Prince Explorer Gin is a brand inspired by the legacy of Prince Albert I of Monaco, affectionately known as the "Prince Explorateur." This gin pays homage to the intellectual curiosity and adventurous spirit of Prince Albert I, a pioneering oceanographer and scientist. Over his lifetime, Prince Albert I organized 28 expeditions and led many significant maritime campaigns, making substantial contributions to marine science. Today, Prince Explorer Gin continues his legacy by championing marine conservation.

Inside each bottle of Prince Explorer Gin lies the result of a unique challenge set by its founders: to create an innovative yet perfectly balanced gin. The goal was to combine the refreshing brightness of Mediterranean citrus with the complexity and sharpness of select peppercorn varieties from around the world. After several years of meticulous research and development, involving master distillers, Michelin-starred chefs, gin enthusiasts, friends, and family, "the First Batch" of Prince Explorer Gin was born.

This exceptional gin is a testament to the founders' dedication to craftsmanship and their respect for the adventurous and conservationist spirit of Prince Albert I. Whether enjoyed neat or in a cocktail, Prince Explorer Gin invites you to savor the blend of tradition and innovation that defines this remarkable brand.

In this interview, London Spirits Competition takes you behind the story of the Prince Explorer Gin.

Can you tell us about the origin of Prince Explorer Gin? What inspired the name and brand concept?

Prince Explorer Gin is inspired by the legacy of Prince Albert I of Monaco, often referred to as the "Prince Explorateur". The brand pays tribute to this beneficent and erudite leader’s intellectual curiosity and enduring spirit of adventure. As an oceanographer and scientist, Prince Albert I organized over 28 expeditions and led many of the most significant maritime campaigns of his time. Today, Prince Explorer seeks to continue his prescient championing of marine conservation.

Inside the bottle, Prince Explorer is the result of a unique challenge put forth by the founders, to create an innovative yet perfectly balanced gin that combines the refreshing brightness of Mediterranean citrus with the complexity and sharpness of select peppercorn varieties from around the world. After several years of research and development, aided by master distillers, Michelin-starred chefs, gin amateurs, friends, and family, ‘The First Batch’ was born.

What is the mission and vision of Prince Explorer Gin? How do you aim to differentiate your brand in the crowded gin market?

Prince Explorer Gin is built on three core pillars – quality, legacy, and conservation. The mission is to offer a gin of the highest quality, created to pay tribute to the legacy of Prince Albert I of Monaco and contribute to his avant-gardist fight in favour of ocean conservation. Even the colour of the bottle is the result of months of research and several diving expeditions, to match the exact shade with which the Mediterranean glistens at the foot of Monaco’s ‘Musée Océanographique’, fully revealing its vivid reflections and luminous depth.

Prince Explorer showcases the best of the land, culture, and heritage of Monaco while delivering a global vision of what gin should be - complex, balanced, delightful, and gastronomic.

Image: H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco

Prince Explorer is present where no other gin has been – notably, in 2022, alongside H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, our founders embarked upon an expedition that followed Prince Albert I’s original route through the Arctic over 100 years prior. During this extraordinary voyage, the importance of the Prince’s contributions to the polar regions was fully unearthed. Before departing, bottles of Prince Explorer Gin were left at the Texas Bar, our planet's most remote and northernmost bar, sitting at nearly 80° N. Today, they continue to welcome those explorers with the courage and determination to reach this latitude.

Could you walk us through the production process of Prince Explorer Gin? What makes your gin unique compared to others?

Prince Explorer gin is distilled in a 19th-century copper still, like a traditional ‘London Dry Gin’, using a base of carefully selected and sorted classic botanicals. Additional botanicals, at the core of Prince Explorer’s uniqueness, are then infused into the spirit. 

In a process approaching that of scientific discovery, it is above all in this step that the mastery of Prince Explorer’s distillers shines through. The value of time and care is irreplaceable. For example, most only infuse pink peppercorns for 15 days, extracting exclusively peppery notes. Our master distillers have found that only after a lengthy infusion process of 45 days does this botanical reveal additional sweet hints of vanilla. 

What are the key botanicals used in Prince Explorer Gin, and how were they selected?

Prince Explorer Gin harmoniously balances eleven botanicals:

Angelica

Juniper

Sichuan pepper

Coriander

Cardamom

Orange peel

Pink peppercorns

Mandarin

Lemon Peel

Elderflower

Thyme

During the research and development process, the Prince Explorer team traveled the globe in search of the best botanicals. For each, Prince Explorer only selects those of the highest quality, cultivated with respect and preferring traditional agriculture methods. Not only does this guarantee a gin of the highest quality but also allows this gin to pay tribute to small producers and ensure the protection of the environment in the process.

How do you ensure the quality and consistency of your gin batches?

Our master distillers batch distill most of the botanicals and then balance the distillates and the final product every time, comparing the previous batch to the new one and using their expertise and experience to ensure consistency.

Are there any specific distillation techniques or innovations you utilize that set your gin apart?

