Meet The Man Behind The World’s Most Innovative Distillery

First things first: Empirical Spirits is not a a distillery…Certainly not in any conventional sense of the word. Co-founder Lars Williams wants you to think of his 5-year-old Copenhagen-based operation as a “flavor company.” It makes sense when you understand his pedigree. Before setting up their own brand, Williams and business partner Mark Emil Hermansen were both working at Noma—widely regarded as the best restaurant on the planet. So obviously they know a thing or two about developing flavor.

But being well-versed in making great food doesn’t necessarily predict success in crafting liquids. Bridging the gap between the two mediums is a vital thread of continuity that the duo carried over from their previous gig: it’s not just about developing tastes so much as it is about innovating them.

Despite the proliferation of craft spirits in the modern era, there has been shockingly little transformational players in the space. That’s because the primary categories on liquor shelves have to conform to basic parameters of production. Vodka is a neutral spirit. Whisky has to come from cereal grains and age in barrels. Tequila has to be made in Mexico using only one specific type of agave. Gin has to lead with juniper as its botanical adulterant. Empirical Spirits, for its part, has zero interest in conforming to categories. And the unorthodox distillation techniques they employ are all in the service of showcasing base ingredients.

Could this be the future of booze? Only the consumer can make that call. Lars Williams is certainly crafting a compelling case for them to enjoy, one bottle at a time. Here he shares some thoughts on his journey thus far—and what’s next for Empirical Spirits—in an exclusive interview for Forbes.

You and Mark Emil Hermansen founded Empirical, which describes itself as a “flavor company.” What exactly does that mean, and why was this term chosen?

Lars Williams: “We call it that in so much as we apply the hard work, critical lens, culinary innovation and scientific rigor we learned through our careers in kitchens to harness flavors, and then democratize the way that those are shared. Flavor is our North Star and thus dictates all we do. From selecting the best raw material to ferment, to the yeast we chose to create new layers of nuance, or the botanicals we showcase; we strive to unlock the aromatic potential of each ingredient from scratch. Flavor is our way of communicating and connecting with people, creating experiences, conveying a perception of place and time, and universal sense memories to share.”

Empirical speaks a lot about capturing sense memories in its spirits. What does that mean?

LW: “Well, first, there is a way to answer this question with human physiology. Flavor has a special capacity to trigger memories, especially emotionally charged memories, because of the direct connections olfaction has with parts of the limbic system involved in generating emotion and memory. Olfaction is unique in being the only sensory system that projects directly to the amygdala without being gated by the thalamus and thus creates flavor memories that are not continually reconstituted by the normal recollection process. None of our other senses have this level of targeted connection with the areas of the brain that process emotion, associative learning and memory. Your brain thus goes through your internal Rolodex of past experiences to find the connection between what you taste and what you know. You basically constantly experience flavor through sense memories.This is fascinating to us, and we always strive to transport these emotions and experiences in everything we do. How can we make a perception that is so personal a universal one.”

What are some specific examples from your expressions?

LW: “With our first spirit ‘Easy Tiger’, I wanted to encapsulate the scents of the Scandinavian landscape and foraging in the evergreen forests to send to my sister; a way of connecting with her and sharing my reality while being thousands of miles away through the aromas of mature juniper and Douglas fir needles. ‘The Plum, I Suppose’ is sharing these experiences in a different light, perhaps a more universal one in a way. The soft, comforting and somehow nostalgic flavor of marzipan from the plum kernels resonates with everyone on an emotional level, whether it is a treat from your childhood, the smell of a freshly baked tart from your grandmother, or the alleviating feeling of a warm hug. It’s an egalitarian Proustian Madeleine. With Ayuuk, we recreated my memory of the Oaxacan landscape and the aromas of the Central de Abasto market through the Pasilla Mixe chili. While the sense memory of Oaxaca will of course be stronger if one has been there, it seems to have a transportive quality, in that it evokes a conception of Mexico and Oaxaca.”

Do these always start by focusing on a specific ingredient?

LW: “Not always. Symphony 6 is very different. We wanted to create a lost memory of a summery twilight; a moment where light and dark, day and night meet, ephemeral and timeless come together. It tells a story without uttering a word. It is a point between times, recapturing that universal feeling of a perfect summer evening hanging out with your crush; that instant when everything is new and exciting, a visceral experience. Symphony 6 delves into six fragrant leaves and unique ingredients that are often overlooked. The mandarin and lemon leaves bring refreshing bright acidity, contrasted by the darker leather depth of rolled and unrolled coffee leaves. The green and earthy fig leaf is enhanced by the evanescent floral notes of the blackcurrant buds. Ambrette seeds and vetiver roots highlight the darker layers to reveal a distinctly musky spirit.”

