If you are lucky enough to be a member of Craft Gin Club then you may be familiar with The London Essence Company already. Their quality craftsmanship is now well known and it is easy to see why when you try the likes of their Pomelo and Pink Peppercorn Tonic Water, which we sent our members in their April 2019 Gin of the month box. Including their deliciously citrus forward Original Indian Tonic Water in our April 2020 Gin of the Month box a year later was therefore a no-brainer!
But what is it that makes London Essence’s drinks so special? Well that’s easy, there is a (not so) secret ingredient that runs through their whole range, from their vibrantly spiced ginger beer and delicate ginger ale to their classic and flavoured soda waters and their wonderfully aromatic tonic waters.
We are talking about the skilfully distilled botanicals which deliver the purest flavours, and are in every one of their products.
Image: The London Essence Company
These amazing elixirs have their roots in the perfume houses of Victorian London, where The London Essence Company began distilling essences from the fruits, flowers and spices that were flooding into London from across the globe.
Today, The London Essence Company uses that experience and expertise to bring gin lovers amazing mixers that are prefect for any G&T or cocktail recipe - we love their Pomelo and Pink Peppercorn Tonic Water in our Cosmo Highball and their Grapefruit and Rosemary Tonic Water in this Alpine Forest.
It’s All In The Essence
Each botanical essence is precisely distilled to add rich and aromatic flavours to anything London Essence’s drinks are mixed with.
“When you distil the botanical from its natural form, the distillation process brings out the fragrant top notes of the flavour you want. The result is an unmatched depth of flavour and complexity.”
It all starts with the ingredients, and Fallon’s team knew just which essences they wanted to combine to create the Original Indian Tonic Water in our April 2020 gin box.
“Our goal was to create a tonic water inspired by traditional Indian Tonic Water, but with a London Essence twist.”
They started by mixing quinine (the defining ingredient in tonic water that gives it that slightly bitter edge) into the purest triple filtered water. Then they added lemon peel extract and lime oils, and aromatic calamansi (a type of lime) to give the tonic its deliciously tropical aroma. Last was the key ingredient: the essence of juniper!
To capture the incredible flavours of the finest juniper berries, The London Essence Company team steeped the berries in alcohol and gently distilled the infusion, capturing the full range and complexity of juniper’s flavour profile.
The final step was to carbonate the liquid, adding the Champagne-like bubbles that fizz so sensuously in the glass.
This painstaking process resulted in the low-calorie, luxuriously flavoured tonic water in your April 2020 Gin of the Month box. When it meets a measure or two of Perfume Trees Gin (or any other gin for that matter!), as it does in our April 2020 Perfect G&T, you have the embodiment of precision and craft in liquid form.
To help you enjoy this fine tipple we have put together some tasting notes for The London Essence Company’s Original Indian Tonic Water that will help you pair it with your favourite gins at home:
What makes it special?
This is a versatile, citrus-forward tonic with a unique complexity from distilled juniper essence.
What does it taste like?
Aromatic lemon and lime provide almost tropical notes, with quinine and distilled juniper providing a gently bitter finish.
What does it mix well with?
A best friend to most spirits, but when paired with gin they make quite the duo!
Enjoy!
The full London Essence range can be discovered via their website, and purchased in selected Tesco, Amazon and Ocado stores.
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