Ford, Simon (1972–), is one of the catalysts of the modern cocktail renaissance. A bartender and a bon vivant turned brand ambassador and finally liquor company cofounder, Ford was born in Hastings, England, and raised in Bath. While working for Plymouth Gin starting in the late 1990s, and later at Pernod-Ricard after its acquisition of Plymouth in 2009, Ford pioneered the role of brand ambassador, especially in the area of brand education. See Plymouth gin. Realizing that bringing bartenders together for travel, spirits education, encounters with distillery personnel, and professional networking among themselves would extend both the influence of the sponsoring brands as well as the education and professional standing of the invited bartenders, Ford convinced his employers to pay for a series of distillery visits, boozy historical walking tours, celebrations of bars and individual classic cocktails, and such that were as entertaining as they were educational. This developed into a brand education model that was copied and employed across the liquor and bar industries. Ford’s reputation as an industry icon was burnished by his long-standing role as host of the Spirited Awards show during the annual Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans. After departing Pernod Ricard, Ford went on to become a cofounder of the 86 Company liquor concern in 2012, which included the well-regarded Fords Gin in its portfolio. In 2019, Fords Gin was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation.
Brown-Forman; Pernod-Ricard; and Tales of the Cocktail.“Simon Ford: Co-Founder, the 86 Co.” Punch Magazine. https://punchdrink.com/lookbook/simon-ford-co-founder-the-86-company-spirits/ (accessed March 19, 2021).
Text message exchange with Simon Ford, July 6, 2020.
Tuennerman, Ann. “A Chat with Ann Tuennerman and Simon Ford.” Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, May 23, 2017. http://3.16.131.86/people/chat-ann-tuennerman-and-simon-ford (accessed March 19, 2021).
By: David Moo