When I walked into Spago in Beverly Hills, I immediately felt underdressed. I couldn’t compete with the impeccable suit and dress game everyone was rocking at our table. But I completely forgot about my outfit when our guest of honor started to speak,

This charming dandy was none other than Jared Brown, Master Distiller of Sipsmith Gin. He’s a cocktail historian with an incredible wealth of knowledge, and he also happens to be a fantastical storyteller.

Sipsmith makes a number of different gins, but the one that caught my attention was their V.J.O.P., or Very Junipery Overproof Gin. And the process they use to create it is one-of-a-kind.