It’s been a while since we’ve last published anything here, so I hope this can make up for lost time. I’ve been very excited to work on this blog in particular because it’s going to be part of a series featuring limited edition gins by Tanqueray, which I’ve been very lucky to get my hands on these last couple of years.
I’m sure you’ve heard about Tanqueray before, one of the largest gin brands in the world. If you ever go to a bar or a pub, it’s very easy to spot on the shelf thanks to its distinct antique green bottle and red wax seal. The Tanqueray London Dry Gin, the original and classic product, was initially distilled by Charles Tanqueray in 1830. An aspiring entrepreneur in his early twenties, who developed several gin recipes, including two of the limited editions we will be reviewing: the Old Tom (1835) and the Malacca (1839). The third one, the Bloomsbury, was based on an 1880 recipe by his son, Charles Waugh Tanqueray. As the title of this blog already suggests, we will start with the oldest of the three: Old Tom – the “cordial” style of gin. It is said to be the “missing link” between the Dutch Genever and the London Dry, drier than the former and sweeter than the latter. Tanqueray discontinued its production in 1921 and has only been relaunched recently thanks to Master distiller Tom Nichol. Produced in limited amounts (only 100,000 of them), each bottle is individually numbered and labeled with the original Old Tom logo unearthed from the Diageo archives. Here’s hoping it becomes part of their regular line up in the future!
Now, what I like about this type of gin are the different stories or theories that surround its name and origin, ranging from the absurd (an old Tomcat falling into a gin barrel) to the more credible ones, like the one involving two men named Tom. Thomas Chamberlain, a compounder of this particular gin style at the Hodges’ distillery in the 1830s, and Thomas Norris, the apprentice who later on opened a gin palace and sold gin from barrels purchased from his previous employer and supposedly named it Old Tom in homage to Chamberlain. A company called Boord & Son also claimed introducing the name after Chamberlain in 1849 and even went to court against Huddart & Company over legal ownership of the term and their trademark labels illustrating a cat on a barrel. Unfortunately, the court ruled against them saying that this style of gin had long been associated with a cat, which brings us to the third theory. The one linked to the invention of the very first vending machine, but before we get to that, we need to go through a bit of history to put things into context.
“Gin Lane” (1750) by William Hogarth, depicting the effects of gin consumption in London.
During the first half of the 18th century, the restriction of brandy imports from France to England due to the war made the Government encourage gin production by eliminating distilling license requirements, reducing distilling taxes and disregarding quality control (gin was frequently mixed with turpentine spirit and sulfuric acid…yup, there was nothing sophisticated about it – pure poison!). Grain and food prices dropped while people’s income grew, allowing them to spend their extra funds on cheap buzz. Gin was so popular that they even personified it as Madam Geneva. And so, the gin consumption spiked dramatically, especially in London, where an epidemic of inebriation (every Londoner was averaging two pints of gin a week), increased crime and immoral behavior broke out. Crazy, right? This is precisely why they called this period the “Gin Craze”. With the city spiraling down, the Parliament passed 5 Acts, in 1729, 1736, 1743, 1747 and 1751, in order to regain control over gin consumption. The main objective was to make it economically impossible for distillers to sell to small shops owned by unlicensed merchants, elevating retail sales taxes and license fees to £50 (which equals to around £7,000 today), up to the point that it was made illegal.
“The Gin Shop” (1829) by George Cruikshank – a satirical illustration of a gin shop during the Gin Craze.
The Gin Shop [To The Workhouse – To The Madhouse | To The Gaol & The Gibbet]
“__ now Oh dear how shocking the thought is
They makes the gin from aquafortis:
They do it on purpose folks lives to shorten
And tickets it up at two-pence a quartern.”
