Distilling The Light The Tanqueray Way

We had a quiet day again today and only popped out for a quick pint at The Red Bull in Eccles but of course I still took my camera with me. The Red Bull has a lovely pub garden and the light, which picked out that pop of green and red from some gin based perch in cushion form, was casting a plethora of diverging shadows in the early afternoon sunshine as we sat downing our liquid refreshments and I just felt like capturing it.
Those of a distilled alcoholic drink enjoying persuasion may recognise the aforementioned cushion as sporting Tanqueray Gin branding, which of course I decided to find out more about when I got back home and then make it the subject of my blip!
The Tanqueray family were originally silversmiths and left France for England in the 18th Century, where successive Tanqueray became rectors in Bedfordshire until 1830 when Charles Tanqueray, then aged just 20, rather than become a clergyman took the somewhat left field swerve to establish his own gin distillery in Bloomsbury in London, then an area known for its spa water. He experimented with botanicals from around the world - which are widely accepted to be juniper, coriander, angelica root and liquorice (although the exact recipe remains a secret to this day) - and started making, with the presumed help of a much more experienced distiller, his eponymous gin.
In 1868 his son took over following his father's death and quickly built on his success by promoting and exporting the gin through a network of international agents and its popularity continued to grow over the next 50 to 60 years, particularly in America where it was originally the only green-bottled gin.
During World War Two a 1941 air raid almost completely destroyed the Tanqueray Distillery and only one of the stills, now lovingly known as 'Old Tom', survived. Repairs were made and although production was seriously affected it was not long before Old Tom was back in action.
By the 1950's and 1960's the brand was being particularly promoted with a PR campaign which targeted California and its chicest bars, with it said to be enjoyed by the likes of celebrities such as Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jnr.
By the late 1990's production had moved to Cameron Bridge in Scotland and Old Tom would move with it and is where it still resides in the gin still hall to the present day.
Who knew a cushion in a pub garden could be so fascinating! :-)