Inside the World of Quattro Gatti Gin with Brielle Mordant
Born in the rolling hills of Umbria, Italy, Quattro Gatti Gin captures the spirit of Italian aperitivo culture through a refined, terroir-driven approach.
The name (meaning “four cats”) is an Italian expression describing a small, close-knit gathering, a philosophy that reflects the brand’s emphasis on conviviality and intentional sipping.
We caught up with Quattro Gatti CMO Brielle Mordant to learn more about the story behind the brand, its Umbrian roots, and the philosophy shaping its distinctive approach to Italian gin.
What is the story behind the name Quattro Gatti, and how does it reflect the brand’s identity?
“Quattro Gatti” (literally translated as “four cats”) is an Italian phrase that refers to a small group of people. It’s how Italians describe a small, close-knit gathering, which is exactly how we want people to enjoy our gin – among friends and loved ones in an intimate setting.
It also refers to our four co-founders: Simon and Catriona Mordant, their son Angus, and me. We started the brand together, and each of us plays a pivotal role in its success.
Our gin is meant to be savored in good company, with a chosen few. If you look around at any crowded bar or restaurant, you’ll see it everywhere. Small circles of friends laughing, connecting, and being present. Quattro Gatti aspires to be a part of those moments.
Which botanicals serve as the foundation of Quattro Gatti’s flavor profile, and why were these chosen as core elements?
Our family has had a deep connection with Umbria, Italy, for over 20 years. When creating the gin, we wanted to capture the essence of that region, which is known as “the green heart of Italy.” Local ingredients were paramount in making the gin feel evocative of the local area and undoubtedly Italian in taste.
At the heart of both expressions is Italian juniper, abundant in the Umbria region where Quattro Gatti was founded and widely regarded as the finest in the world.
Beyond the juniper, Angus deliberately kept the botanical selection focused, using fewer than ten botanicals in each gin to allow every ingredient room to shine. He approached each gin like a carefully crafted meal: every component must be appealing on its own, while also working in harmony to create a balanced and successful whole.
How does the brand balance classic gin-making traditions with modern creativity in distillation and recipe development?
All of the spirit’s recipe development happens on our family’s property in Umbria. The distilling process itself is quite traditional, but the experimentation and development are creative and hands-on. We pick botanicals and herbs straight from our land, go to the local markets to source ingredients, and then do all the testing and weighing out ratios ourselves.
We strive to be creative and push the boundaries within gin, straying from traditional London dry gins. We look to familiar culinary flavors to craft gins that offer familiarity with a refined contemporary twist.
What originally inspired the launch of Quattro Gatti Gin, and what gap or opportunity in the gin category did the brand aim to address?
The idea first took shape after Angus and Simon attended a gin-making class in England and fell in love with the process. When they returned to Umbria, experimentation began as a passion project to create their ideal gin. We walked our land, gathering botanicals from the property and distilling them in a small copper still, learning through trial and error what worked and what did not.
Almost as a joke, we entered our favorite expression into a spirits competition. To our surprise, it was awarded Triple Gold. As we began to reflect on what we had created, it became clear that something was missing from many modern luxury spirit brands: a sense of intimacy, presence, and beauty in simplicity. When we realized how tangible it could be to scale what began as a family passion project, the vision for Quattro Gatti truly came into focus.
We also noticed that while many London Dry style gins rely on juniper sourced from Italy, few acknowledge or celebrate its origin. Recognizing this disconnect, we saw an opportunity to create a gin that champions Italian ingredients and a true sense of place, putting terroir at the center by honoring the land and agricultural heritage from which those botanicals come.
What behind-the-scenes details about sourcing or distillation would be most interesting to industry professionals and gin enthusiasts?
For industry professionals and gin enthusiasts, the most compelling details often lie in our hands-on approach…
All of the spirit’s recipe development happens on our family’s property in Umbria
Our family’s passion for Umbria and creating a true luxury Italian gin using native ingredients
Botanicals should read like a familiar dish on a menu, all sound appetizing together, beauty in familiarity
Restraint – our goal isn’t intensity of flavor, it’s clarity and a cohesive story told through flavor
We treat their botanicals as individual instruments rather than a singular loud chorus. Each botanical must play its part in harmony with the others. Many modern gins chase novelty through exotic botanicals or extreme aromatics. We focus instead on place, texture, and usability behind the bar.
Quattro Gatti is engineered for real-world cocktails, creating a gin that is not only well balanced on its own but complements the classic cocktails and offers a canvas to build upon for more involved mixology.
