In 2019 Fords Gin became a part of the Brown Forman portfolio and the first Brown-Forman Market to transition the band across was Australia. In that moment Simon vowed to head over and support the re-launch in a country he considers one of the best at hospitality and cocktail culture around the world. Then came the global travel shutdowns and the trip was thwarted and Simon’s trip postponed (never cancelled).
Now however, with Sydney Bar Week back in full swing and World Class in town Simon has rescheduled his trip to come and hang out with some of Australia’s and some of the world’s finest bartenders. From there he will be doing the usual Brand Ambassador activities with a guest bartending spot here and brand education there but he is mostly here to see Australia’s phenomenal hospitality industry again and spread the good work of Fords London Dry Gin where he can in the process. Please reach out to your Brown-Forman contact to secure a spot at one of Simon’s Masterclass sessions.
SYDNEY
Thursday 8th Sept
1pm – 3pm Trade & Media Masterclass @ Hickson House
4pm Brown – Forman HQ raising the Bar fords takeover @ Hickson House
MELBOURNE
Monday 12th Sept
3pm – 7pm Trade & Media Masterclass @ Pearl Diver
BRISBANE
Tuesday 13th Sept
12.30pm – 2.30pm Trade & Media Masterclass & Fords High Tea @ Dr Gimlette
Please reach out to your Brown-Forman contact to secure a spot at one of Simon’s Masterclass sessions.
ABOUT SIMON FORD
When it comes to the spirits industry, there is little Simon Ford hasn’t done. As a leading voice of the bar & cocktail scene for over 20 years, Ford has traveled the globe working with & learning from some of the best brands, bars, and professionals on the planet. He has led numerous educational spirit programs, judged global cocktail competitions and delivered seminars at international conferences such as: the NY Food & Wine Festival, the Sydney Bar Show, London Cocktail week and Tales of the Cocktail to name a few.
Ford has been featured in many standout publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal, Men’s Health, PUNCH and Liqour.com among others. At the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, Ford has been the recipient of the Best Brand Ambassador Award twice for his work on Plymouth Gin. He then held the role of chairman for the festival’s awards and co-hosted for several years, continuing to play an integral role in its production.
Wanting to take his years of experience in the spirits world and offer the industry a true bartenders’ portfolio of brands — In 2012 Ford co-founded the startup spirits company The 86 Co. with his fellow principal founders, and created Fords London Dry Gin, as versatile cocktail gin, with Simon as the CEO. Then, in 2019, Simon Ford led the company to its purchase by Brown-Forman where he currently serves as Global Marketing Director of the brand.