Topic: A Sip of Knowledge with Henry Preiss & Henric Molin

Hosts: Liz Rhoades, Lew Bryson, & Martin Duffy

What You'll Learn: Join a trio of drink industry veterans in weekly conversation on whiskey, spirits, distilling, marketing, and the current state of the drink industry. This week, Henry Preiss (Preiss Imports) and Henric Molin (Spirit of Hven) join the group.

After a successful 34 years, in 2008 Henry Preiss sold his company Preiss Imports to the Griffin Group, owned by Keith Greggor and Anthony Foglio. They saw an opportunity, which at the time was unique, in purchasing the company built by Henry Preiss.

Preiss Imports, through Henry Preiss, has been acknowledged to be a pioneer in developing small premium brands and placing them strategically with distributors in virtually every market of the USA. The decisions to veer away from wines in the early 90’s and concentrate on premium liquor specialties uniquely placed Preiss Imports at the forefront of what became the mixology revolution.

While Preiss Imports was an iconic company in the way it brought to market and managed 33 suppliers from Europe and Australia, it also managed to forge strong relationships in the entire supply chain from producer through to the end consumer. This relationship building process was a unique one and utilized Henry’s ability to connect with all levels of the trade.

Henric Molin a chemist by education and flavorist by heart. Often described as a “perfectionist geek”, in a good way of course. This is of course also his biggest strength, always obsessed with getting the exact wanted results, best raw materials – picked by himself if possible, best yields and casks that have been made of wood grown in the right places down to the coordinates.

Henric was born into the hospitality industry the first pioneering work was done within the wine segment late 80’s. In 1998 Henric and his wife Anja founded Backafallsbyn on the island of Hven located in the strait of Oresund between Denmark and Sweden. That eventually gave birth to Spirit of Hven a company that not only distills its own organic products but also holds its own laboratory.

In the laboratory Henric does not just improve his own products he also consults the spirits industry globally, creates recipes for others and has dedicated the last 20 years to the science of creating scent and taste components for foodstuffs and foremost beverages.

Main work area the last 10 years have focused on creation, production and valuation of spirits. This incorporates developing new recipes and concepts that align trends with viable USP’s and feasible production models. Among the clients are found some of the highest valuated and appraised brands in the world.

Liz Rhoades, founder of Spirit Safe Consulting, former research scientist for DIAGEO, distilling consultant, spirits writer for The Whiskey Wash & presenter.

Lew Bryson, former managing editor for Whisky Advocate Magazine for 20 years, whiskey author, beer/whiskey writer and presenter.

Martin Duffy, former DIAGEO Master of Whisky for the Midwest, DIAGEO Reserve Brand Ambassador for The Republic of Ireland, North American Brand Representative for Glencairn Crystal.