For Olive Grove Gin, incorporating olive oil presented a unique technical challenge. In gin distillation, flavor is carried by oils extracted from botanicals; however, excessive oil content in the final gin can lead to instability, which results in louching when the spirit is diluted with tonic. Extensive experimentation achieved the desired mouthfeel and aromatic depth while maintaining clarity, balance, and structural stability in the final spirit.
When someone tastes Quattro Gatti for the first time, which flavors, textures, or characteristics are intended to stand out?
Gin Classico is versatile and timeless. It opens with bright orange citrus top notes, transitions to floral ginestra in the mid-palette, and finishes with a long, savory herbaceous tail. Quattro Gatti wanted it to be clean enough for a razor-sharp martini, bold enough to hold its own in a negroni, smooth enough for a gin & tonic, or simply sipped neat. In a gin & tonic, it’s best served with a sprig of rosemary or a slice of orange. These complement the flavor profiles found in the gin and elevate an otherwise simple pour to another level.
Olive Grove Gin is earthy, elegant, savory, and quietly complex. On the nose, it opens with forest floor and rain-soaked stone. As it breathes, floral notes emerge, like dusk blooms or greenhouse air. The palate is round and structured, with a clear line of juniper and a velvety mouthfeel from the olive oil infusion. It finishes with a gentle warmth and a savory depth that lingers. It is familiar and nostalgic in that it tastes and feels like a perfectly crafted martini straight from the bottle.
The bottle design is distinctive. What does the visual identity represent, and how does it connect to the brand’s overall concept?
While Italy is frequently defined by sunlit coastlines, Quattro Gatti looks inward to Umbria.
Landlocked and deeply agricultural, the region moves at a slower, more grounded pace. Known as Italy’s green heart, Umbria carries a sense of depth and restraint, expressed through earthy tones, soft light, and a quiet confidence. That subtlety informed every design decision behind Quattro Gatti, from the visual identity to the packaging, ensuring it reflected the region’s understated sophistication rather than a louder, more expected version of Italy.
Which cocktails best showcase Quattro Gatti’s profile, and why do those serves highlight its strengths?
A classic Negroni with a twist for Gin Classico – there is a great recipe on our website that uses a touch of aged balsamic. The Gin Classico shines through yet keeps the cocktail balanced, and the balsamic adds a sophisticated, distinctly Italian element.
For Olive Grove Gin, the perfect cocktail is a martini. The expression’s savory, elegant feel highlights the many layers of olive present in gin itself. Quattro Gatti’s recipe is garnished with four olives and four drops of olive oil – a fitting nod to the brand.
What have been the most rewarding milestones or moments in the development of the Quattro Gatti brand so far?
The two that stand out are the brand’s initial preview dinner and tasting in August at Via Cassia in Hudson, New York, and the NYC launch at Clemente Bar.
Angus and I live in the Hudson area, and we love the synergies between New York’s “green heart” and Umbria, the green heart of Italy. Quattro Gatti’s preview dinner happened at one of our favorite local Italian restaurants, Via Cassia, and brought together our community of friends and loved ones that are deeply connected to the art, design, culture, and culinary worlds that we love. The night felt joyful, intimate, and truly captured the spirit of Umbria that we wanted to highlight with Quattro Gatti.
The brand’s official launch celebration brought that same vibe to New York City at Eleven Madison Park’s Clemente Bar. Cultural tastemakers, friends, and family convened for a night of lively conversation and delicious Quattro Gatti cocktails created by the esteemed beverage director, Sebastian Tollius.
Both of these moments felt like the perfect representation of a brand that was only the seed of an idea a few years ago. They captured the essence of Quattro Gatti – the brand itself and the meaning of the Italian phrase it’s named after.
Looking ahead, what can you share about what’s next for Quattro Gatti — new expressions, collaborations, or projects on the horizon?
The response since Quattro Gatti’s U.S. debut has been incredible, and we are focused on deepening our brand’s presence through partnerships that celebrate design, art, and Italian culture. More on that front coming soon!
There are also new, innovative expressions in the works that Quattro Gatti can’t wait to share in 2026.
Quattro Gatti continues to experiment with patience and heritage. Drawing inspiration from fine Italian wines, a future-aged release delivers depth and warmth crafted for slow moments, not just cocktails.
The post Inside the World of Quattro Gatti Gin with Brielle Mordant appeared first on Chilled Magazine.