Carmen O’Neal was born and raised in Canada. A serial entrepreneur from a young age (she started her first business aged 5 making beeswax ornaments) Carmen made her way to London via Italy to set up her own wedding shoe design business. With investors in place and while in the middle of designing her first collection, she was hit by a lorry while cycling through the city. The helmet saved her life but the right side of her body was crushed and left her unable to design or make shoes - so she started drinking gin.

Carmen's mother, Rae*, was an aromatherapist and started one of Canada’s first health food stores before launching her own aromatherapy brand. So, Carmen grew up understanding essential oils and the distillation process. A true entrepreneur, Carmen didn’t just drink gin - she wanted to learn how to make it.

Starting on a 2 litre still, she began experimenting with different botanicals and, 58 recipes later, had a London Dry Gin that she was excited to share with the world. The business grew, the stills got bigger, and Carmen opened 58 and CO in an archway in Haggerston in 2019. When the pandemic hit in 2020, it was one of the first places in the UK to switch production to making sanitiser and 58 and CO became an official supplier for the Met Police and NHS, as well as women’s shelters and home care.

Today, 58 and CO distillery is a stunning events space, bottle shop and gin school and our multi award-winning spirits can be found in bars and restaurants throughout the UK. As well as running the business with her dedicated team, 'Cocktail Carmen' is a regular as the cocktail and spirits expert on on BBC Saturday Kitchen, making waves in the industry championing sustainability and female-led businesses.

*The 450l Holstein still that stands in the middle of the distillery is named Rae.