to the brand and a visibility in travel locations which is now central to our strategy going forward.”
Commenting on Brockmans travel retail ambitions, Aucher added: “The team at Brockmans have excited me with their ambition and vision and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to represent the brand in travel retail. This is a brand which has huge growth potential, not least because it is already well-known to a lot of gin consumers around the world.
“The distinctive and classy look of the Brockmans bottle and the great flavour profile of the gin contained inside make it a great product for travel retail. I am looking forward to speaking to contacts old and new about what I think is one of the most exciting alcohol spirits entries into the channel in recent times.”
Brockmans has 40% ABV and offers a contemporary twist on the classic English gin. The liquid blends traditional gin botanicals such as Saxony angelica, Bulgarian coriander and Tuscan juniper berries with non-traditional spices such as liquorice root, blueberries and blackberries. The 70cl bottle has a recommended retail price of £34 (US$42) in the UK domestic travel retail market.
Produced in the UK, Brockmans core product — playfully described as ‘The Properly Improper Gin’ — is distilled in 100 year-old copper column stills. Brockman’s botanical blend is soaked in pure grain spirit for up to 24 hours prior to distillation to enhance its natural oils and aromas.
The gin offers a soft, rounded flavour with notes of blueberries and blackberries, blended with bitter-sweet orange flavours. It is housed in a striking opaque black bottle embossed with the brand’s logo. It has a recommended retail price of £34 in the UK domestic travel retail market.
