Meet the maker of HAZE Gin

HAZE Gin was the star gin of our October 2020 Box. The founder, Dorian Vincent set up his distillery in July 2019, where he works alone and takes care of all stages from production to marketing. The distillery is located in Biarritz and is called Ura Spirits. It takes its name from both water, "ura" in Basque, and "spirits" in English. The whole means brandy, using Basque and English, to link tradition and modernity. The name "Haze" (mist) comes from brouillarta. It's a mist, a wind, which rises on the Basque coast at the end of summer. The freshness arrives, and the salty odors mingle with the scent of the plants that line the Basque coast. It is this phenomenon that inspired him in his first essays. Dorian therefore chose the name Haze for his first gin. He decided to produce gin because there are no obstacles to its creation. The different mixtures of plants allow it to express itself fully. All he needs is a base of juniper and inspiration to create without limits! 

Haze Gin is made from neutral organic wheat alcohol and Pyrenean mineral water. The botanicals used are juniper berries, coriander seeds, iris roots, lemon zest, lime zest, grapefruit zest, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, leaves of maté, sage, sencha, tonka beans and honey. Dorian performs vacuum distillation using the Buchi Rotovapor R-300 still. By lowering the pressure in the still, the boiling point of alcohol is lowered. Thus, the plants are distilled at low temperature, and their aromas are respected! Each plant has its preferred temperature and pressure. In order to obtain the most qualitative and precise distillate possible, each plant is distilled separately in small batches of three liters before being assembled. The alcohol level of the blend (% vol) is reduced cold before bottling with a mineral water from the Pyrenees drawn at 1100 meters above sea level and which has a very low minerality and a low PH. Dorian produces 15 batches of 250 bottles per year. 

Dorian started cooking at the age of 16 and quickly moved on to wine and spirits. He studied in this field for nine years (commerce, production, sommellerie). During his baccalaureate he did a few months internship in Edinburgh, and at the end of his training he bought a tent and went on an adventure to visit distilleries! It was at this time that his passion for distillation was born. Since then, he has returned every year to visit the distilleries and see his friends in Scotland. Later, he did a master's degree from the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine), during which he traveled to 28 countries to discover all aspects of wines and spirits in the world. At the end of his master's degree, he hesitates between a job as a salesman in New York and the creation of his distillery. He chose to go to the United States, but the experience did not convince him, so he returned to France and launched his distillery!

Today, he produces a vodka, an aquavit, two gins, and a bespoke gin for a Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Moulin d'Alotz. It will soon release a triple sec, the first to be vacuum distilled, to its knowledge. He has other bespoke gins in the works for restaurants and wine merchants, and many other ideas that he is gradually implementing. Be sure to follow this rising star on Instagram!