Adam von Gootkin, Co-founder and CEO, Highclere Castle Gin
A lifelong entrepreneur, Adam von Gootkin’s pedigree in the spirits industry dates back to his family’s distillery in the 1800s, while his lineage as a risk-taker can be traced directly to his great grandfather’s Prohibition-era speakeasy and shipping operation on the Connecticut River.
Over a century later, Adam is a global innovator in the spirits industry bringing his family’s legacy into the next generation by co-founding Onyx Spirits Co., an award-winning craft distillery offering America’s first ultra-premium moonshine and New England’s first whiskey. In 2015, his nationally released book Living Proof: Onyx Moonshine’s Journey to Revive the American Spirit, chronicled his unique approach to traditional business principles.
After successfully building one of Connecticut’s first distilleries since prohibition, Adam’s next venture would take him from the New England coastline to the rolling grasslands of the English countryside and to one of the most famous homes in the world. In 2017 he partnered with the 8th Earl & Countess of Carnarvon, the owners of Highclere Castle, known as the “Real Downton Abbey”, creating the Highclere Castle Cigar Company, produced with world-renowned cigar blender Nicholas Melillo in Nicaragua. The cigar has been recognized as one of the top cigars in the world by Cigar Aficionado with the brand rapidly expanding throughout the US, UK and mainland Europe.
Highclere Castle Spirits joined the budding empire the following year, in keeping with Adam’s vision to create a global portfolio of hyper-authentic prestige brands with deep roots. In 2019, the award-winning Highclere Castle Gin was launched. The exceptionally smooth London Dry Gin has been released throughout the U.S., U.K., and the EU and has won over 160 international spirit awards making it the most awarded gin in the world. In 2023, the company reached a valuation of $35M in just under 3 years.
Adam was honored to be the keynote speaker for Dale Carnegie’s 110th International Convention and has been featured on Bloomberg, Forbes, Fortune, NBC, ABC, and many other leading media platforms. He is an advisor to the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and a founding trustee of the Ethiopian Imperial Trust, advisor to His Imperial Highness, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie. In 2022 he joined the College of Fellows for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He is a public speaker with Leading Authorities, Inc, one of the world’s leading speaking bureau’s. Adam lives in Connecticut with his wife and 3 children.
Adam is committed to building ultra-luxury global products born of distinctly authentic brands rooted in the uniqueness of their terroir and provenance, a celebration of history, authenticity, and irreplaceable pedigree. He is committed to sustainable agriculture and manufacturing processes.