Hamish Gordon is the man behind The Driver’s Tipple. We were fortunate enough to get together for a quick Q&A so that we could share the story behind the brand.
Q: Racing to drinks, that’s a bit of a change in direction! What prompted you to step into the world of no and low alcohol spirits, and why start with a gin inspired alternative?
A: When I stopped drinking in 2016, I very quickly came to find that most of the drinks available to me were either full of sugar or simply unsophisticated. I missed having something to look forward to or to enjoy with friends while out socialising and the one drink that I missed was a refreshing G&T.
A good G&T had always been my go-to drink after a long day. I had never been a real beer or lager drinker and the very fact that I missed having a decent G&T while out socialising made it the perfect place to start.
Q: We love all the driving and racing references in your branding, tell us, what was the inspiration behind the name The Driver’s Tipple?
A: I spent many years as a professional racing driver and also ended up being the designated driver at the end of many an evening out with friends. The whole ethos behind The Driver’s Tipple is that when you cannot have an alcoholic drink, whether you are driving, pregnant, on medication or just being health conscious, here is a grown up and sophisticated alternative for you. So, there were a number of reasons why the name evolved but being the designated driver was the keystone to the brand.
Q: The bottle labels are fantastic, can you tell us the story of how those characters came about?
A: Thank you, I love it that so many people comment about the labels! When we created The Driver’s Tipple, I wanted to provide a product that people would look at and say, what is that? It was very early days of the non-alcoholic spirits market and I wanted to bring some of my own humour to the product and show customers that this was something special. We were extremely lucky to persuade Bryn Parry [world renowned cartoonist, caricaturist, illustrator, sculptor, author and designer], whose cartoons I have always enjoyed, to create the characters and provide a distinctive identity for our premium product.
Q: You have had a long and varied career on the racing circuit, what would you say has been your greatest achievement?
A: Oh that’s a tough one. I suppose, having a long and rewarding career that I still enjoy, albeit on a different level now, and getting to race all over the world in many different cars on many different circuits which afforded me to meet so many different people and experience so many different things. So I don’t think I can put any one greatest achievement down other than I have been allowed to spend my life doing something that I love and am passionate about which has led me into creating The Driver’s Tipple which so many others can now enjoy with me.
Q: What does the perfect summery day look like to you?
A: Oh that’s easy. The perfect summer’s day is sitting in my garden in the Cotswolds enjoying a large Tipple & Tonic thinking about all the others out there sitting enjoying the sunshine and enjoying their own large Tipple & Tonics!
We say CHEERS to that!