Born of chance

A major transformation is underway at the site where the Swiss national railway company, the SBB, once used to service its train carriages. Werkstadt Zürich has become a space for urban, sustainable production. The historic structures, dating from the 1900s, are a flagship project in modern urban development. At the centre of it all are the production facilities of Deux Frères, where Gian and Florian Grundböck produce gin and vermouth and sell organic wines. Over the course of ten years, they've gone from making gin on their parents' farm as a hobby to being innovative drinks producers.

Gian and Flo want to produce something with good taste – in the broadest sense. That covers everything from the actual taste to the elegant bottles and labels, as well as the furnishings of the historic SBB halls in the Altstetten district of Zurich. Nothing is left to chance. The brothers both have a sense for aesthetics. Distinctive design, emotion and experience characterise the brand, which has firmly established itself in the drinks market.

Classic chairs from Horgenglarus surround the long table in the event room. A two-piece configuration from USM is fitted with mirrored spy glass and really catches the eye. The two elements can be used individually as sideboards or interlocked to form a bar trolley. Alongside this is a striking, almost four-metre-high shelf configuration from USM, fitted with mirrors – in which the products from the distillery are perfectly showcased. Whether it's gin, wines from Provence or a new room fragrance, obtained from the by-products of gin production and refined with essential oils, everything has its place on the shelves.

Gian pours a glass of gin. The drink changes colour when he adds their own-brand tonic water. The watery blue typical of gin slowly turns pink. It's a surprising effect that arises when the anthocyanins from the flowers and roots that flavour and colour the gin react with the acidity of the tonic.

How did you both come up with the idea of making your own gin, Gian? Did you buy a few bottles of plain spirits and add some spices?

Gian: "No, it wasn't like that at all. My brother and I always wanted to make something of our own. Flo is a food engineer and had been teaching lab technicians. He had to teach them how to distil. That's how the idea came about."

Florian ('Flo'): "The process is actually relatively simple, and compared to whisky production, it takes significantly less time as there is no need for long periods of barrel storage. What takes time, however, is recipe development: a good recipe is only created after many attempts and tastings."

Gian: "The urge to make something of our own probably comes from our parents. They had their own physiotherapy practice and were entrepreneurs, even if they would never call themselves that. We had no money and also no idea about the drinks industry. We only had Flo's know-how. He was experimenting for about two years until perfecting a recipe we found convincing."

Flo: "When we were looking for a contract distillery to work with in Switzerland, people laughed at us. Nobody wanted to get on board. Then, by chance, our situation changed. Our father is Austrian and knew a contract distiller through a friend of a friend."

Gian: "The collaboration with this distiller lasted six years. He distilled, then we bottled and distributed the gin. Our hobby has become more and more complex over time. We had to make a decision: are we going to go all in? Flo hadn't been happy in his job for some time. So, we founded Deux Frères in 2016 and in 2018 we got fully stuck in."

You also bought your first piece of USM furniture back then.

Gian: "Yes, it's ancient, at least thirty years old. We still use it in the office today. We've always loved USM and this one is an absolute classic. We would also like to become a brand like that, a timeless classic."

Is design important to you?

Flo: "We don't look at anything in a vacuum. Taste, design, our space: it's all part of the same picture – and everything is free to evolve. Take the gin bottle, for example. It has to be dark because sunlight spoils the colouring agents. And we wanted a bottle that people would keep. When the gin is finished, people should use it as a vase. It's like USM: it should not only look good, but also be timeless, high-quality and versatile to use. Our products need to be perfect as a full package. This includes the bottle, the design elements and the space here where we produce the gin and now organise events."

How did you configure your new USM furniture?

Gian: "We wanted USM furniture that is functional and aesthetic. For example, with the two-piece bar trolley, the pieces interconnect but can also stand alone. The large shelving element, which features a lot of mirrored parts and echoes the mirrored column in the room, makes the space bigger and creates new perspectives. And it creates a kind of bar look. It reminds me of New York. The important thing is that all the elements are functional, so there's space for our products, which take centre stage."

Is there also a USM trolley in the distillery?

Flo: "The trolley is really practical in production. We push it around to wherever we need it. Take sticking on labels, for example. It is hygienic – which is important for us as drinks producers – and it lasts forever."

Now we're sitting here in your new location and there's a really big still next door. Would you have expected that ten years ago?

Gian: "No. We started out rather naively, but we were lucky."
Flo: "And of course, we worked quite hard too!"

If you want to purchase a USM Haller piece yourself design it now in our online configurator or find your local sales partner.