Behind the Bottle: The History of Tanqueray Gin

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A nearly 200-Year-Old Workhouse behind this World-Famous Gin

You’d never guess a nearly 200-year-old still, remains the final step in creating one of the world's most famous gins.

Welcome back behind the bottle the series where we go in depth on your new favorite wines and spirits.

The Story of Old Tom: The Still at the Heart of Tanqueray

For a brand that ranks among the world's top three gin brands, it's remarkable that a piece of equipment from its earliest days remains central to production. Yet that is exactly the story of Old Tom, the historic still that has been part of Tanqueray's journey for nearly two centuries.

When Charles Tanqueray founded his distillery on Vine Street in London in 1830, one of the first stills built was the vessel we now know as Old Tom. Within five years of the distillery's opening, it was producing the gin that would help establish Tanqueray's reputation for quality and consistency.

As demand grew, Old Tom moved with the brand to a larger facility on Goswell Road in the late 19th century, continuing to produce Tanqueray Gin. Its most defining moment came during the London Blitz in 1941. A German air raid destroyed much of the distillery, but Old Tom remained standing, becoming the sole surviving piece of production equipment.

The resilient still would move once again, this time to a larger facility in Essex as Tanqueray expanded to meet global demand. Today, Old Tom resides at Cameronbridge Distillery in Scotland, where it remains an essential part of Tanqueray's production process. In fact, every drop of Tanqueray London Dry Gin still passes through Old Tom before being bottled and shipped around the world.

And what about the name? Following its survival of the Blitz, the historic still was affectionately named Old Tom, a tribute to its resilience and longevity, while also nodding to the classic Old Tom style of gin that played an important role in gin's rich history.

Nearly 200 years after it was built, Old Tom continues to embody the heritage, craftsmanship, and enduring spirit of Tanqueray Gin.

Stop in and buy a bottle yourself and taste what Old Tom crafted at Outlet Liquor, it's where Buffalo goes!