Clara Robbins - St Petersburg Distillery

Still Magic

Episode 16 - Guardianship

Welcome to the Still Magic podcast your one-click audio stop for all things gin. Be it gin making, gin producing, gin distilling, gin manufacturing, gin commercialising, gin tasting, gin drinking, gin steeping, and everything else in between.

Today we get to take a trip to the United States of America to meet one of the country's up and coming young distillers.

In 2019 I was invited to join a team of industry leading gin instructors convened by Dr Gary Spedding of Brewing and Distilling Analytical Services (BDAS) in Lexington Kentucky.

https://bdastesting.com/

The Gin team comprises Molly Troupe of Freeland Spirits, Tom Anderson of Pinckney Bend, Jamie Baxter of Craft Distilling Services and Tony Aiken of BDAS.

https://bdastesting.com/classes/

Collectively this group delivers the finest 5-day gin course in the US; a career highlight for me on every measure.

One of the distillers at the 2019 edition of the course is today’s podcast guest, Clara Robbins.

Clara is a deep-thinking distiller with a thirst for knowledge. I remember my first conversation with Clara being about the dark lord of all gin, and indeed in all spirits-making; water.

Water is one product component that many people would take for granted.

There's water for operations, distillation purposes, and water for quality control.

I found Clara’s interest in water quality as a clear sign of understanding the impact it can have on distillation and packaging processes. In some ways, it was like connecting with a kindred spirit albeit from different parts of the world, given my own fervent interest in water from managing packaging operations “down under”

At that time in 2019 Clara had a distilling role with a craft operation in Frankfort KY, called Castle and Key. Though considered as ‘craft’ in the US, it is a largish distillery by Australasian standards. Clara speaks fondly of her role at Castle and Key, of her mentor Marianne Eaves and how that working experience uncovered an interest in gin and a desire to grow with it.

Clara shares insights from her journey on many levels; the importance of her family, the pursuit for excellence, forging an authentic future on one’s own terms, her love of music and an unbridled passion for all things gin!

Clara now has a distilling and new product development (NPD) role with the team at St Petersburg Craft Distillery in Florida. Their product range is diverse, vibrant, and exciting. With rum, tropical gin, sweet whiskey, artisanal vodka and orange liqueur already in the ranks, a renewed focus on gin is an exciting next step for both Clara and “St Petes”.

https://stpetersburgdistillery.com/

@stpetedistillery

The gin legacy needs guardianship to guide it through future chapters in its centuries-long narrative; it always has, and it always will.

Clara Robbins and the next generation of distillers will do so in style.

Watch this space.

Be bold. Enjoy yourself. Let’s create a new gin narrative.

Still Magic paperback, digital and audio copies available from your favourite online stores

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Magic-distillers-guide-beginners-ebook/dp/B07QZ4VFRV/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=still+magic&qid=1596545333&sr=8-1

Narrator:@stillmagicway

Guest: @clararobbins

Voiceover: @antipodeanharpie

Editor: @alexiepigot