This month, Luxurious Magazine turns its focus to Tanqueray No. TEN gin which was launched 14 years ago in the USA.
Charles died in 1868 and the business went to his son (Charles Waugh Tanqueray) who was more commercially minded. He began to export Tanqueray to different markets and masterminded the merger in 1898 between Alexander Gordon & Co and Charles Tanqueray & Co to create the largest gin house in the world called ‘Tanqueray Gordon & Co’, a name that Diageo still trades under (they have owned the brand since 1922). As a result, Tanqueray closed their production facility and moved to Gordon’s Goswell Road site which was very synonymous with gin and known as ‘The House’. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed in 1941 in the Blitz, but the ‘Old Tom’ still survived and is still used today. The location was re-opened which saw production continue until the 1980s before manufacturing moved to Laindon in Essex and then to its current home in Cameronbridge, Scotland, in the 1990s.
At the heart of the Tanqueray brand today is Master Distiller and the highly knowledgeable Scotsman, Tom Nichol, who brings 42 years’ experience of the profession.
Tanqueray No. TEN takes its name from the compact copper 500-litre ‘Tiny Ten’ still which resides at Diageo’s Cameronbridge distillery. Its purpose is to distil the fresh citrus fruit found in the drink for 222.22 minutes (these numbers also add up to 10!) which gives the gin its distinct aromas. Hand-picked, the produce (oranges from Florida, limes from Mexico and Israeli white grapefruits) arrives at the distillery pre-cut from the Nativity farm just eight miles away, and is used immediately by Tom to preserve the aromas and to ensure the freshest of ingredients are always distilled. These are combined in two hundred year old stills (numbered one and three) with de-mineralised water and the hand selected and meticulously checked core botanicals of juniper (99.9% comes from Tuscany in Italy), coriander (originating from Bulgaria, Russia, Romania and Albania), Roman camomile, angelica (sourced from Saxony in Germany) and liquorice. All of the former give Tanqueray No. TEN its uniquely smooth, clean and refreshing taste.
Tanqueray No. TEN is actually made in very small batches (five at a time) and it takes around 10 hours to create a bottle of Tanqueray from start to finish. As the gin is not aged contrary to whisky (which is also manufactured at the Cameronbridge distillery alongside other lines including Smirnoff Vodka), it is bottled at a nearby plant and distributed to retailers straight away.
From 16th July and throughout the summer, the roof top back bar at Vista in London will be transformed into a Citrus Garden in celebration of the latest design. As part of the initiative, consumer gin masterclass sessions will be hosted by Tim Homewood and TEN perfect cocktails will be on offer, all created by some of the very best bartenders.
A 70cl bottle of Tanqueray No. TEN can be purchased at Selfridges and Alexander & James (www.alexanderandjames.com) for a recommended RRP of £32.58.
ABV: 47.3%