The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Tarquin's Cornish Dry Gin

Tarquin's Cornish Dry Gin

Southwestern Distillery (Independent) · Southwestern Distillery, Wadebridge, Cornwall

$3484 (42% ABV) proofWadebridge, Cornwall — where Tarquin Leadbetter fires his hand-beaten copper pot stills with naked flame, sealing their joints with bread dough in the old tradition, and distills twelve botanicals — from Moroccan orris root to handpicked Devon violets — in batches small enough to number.
Tarquin's is among the very few gins in Britain still distilled over naked flame — and you can taste the difference. Direct-fire distillation gives the distiller less control than steam-heated stills, but rewards the skilled hand with a richer, more textured spirit.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bright juniper pine, fresh violet, pink grapefruit, coriander citrus, with a subtle warmth of ginger and cinnamon underneath

Palate

Clean and vibrant — juniper-forward with violet sweetness, earthy angelica, a burst of citrus, and a gentle peppery warmth from the ginger

Finish

Medium with lingering juniper, violet, and a dry, spicy fade

Specifications
Botanicals
12 botanicals: juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root (Morocco), cardamom (Guatemala), cinnamon (Madagascar), fresh orange & lemon peel, liquorice root, grapefruit, violet (Cornwall/Devon), green tea, ginger
Base Spirit
English wheat spirit, cut with Cornish spring water to 42% ABV
Distillation
Single-shot pot distillation in 250-litre hand-beaten copper stills fired by direct naked flame
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Cocktail — The Cornish Flame G&T: 2 oz Tarquin's Cornish Dry Gin · 4 oz Fever-Tree Indian Tonic · Fresh grapefruit slice · Sprig of fresh rosemary, lightly torched to release oils. Build over ice in a copa glass.

Food Pairing

Pair with: Cornish crab cakes with grapefruit aioli — the citrus in the gin lifts the sweetness of the crab.

Train These Aromas
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