Marc Grandjean and Eric Mangen had a hallejujah moment some years back when ruminating on what made a good Gin. Was it the price, the marketing, the taste - all of them? This discussion became an idea, the idea turned to a plan and the plan became a business. That business became Supa Saya.
So successful has the brand been that more plans are afoot for expansion and growth. Sitting down with Marc Grandjean we discuss branding power, the importance placed on word-of-mouth and how Luxembourg fares as a competitive marketplace in spirit production.
What was behind the decision to create a Gin here in Luxembourg?
We are two Luxembourgish fellows, and wanted to spice it up a little. We decided to do this by creating an original product, first by its taste and then by its name and identity. It was clear for us that it should be produced in Luxembourg, and respect the ‘made in Luxembourg’ label.
Is there a fear that Gin is a niche and temporarily popular drink?
It’s been popular for the last 6/7 years already, but of course, like always with spirits, I guess it’s cyclical. But still, popular or not, if you like something you drink it. The good thing with the gin, is that you can drink it differently whenever you want. Because you are the cocktail master, and you can mix it how you see fit. Me (Marc) for example, the same Gin, I drink it differently in summer than I would in the winter. It’s never boring.
What do you most enjoy about a good G&T and what do you most dislike when seeing a gin getting badly treated?
I mostly enjoy, the taste of course, and the freshness of the drinks, and how simple ingeredients can change the drinks. For example during summer, we put strawberries and mint in our G&T. What I don’t like is that sometimes people are doing a G&T with approximate measures. Like putting 8cl of gin, and 6cl of tonic, or 2cl gin and 15cl of tonic, and then say: oh this gin is not good :-) if you know what I mean.
How do you see the drinks market in Luxembourg improving over the months, years - in regards to drinks/producers/distillers/brewers?
It’s difficult to say, but I see that people are being creative, so that’s good. People are willing to see new things, so that’s good too. Consumers are of course always looking at the price, but in the end if the price is fair, people are willing to spend on something they like. We for example, wanted to work the product, and keep the rest simple. That’s why we chose to have an old Spirit bottle (eau de vie: juniper spirit). And people are happy about this back to the roots memory, and of course to get a Luxembourgish Gin for 25 eur/per liter is always good news :-)
- Slice the Grapefruit into small chunks, and slice the ginger
- Mix with the grapefruit and honey
Enjoy!!!!
Keep your eyes peeled for an incoming competition that will allow you to try this Cocktail out at home.
