Restaurateur, chef, and lifelong wildlife campaigner Will Phillips speaks exclusively to Upscale Living magazine about his extraordinary new creation: Snow Leopard Gin. Limited to just 200 bottles worldwide, this £2,850 masterpiece bridges the worlds of haute spirits, high-art craftsmanship, and urgent conservation.
Upscale Living magazine (ULM): Will, your passion for wildlife conservation is deeply woven into your identity. Where did this lifelong commitment first begin?
Will Phillips (WP): It started when I was just five years old, watching Virginia McKenna star in Born Free. That film ignited a spark in me that never faded. Over the years, her campaigning, alongside the timeless work of Sir David Attenborough, became defining inspirations for everything I do. I’ve always felt a deep responsibility to use whatever platform I have to protect endangered species, whether through hosting book and art auctions for the Born Free Foundation or creating purpose-led spirits.
ULM: You started experimenting with gin at a remarkably young age. How did that evolve into creating bespoke luxury spirits?
WP: I actually began experimenting with making gin in my own kitchen when I was just 18, long before craft gin became the global phenomenon it is today. Gin has always been a personal canvas for me. As my career as a chef and restaurateur developed, my twin passions – fine spirits and wildlife – naturally began to converge. Following an earlier release created to support clouded leopard conservation, I wanted to set my sights on something even more ambitious: an ultra-rare spirit conceived as much as a work of fine art as an exceptional drink.
ULM: The snow leopard is notoriously known as the “ghost of the mountain.” Why choose this particular species for your latest project?
WP: The snow leopard is one of the most elusive, majestic species on the planet, moving unseen high in the rugged Himalayas where the air thins and the world falls silent. Tragically, its survival is under severe threat. Supporting wildlife causes has always been part of my life, but creating Snow Leopard Gin felt like an opportunity to make an impact on a far greater scale. Out of the £2,850 price point for each bottle, £500 goes directly to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation to fund critical efforts in ending wildlife crime and protecting endangered big cats.
ULM: Tell us about the liquid itself. What makes the botanical profile of Snow Leopard Gin so distinctive?
WP: We spent two years sourcing eight exceptional botanicals during brief seasonal windows to capture each at its absolute peak. The spirit reflects the terroir of the Himalayas: ginger harvested at 2,300 meters in Himachal Pradesh, turmeric root ground to preserve its natural oils, and mountain-grown, chemical-free coriander seeds that offer intense citrus and earthy notes. We balanced these with Asian botanicals – Kaffir lime from Indonesia, lychee from China, and Nam Doc mango from Thailand – rounded out with fresh British coriander leaf.
ULM: The distillation process sounds exceptionally painstaking. How did you achieve such precision?
WP: I partnered with master distiller Martin Jennings at Soapbox Spirits in Christchurch. Martin – a WSET Diploma holder and educator- distills each of the eight botanicals separately in traditional copper stills. He tested countless blends across multiple trial versions before settling on our final recipe. It’s the exact same meticulous approach that won his Pothecary Organic Gin seven international Gold Medals.
ULM: Beyond the liquid, the presentation is extraordinary. How did the design of the bottle come together?
WP: Every single bottle is a handcrafted work of sculptural art. Specialist glassmakers Nouvel hand-cast high-clarity crystalline glass into the form of Mount Everest using a combination of traditional mouth-blowing, hand-polishing, and modern engineering. The bottle is crowned with a lost-wax cast snow leopard stopper sculpture inspired by Stephen Rew, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist of the Year 2019.
ULM: You’ve also included bespoke glassware and a truly unique olfactory experience for the first buyers…
WP: Indeed. Each set includes two glasses crafted by renowned glass artist Stuart Wiltshire, who has created pieces for the British Royal Family, engraved on the base with Stephen Rew’s leopard design, alongside a signed print of Rew’s original artwork. Furthermore, the first 50 bottles come with an atomizer containing distilled leaves from a Tibetan juniper plant so rare we could only source enough for this initial run. Misting it over the glass releases a delicate breath of rare Himalayan botanical aroma before your first sip.
ULM: For those hoping to experience Snow Leopard Gin, where can it be found?
WP: With only 200 numbered bottles ever in existence, it is an exceptionally rare acquisition. For guests wishing to taste it before committing to a bottle, we serve it by the glass at my restaurant and cocktail bar, The Priory in Christchurch, poured over an ice cube hand-stamped with Rew’s leopard emblem. Award-winning mixologist Mihai Vulpe, who has worked at high-end cocktail bars including Shochu Lounge, The Ned and 1 Lombard Street, has also crafted an exclusive signature serve for us titled Snow Leopard Martini. It is an experience designed to linger long after the glass is clear.
To learn more or inquire about securing one of the 200 limited-edition bottles, visit leopardgins.co.uk.
