Diageo is fortunate to offer its consumers several of the world’s oldest and greatest gins.
Brands such as Tanqueray, Gordon's and Gilbey's have been refreshing palates since the nineteenth century.
In recent years Diageo has introduced some unique, delicious variants such as the distinctive Tanqueray No. Ten – arguably the world’s best martini gin, made with fresh botanicals – plus Gordon's Sloe gin and the refreshing citrus notes found in Gordon's Distiller’s Cut.
So what makes a gin?
The harvest
The most distinctive ingredient in a gin is the juniper berry. These are harvested in late summer and subjected to a tough selection regime to ensure they make the grade.
Meanwhile, the gin distillery seeks out the additional 'botanicals' – such as coriander and angelica root – that will give their gin its distinctive character. Like other spirits, grain must also be procured and readied for distillation.
Distilling the spirit
Crushed grain, yeast and water form a mash, which is distilled three times to produce neutral grain spirit. This all happens in a continuous still, purifying and concentrating the spirit to create a base for the gin.
Fourth distillation
The fourth – and most important - distillation takes place in a traditional copper still. During this process the spirit will become infused with the flavour and aroma of selected botanicals, including the juniper berries, coriander and angelica root mentioned here. The exact recipe for many gins is a closely guarded secret.