Emma Watson’s Brother Alex Says He’s ‘Grateful’ to Work with Her on Their Gin Even If ‘We Butt Heads’ (Exclusive)

Alex Watson and Emma Watson’s Renais Gin has made it to America.

The sibling duo launched their luxury modern gin in the United Kingdom in May 2023, and now, the award-winning spirit — infused with natural botanicals, including juniper berries, cubeb berries, Kimmeridgian stone, acacia honey, linden flower, grand cru grapes and more — is officially available in the U.S., both in-stores and online.

Alex, 31, spoke with PEOPLE about how he and the Harry Potter actress, 34, created Renais Gin more than three decades after their dad, Chris Watson, planted their vineyards in Chablis, France.

“Our dad has been in the wine business for a very long time, and we've both kind of grown up very much around that for the past 30 years,” says Alex. “We've spoken before about how to honor that and carry it forward.” 

Noting his previous experience in the drink industry, Alex adds that creating with his sister couldn’t have come at a better time. 

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“Emma's kind of at a place now where she is pursuing her creative endeavors more and we kind of put our heads together and said, ‘It'd be really nice to do this project,’" he says. "[It] has a big sustainability lens, which is important to both of us." (They recycle the grape skins from the winemaking process for Renais.)

The endeavor “plays very nicely to both of our sets of strengths,” he adds. 

In an April 2023 interview with the Financial Times alongside Alex and their father Chris, 65, Emma shared that she "wasn't very happy" around the time her 2019 film Little Women was released in theaters.

"I wasn't very happy, if I'm being honest," she told the outlet. "I think I felt a bit caged. The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn't have very much control over."

Alex tells PEOPLE that it’s “been so nice” to see Emma blossom with Renais Gin — as she even directed a special commercial announcing that the product would be expanding to the United States. 

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“Ems has been in front of the camera since she was nine and then filmed solidly probably until the age of 25 through the Harry Potter films and then a couple of other projects. So, I think when you pause and take a moment and step outside of that, you can then start telling your own stories," he says. "She's a very bright, multi-talented person with a lot of other dynamics and things to offer. And when you do one thing for most of your life, I think it's really important to step out and express yourself in other ways. And I think that's what Renais is for her.”

When it comes to working with family, Alex tells PEOPLE he considers it to be a “very cherished, special time."

“Dad comes everywhere a lot,” he says. Chris can even be seen making cameos on Renais’ social media accounts, sometimes being pranked into testing out certain drinks.  

“Getting to spend time with my dad and my sister doing this is honestly so cool. I'll always be very grateful for this period of time and the nature of this project," Alex tells PEOPLE. "At the same time, there's creative differences. I think it's good because Emma and I stay in our own lanes, but she is definitely a bit of a perfectionist, which can be quite challenging. I'm probably a bit more pragmatic, so we butt heads there occasionally, but generally it's just very lovely.”

To commemorate Renais being released in the U.S., Alex recently spent time in Los Angeles, New York and Miami where he says he loved “getting a feel for the drinks culture” in each area.

“Because gin has a very different perception in the U.S., it's actually really fun to get stuck in and have a couple of drinks with people and show people what else gin can be,” he says. “That's the mission we've got to go on is to persuade people in the U.S. that the vodka martini is not a thing, but gin martinis are the way forward."

Alex is also quite the bartender himself, sharing that his go-to is “a round of martinis” if he’s showing off, but will opt for “a spritz” if he’s looking for something more straight forward. 

If he's going head-to-head in a friendly drink-making competition against Emma, it can get heated.

“She's such a little nerd, she'll just go in and study something," laughs Alex. "I'm very competitive and then become the best at it. So it is me for now, but it can very well be her by next week."

Renais Gin, which is distilled from upcycled French wine grapes, inspired by the heritage and provenance of French winemaking in Northern France, is now available at all Total Wines in California.

Renais also ships directly to customers via their website in 41 states.