Simon Ford

Founder

When it comes to the spirits industry, there is little Simon Ford hasn’t done. As a leading voice of the bar and cocktail scene for over 20 years, Ford has traveled the globe working with and learning from some of the best brands, bars, and professionals on the planet. He has led numerous educational spirits programs, judged global cocktail competitions, and delivered seminars at international conferences, including, to name but a few, the New York City Wine & Food Festival, Sydney Bar Show, London Cocktail Week, and Tales of the Cocktail.

Ford has been featured in many standout publications, among them The New York Times, Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal, Men’s Health, PUNCH and Liqour.com. At the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, Ford was awarded Best International Brand Ambassador in 2007 and Best US Brand Ambassador in 2009 for his work on Plymouth Gin. He then held the role of chairman for the festival’s awards selection process and co-hosted the ceremony for several years, continuing to play an integral role in its production.

Wanting to leverage his years of experience in the spirits world and offer the industry what had been missing—a true bartender's portfolio of brands—Ford created The 86 Co. in 2012 with his fellow principal founders, debuting Caña Brava Rum, Fords Gin, Tequila Cabeza, and Aylesbury Duck Vodka. In 2019, the brand decided to place its focus solely on Fords Gin, the versatile cocktail gin, with Simon as the CEO & Founder. Then, in 2020, Simon Ford led the company to its purchase by Brown-Forman, where he currently serves as Fords Gin Managing Partner. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of The Cocktail Collection, a division of the Center for Culinary Culture—Home of EatsDrinksTV, producer and distributor of The Cocktail Guru Podcast.