When Zeus Gin won gold at the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition (NYISC), it was the culmination of years of dedication by CEO Moises Sevilla.
And the accolade was testament to the passion he has for his craft, and the sacrifices made to pursue his dream.
While previously working at a local distillery as retail manager, Moises’ interest in the age old process of alcohol production was piqued.
“After a while I fell in love with the art of distillation,” he says. “I started buying books on the subject, watching every video and reading every forum I could find.”
Once he felt comfortable, Moises convinced the owners to let him use a small test still (the apparatus used to distill liquid) which was collecting dust in a corner.
“I used that still to create brandy, whisky, absinthe, flavoured rum and a gin series; one of which raised a good amount of money for a local charity,” he says.
With sculpting and painting already being forms of expression for Moises, he had now found a new art medium through which to channel this interest.
“The idea for (Grand Cayman Distillery) was born out of necessity,” he says. “I was the happiest when creating new products and I knew I would never have the freedom to create the spirits I wanted unless I owned my own distillery.”
SACRIFICES
What followed were three years of “blood, sweat, tears and sleepless nights” to create a distillery he is proud of, and the hard work didn’t cease once production first started.
Moises creates his gin alongside a 9-to-5 day job at one of the island’s largest retailers, and well as a busy family life with three children.
“This has been one of the most difficult journeys of my life,” he says. “I give 100% to my day job, the distillery and my family, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s not easy.
“I miss a lot of special moments with the family. I don’t mind working 100-plus hours a week, I don’t mind body aches; the one thing that kills me is missing out on these moments that I can never get back.
“All I can do is remind myself that the reason I sacrifice is for my family. I don’t want them to have to grind like I did. Nothing was ever given to me. I want to be able to give them the life I never had.”
AWARDS
The sacrifices are paying off. Despite being relatively new on the scene, Grand Cayman Distillery has already produced two award-winning gins – NYISC gold medal winner Zeus Gin and Blue Iguana Gin, which won bronze at the same awards, and from which a portion of proceeds go to Blue Iguana Conservation, a preservation programme run by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.
Zeus’ win in New York was especially noteworthy.
“We won alongside companies like Aviation and Empress Gin,” says Moises proudly. “This kind of win from such a young company is unheard of. I’m fully confident in my ability to create top quality spirits but bringing home the gold for Cayman in our first competition, especially of that calibre, was mind blowing.”
TECHNIQUES
Distilling involves purifying a base liquid by heating and vapourising it, before collecting the liquid formed after the vapour condenses.
Grand Cayman Distillery uses the vapour infusion method of distilling, as do international gin powerhouses such as Bombay Sapphire and Hendricks.
“We have a custom-built botanical basket that we fill with an array of different botanicals depending on which product we’re making,” Moises explains. “The botanicals and liquid never come in contact with one another, instead, as the liquid is re-distilled, the ethanol vapour passes through them.”
This allows the botanicals to release their oils into the alcohol vapour.
“When we’re making our gold medal winning Zeus Gin, we fill our botanical basket with 40 lbs of cucumber skin,” says Moises. “We can make a pallet of gin in two days that’s distilled, blended and packaged.”
FUTURE
The future for Moises and his distillery is bright, with expansion of their product line in the works.
A ‘Three Islands’ brand is soon to be launched, headed up by Triple Sec and Toasted Coconut Rum.
“This Triple Sec is a game changer,” says Moises. “It’s a combination of Cara Cara and navel oranges with a hint of cardamom. It’s a more traditional throwback to the old Dutch style of Orange Curaçao.
“Our Toasted Coconut won’t taste like suntan lotion. We’re using our gin botanical basket stuffed with real toasted coconut to vapour infuse the rum with flavour. No fake flavouring added, just good old-fashioned distillation.”
Grand Cayman Distillery products are featured on cocktail menus across the island. Gin lovers can also find their products at all Tortuga Rum Company and Jacques Scott stores, as well as select Blackbeard’s locations.
This article appears in the Autumn/Winter 2023 issue of InsideOut magazine, now available at magazine stands around the island.
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