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Alex and Emma Watson‘s gin brand isn’t just another celebrity spirit. Founded by the pair in 2023, Renais is built upon their family’s rich history of winemaking. More than three decades after their father Chris Watson planted Domaine Watson, the family’s vineyard, Renais was born.
The gin is unique in that it’s distilled from upcycled French wine grapes, including the Watson’s own winery’s surplus produce. “When I realized that all of this love and care and attention is going into growing the grapes … and then they would press them and discard them … I was like, ‘that doesn’t seem right,’” Alex Watson tells THR.
This inspired the siblings to, instead, collect the leftover grape skins, ferment them and then distill the alcohol from that organic material. Not only does this make for a sustainable spirit production, but it also creates a special flavor profile — “soft and approachable,” as Watson describes.
In celebration of the brand’s expansion from the U.K. to the U.S., the actress directed and styled an extended campaign video featuring her and her brother. She also illustrated a limited-edition sleeve, exclusively available in the United States.
Renais Summer Artwork Edition
“It’s so nice that we get to complement one another and work as a team,” Alex Watson says of partnering with his sister. “My career and background has been in the spirits industry for the last decade, but Emma is incredibly creative … so all of the media that you will have seen from our website, including the commercial that she’s just directed and shot, has Emma’s DNA all over it.”
As for their favorite ways to drink Renais, Alex likes it neat or over ice with a twist of lime. Emma’s sweet tooth inspired the creation of a signature cocktail: The Emma Spritz (recipe below).
Related: Matthew and Camila McConaughey’s New Spirits Brand Gives Tequila “A Kick in the Pants”
The Emma Spritz:
- Fill a glass with chunks of good quality ice.
- Add 30 ml Renais Gin, 10 ml dry white wine, 20 ml elderflower syrup, 20 ml fresh lemon juice, 2 dashes Suze Gentian Liqueur (optional) and 80 ml soda water.
- Give a gentle stir with a long spoon to incorporate the ingredients without killing the bubbles.
Renais is now available across 40 states, and in select California retailers starting later this month.