People got very upset about the situation and took to the streets in riot, hosting mock funeral processions in lament at what they called The Death of Madam Geneva. Many public shops and distilleries closed, but illegal gin shops started sprouting in the city with creative ways to sell a new type of gin, which distillers sweetened by adding liquorice or can sugar to make it drinkable. We finally get to our favorite story about the Old Tom gin. Directly from a 1755 autobiography of Captain Dudley Bradstreet, an Irish informer turned illicit distiller and retailer who purchased a copy of the Gin Act and studied it to find ways of selling gin outside the limitations of the ongoing legislation. His master plan entailed buying a sponsored venue and nailing a wooden plaque of a cat on the street window. A lead pipe was connected to its paw with a funnel on the other end to dispense gin. This establishment would be the first known Puss & Mew shop, where patrons would knock on the door and whisper “Puss” and the seller would respond back saying “Mew” if there was gin available. The patron would then pay by inserting coins in a hole made in the cat’s mouth and gin would flow out the paw directly into their cup or mouth. How cool is that? The very first vending machine in history! OK, it may not be automated, but the fundamentals are there. Now, although there is no mention of Tomcats or Old Tom in Bradstreet’s autobiography, this story seems to fit better when it comes to the time frame and feline symbology. Out of the three we have mentioned, which one do you prefer?
Born in an era where drinking was excessive and distilling was not as refined, Madam Geneva was reincarnated as a Tomcat. As the distilling techniques improved, though, the need to sweeten gins died down and Old Tom started its decline in the 1940s with consumers becoming more favorable to dry gins, practically making it nonexistent in the 1970s. Luckily the demand for Old Tom gin escalated in the mid-noughties thanks to the reawakening of cocktail culture and bartenders eager to recreate many classic, pre-Prohibition era cocktails like the Tom Collins and the Martinez. With many gin brands slowly but surely producing their own versions of Old Tom gins, we can rest assured it will be here to stay for many years to come.
Tanqueray Old Tom Gin + Schweppes Ginger & Cardamom Tonic Water + Orange
Sugar and spice, and all things nice!
From the first nosing, you can tell this gin is different from the other Tanqueray gins although it shares the same recipe as their London Dry, but in higher proportions. The juniper is still prominent and is accompanied by citrus and spiced notes. What hit me when having my first swig was its sweet and rich flavour, an unusual yet perfectly balanced combination that Master Distiller Tom Nichol expertly accomplishes. Highly refined and unique in texture, it reminds me of other gins like No. 209 or Liverpool Gin.
The orange peel is something I really enjoyed in this mix, which complemented the sweetness from the beet sugar and liquorice botanical. The tonic water on the other hand added a fresh and exotic touch, harmonizing with the spiced undertones of the black pepper and coriander botanicals. The cardamom in particular was bursting out of the cocktail and sprinkling my nose with it’s telltale aroma. The finish is well rounded, dry and with a lingering spiced flavour. Overall the combination made for a very tasty and delightful drink.
Tanqueray Old Tom Gin + 1724 Tonic Water+ Orange
Bottle No. A 84165 – Welcome back, Tom!
After trying and enjoying the previous recipe thoroughly a number of times, I decided it was time to explore other tonic combinations to see what else I could come up with.
Typically I find 1724 Tonic Water a very refined, upmarket tonic that I usually reserve for gins that are equally luxurious. This tonic always provides a neutral flavour that allows quality gins like the Old Tom to flourish and dance on your palate. I didn’t complicate things when it came to garnish, so I paired it once again with an orange peel.
I must say this combination, in my eyes, is the definition of gin and tonic splendour! The citrusy smell of the orange was bursting from the glass. The mix was silky smooth, the initial sweetness that hits your tongue was heightened even more in comparison to using a bubblier tonic water like Schweppes and the bitterness from the juniper was faint before swallowing. The balanced bittersweet finish was simply delightful and not masked in the slightest by the tonic water. You’d think using a less bubbly tonic water would diminish the botanical flavours, but it’s quite the contrary in this case! The beauty about these kinds of gins is that regardless of which tonic you use, you will get a silky smooth finish that can rival the likes of G’vine Nouaison or Hendrick’s. And to think this gin is bottled at a whopping 47.3% ABV!
In conclusion, the Old Tom is a very multifaceted gin, what you would call a crowd-pleaser. The gin is bitter enough to satisfy a gin purist’s cravings, but because of its sweeter nature, I would highly recommend it to those who don’t find dry G&Ts very attractive or typically prefer cocktails. It’s a great way for novice drinkers to gradually introduce G&Ts in their drinking experience. Luckily nowadays there are plenty of Old Tom gins to choose from in the market and the numbers are gradually increasing as years go by. Don’t miss a chance to give it a try. You won’t regret it. Long live good Ol’ Tom!
Find out more about the products mentioned in this post below.
Tanqueray Old Tom Gin – Limited Edition
Shop Now | Recipe Book
Gin Tonic Time 