You are a chef-turned-distiller. How does your advanced culinary training influence your distilling?

LW: “It for sure plays a lot in the way we approach everything; starting from scratch, sourcing or foraging ingredients, and creating strong relationships with suppliers, whether they are the Mixe community in Mexico or the amazing sorghum producers in Kentucky and Wisconsin. We build flavors up from scratch, each step participating in the flavor creation process and its extraction. Just as with a recipe in a kitchen, all the smaller steps have their importance. Of course, I worked a lot with fermentation in the kitchen studying how it is not just a great tool to transform sugars to alcohol but how they impart incredible flavor nuances. We apply this principle to all we are doing. We look for inspiration in ingredients all over the world, following the seasons and using nature as our guide. Virtually anything can become a botanical, and the only way to find out is to try. We are of course also constantly tasting all we do, every step of the way. As a matter of fact, spoons are probably the most used tool at Empirical. With each new batch, we always strive to be better tomorrow than we were today.”

Besides going beyond traditional categories, how are these freeform spirits different than those of other spirits producers?

LW: “Being able to work outside categories really allows us to try all we want and start from scratch as opposed to using bought-in base spirits. As we strive to showcase the multiple facets and nuances of flavor in our fermented wash and then botanicals; it was clear from an early point that we would explore past traditional distillation methods. We, therefore, turned to vacuum distillation, which drastically reduced the boiling point of alcohol to as low as 9°C, thus preserving all the fresh volatile flavor compounds of the ingredients. Comparing traditional distillation with its vacuum counterpart is like putting marmalade beside fresh pressed orange juice, the two being different expressions of an orange. Throughout the distillation run we take, on average, 100 cuts. Each cut captures a different aspect, allowing us to deconstruct the ingredients, explore nuances as they develop, and form them back together to construct our ideal profile. When changing the ABV for bottling we will often use distilled house-made kombucha which adds nuance and complexity, rather than simply diluting with water. All in all, we are constantly questioning every parameter of our process, always striving to be better tomorrow than we were today.”

What is the creative process like for coming up with Empirical’s new expressions? Is it driven by specific ingredients or is there a flavor profile in mind to begin with that directs the ingredients chosen?

LW: “At Empirical, the creative process takes various forms. We may fall in love with an ingredient and explore all its different layers or feel inspired by a process and experiment with it. And there are avenues we take when we want to deeply immerse ourselves in research projects; we go down a myriad of paths to find something new. Ayuuk, for example, is a very ingredient-focused spirit. I came across the Pasilla Mixe chilies on holiday in Oaxaca and was so obsessed with their aromas that I knew we needed to do something with them. So I went across the road from the market to buy two suitcases and brought 35kgs back to the Copenhagen distillery. From there we sought ways to make the chili shine, and it became Ayuuk. Inspiration comes in many shapes and forms at Empirical. We attempt to fill ourselves with as much knowledge and wisdom as possible, but still approach the creative process with a childlike curiosity.”

Given their lack of precedence or the ability to be pigeonholed in traditional categories, what are the challenges of communicating Empirical’s free-form spirits to consumers and the bar/beverage industry?

LW: “It is a challenge we are regularly faced with. When it comes to bartenders or the beverage industry, the flavor speaks for itself. They are our best ambassadors in that sense. They know how to channel these flavors and turn them into even more delicious drinks. And they are open to and excited about experiencing new flavors outside of the pre-established categories. For consumers, it is a question of being in front of them and having the first sip and having an open mind while offering options for them to enjoy the spirits and cans the way they want to. But the future of free-form spirits is bright, with a growing community of like-minded producers breaking away from conventions to deliver delicious tipples and redefine the way we consume flavor.”

What are some simple substations wherein an Empirical spirit can be used in a classic cocktail?

LW: “It very much depends on the spirit. I would say that if you enjoy gins, The Plum, I Suppose or Symphony 6 are the perfect go to. We love a White Negroni or a Martini with the Plum, I Suppose and a twist on a French 75 or a gimlet with Symphony 6. Ayuuk captures the scents and flavors of Oaxaca, so feel free to replace your mezcal with it. An Ayuuk Margarita is a banger and so is a Oaxacan Old Fashioned. Last, but not least, SOKA has notes reminiscent of rum agricole, perfect for your interpretation of a Mojito or a Piña Colada.”

What is next for Empirical?

LW: “Through Deliciousness we intend to change the way people think about Flavor.”