Margot Robbie and her friends tell Rebecca Barry Hill why they’re taking their successful new venture Papa Salt seriously — but not too seriously.
Hands up if you’ve ever had a few drinks with mates and found yourselves scheming to take over the world — or at least to start
On the eve of a whistle-stop tour to launch the gin in New Zealand in November, Papa Salt co-founders Josey McNamara, and married couples Regan Riskas Maas and Charlie Maas, and Tom Ackerley and Margot Robbie (yes, that Margot Robbie) are on a group Zoom to chat about their low-fi genesis as gin producers, their passion project when they’re not making movies.
The group’s eight-year-plus friendship was first sparked on film sets in the US, Belgium and England, and “weirdly and fortuitously” says Margot, continued when they all found themselves living in London, and now LA.
“We never had some big company come to us and say, ‘Hey, slap your names on this,’ she says. “It’s just the five of us.”
Launching Papa Salt in two of the world’s most gin-saturated markets is precisely why they chose to test its popularity here, says Margot, whose love for sampling new gins when she returns home to Australia saw her recently try a variety flavoured with green ants.
While the US is yet to adopt the Antipodean and English love affair with gin, preferring vodka, whiskey, rum and tequila, the founders say they’re not ruling out further expansion. But for now, Papa Salt will join the 174 boutique New Zealand gins clamouring for our tastebuds alongside the established internationals. Though Spirits NZ predicts we’ve almost hit peak gin, with sales expected to slow over the next 12-18 months, the spirit is still the fastest growing in the country, matching our curiosity for premium brands and creative mixology, trends Papa Salt is jumping on.
“I drink a martini before dinner and a gin and tonic in the daytime,” says Tom. “I’m also partial to a gin and soda and I think that’s a big push for us. It’s a really great daytime refreshing drink, especially coming into summer. We drink, uh, I drink, a lot of Negronis. I’m just speaking for myself here.”
The founders’ appreciation for gin is a bit more sophisticated since their early bar-hopping days in London, says Josey, when Margot would bring a tea bag to mask the flavour of her G&T.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
“A lot of our socialising was around having a drink at a pub and sampling different gin and tonics,” he says. “It’s always been centred around that fun element of hanging out.”
What made them friends in the first place?
“I think Josey’s asked himself that every day,” quips Regan. “Why am I still friends with them?”
Now the group walk no more than 10 minutes between their LA homes, where they spent much of the pandemic drinking gin in their sunny backyards, and running creative experiments, “with all the little test tubes of different botanicals, mixing it with base spirits, not remembering any of it at the end,” Margot laughs.
It was a tough few years at the office but the group worked their way through 300 distilled botanicals, creating 59 gin variations before landing on their final recipe. Reigning them in was Regan, who was pregnant during the latter stages of tasting, making up for her inability to imbibe by taking notes and using her heightened sense of smell to weed out certain aromas. Charlie, meanwhile, played “Dad”, drawing on his expertise in the drinks and advertising industries. His family also owns a distillery in Wisconsin, the products of which were well liked by the group.
“At the time I was working on a cream liqueur and I was like, ‘I can’t drink another cream liqueur ever in my whole life’,” he says. “So I’m happy we could all agree on the category.”
They might have kept on tinkering with the recipe had it not been for Charlie, who secretly entered the gin into the LA Spirit Awards, where Papa Salt won a platinum medal and Best Gin, its botanical combo of roasted wattleseed, pink peppercorn, wax flower, hibiscus, citrus peel and oyster shell designed to invoke the laidback, beachy lifestyle Margot grew up with on the Gold Coast.
But they had another VIP to impress: the “salty sea dog Aussie pirate” they’ve named the gin after, who they met while backpacking in Sri Lanka together. Years after a memorable night at his beach bar they managed to track him down to give him his gin to try, after which he promptly got a tattoo of their distinctive aquamarine bottle on his leg.
“He was stoked,” says Margot. “Getting in touch with him was hilarious. He’s a real free spirit. The guy’s been like shipwrecked, like, three times.”
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Producing a modest first run of 1200 bottles from the Lord Byron Distillery in Bryon Bay, which they figured would keep their Australian customers happy for a good six weeks, they were shocked when Papa Salt sold out in less than 48 hours, post-launch. Naturally, Margot’s involvement has helped to drive sales — and though it’s attention the group have welcomed, knowing curious drinkers would try it for that reason doesn’t necessarily translate to repeat customers, says Charlie.
“Anyone in the liquor industry will tell you, the only thing that really matters is the juice, like, that has to be good,” he says. “Or else it doesn’t matter how great your branding is or if you have a clever marketing campaign.”
Now their chief concern appears to be keeping up with demand, not just for the public but for themselves.
“Tom messaged me recently: I need something for Wednesday,” says Charlie. “And I thought it was a big important thing and I was like, alright, I can get a courier to get on a plane with a case [from Australia to the US] and it’ll cost us a couple grand, but this seems important. He’s like, no we’re having a friend over. I just wanted to show off.”
“I don’t mind having to go to New Zealand and Australia whenever I drink,” adds Regan. “That’s fine by me.”
Papa Salt Coastal Gin is available from November 12 from select liquor stores, restaurants and bars.
The best in wine and the boom of botanicals.
Viva’s NZ Wine Awards 2023: 50 Top Wines To Try. 50 wineries, 50 wines. Dr Jo Burzynska selects New Zealand’s best.
The Winemaking Couple Defining The Art Of Altitude In The Adelaide Hills. They’re living their dream of creating wines that are a true reflection of their place.
What’s In A Blend? How To Navigate The Multi-Variety Wine Trend. They were once sniffed at as wine’s “leftovers” but blends are finally gaining interest.
Sophisticated & Sans-Alcohol, Here Are 22 Dry Drinks To Try Now. From zero per cent craft beer to botanical spirits and funky wine alternatives.