Our delicate distillation process is centered on authentic revelation and minimal processing of Prince Explorer’s eleven botanicals. This is why Prince Explorer gin is bottled unfiltered. We believe that flavours and mouthfeel can be lost during filtration — we seek to preserve those naturally arising long-chain molecules to maintain the richness and roundness of our spirit.

Who is the target audience for Prince Explorer Gin? How do you cater to their preferences and tastes?

At Prince Explorer, we did not set out to cater to any target audience’s preferences – we simply set out to make the best gin we could, focusing on quality, paying tribute to an important legacy, and giving back through conservation and philanthropy.

The result is a gin for the modern epicurean – for the highly discerning individual in search of a refined experience. For the confident, the worldly, those who enjoy discovery. A gin for those who seek out excellence and quality and for those who attribute their loyalty based on these criteria. A gin for those in search of profound authenticity – for the global, the environmentally conscious. For the self-assured and for those who derive particular enjoyment from sharing great discoveries with friends. 

What marketing strategies have been most effective in promoting Prince Explorer Gin?

As a young, growing brand, Prince Explorer Gin has focused its efforts almost entirely on the quality of its product and the pursuit of its values. Any marketing strategies have been selective and focused on conveying these elements. Firstly, we have found that there is no substitute for our founders and the team to create personal, sincere, and deep relationships with customers and establishments, conveying the brand’s pillars and values and increasing its reach. 

Prince Explorer is also very proud of the unique collaborations it has established with several prestigious establishments including but not limited to:

- the development of a special cocktail menu created with the Café de Paris in Monaco;

- the creation of a special cocktail and coaster for the Coya Monte Carlo;

- the development of a special cocktail and glassware made from repurposed bottles at the Bar Américain of the Hotel de Paris in Monaco;

- Prince Explorer is the spirit of choice on the celebrated martini cart at the Gritti Palace in Venice.

Beyond this, for the past year, Prince Explorer Gin has notably advertised its product, emphasizing its ocean conservation efforts, thanks to a billboard in Nice Airport Terminal 1's baggage reclaim area. Nice Airport is the international gateway to the Côte d'Azur and Monaco, prized destinations and hosts to mythical events year-round, including the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Cannes Film Festival, Yacht Shows, the Rolex Masters, and the Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

How do you engage with the gin community and your customers?

The Prince Explorer founders and team always travel with a bottle of the spirit. They particularly enjoy traveling the world and talking to gin amateurs, bar staff, chefs, stockists, and amateurs alike about their gin and the passion that unites them.

On a wider scale, the team is active on the brand’s social media which is managed in-house, interacting with customers, influencers, experts, and amateurs alike. Through these channels, Prince Explorer also seeks to put out interesting, unique, and informative content showcasing the brand, its values, and the initiatives it develops. 

Is sustainability a part of Prince Explorer Gin’s ethos? If so, how do you incorporate sustainable practices into your production process?

Sustainability is at the core of the Prince Explorer ethos and brand. In line with our philosophy and brand values, it was at the forefront of the bottle design and production process. The result - a recyclable and repurposable glass flacon topped with a cap made from biodegradable beech wood, in a nod to the helms of Prince Albert I's exploration vessels. The use of plastics is limited to the minimum required by food safety legislation and restricted to only those with the safest and recyclable specifications.

In addition, Prince Explorer Gin has launched an initiative to collect empty bottles from select participating establishments to repurpose them into cocktail glasses. It hopes to extend this program continuously.

Image: With summer around the corner, feel the ocean breeze while enjoying a delightful glass of Prince Explorer Gin.

Finally, Prince Explorer places significant emphasis on selecting suppliers who share the brand's values, with a focus on sustainability, including extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials, traditional cultivation methods, fair trade practices, environmental preservation, and robust ESG policies.

Does Prince Explorer Gin engage in any community or social responsibility initiatives?

In furtherance of its brand ethos and commitment to conservation, Prince Explorer donates a part of its profits to ocean conservation efforts worldwide. For the past three years, the funds have benefited IPOS, a coordination tool supported by the UN and the European Commission. IPOS is a coordination tool seeking to generate informed and tailored actions for ocean conservation and remedy the fragmented nature of our knowledge of the ocean’s health.

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Prince Explorer also engages in several initiatives to support these philanthropic pledges. Notably, during the annual Monaco Ocean Week, it invites almost a dozen of the most prestigious bars and restaurants in the Principality to create a unique and special cocktail in support of ocean conservation. For each special cocktail sold during the week, Prince Explorer donates €1 to ocean protection efforts. To conclude this initiative, on the final Sunday, Prince Explorer hosts a 'Protect Our Oceans' cocktail competition for all participating establishments. Past judges for the competition included Emanuele Balestra, the legendary barman and Area Bars Director at the Hotel Barrière Le Majestic in Cannes. Next year, for the 2025 edition, Prince Explorer is hoping to include a number of international participants.

Prince Explorer Gin is also involved in sponsoring several community brands and initiatives including philanthropic events, young restaurateurs, fashion designers, etc.