Hayman's Old Tom Gin / 41.4% / 0.7l

Hayman Distillers Company was founded in 1820. In 1863 it was purchased by Beefeater gin creator James Burrough and remained in the hands of the Burrough/Hayman families for over 120 years.

Shortly after its acquisition by Whitebread Spirits Group in November 1988, Christopher Hayman, then director of the company, managed to buy back the family brand and begin producing gin under the Hayman Distillers Co. The company is now run by his son and daughter, James and Miranda Hayman. Over the years, they have developed a rich offering based on the family formula, which includes juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica and orris root, lemon and orange peel, cinnamon, cassia bark, liquorice and nutmeg. Hayman's Old Tom Gin debuted in November 2007. Its formula dates back to the 1860s and is based on the aforementioned 10 botanicals, to which sugar is added. Old Tom, hugely popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, has a milder and sweeter profile than the classic London Dry, but is drier than Dutch Jenever. Its popularity began to decline in the 1940s and reached its nadir in the 1970s. The question of whether the 21st century will bring its renaissance remains unanswered.  

Hayman's Old Tom Gin is a sweeter version of the family London Dry, where notes of juniper, coriander and pine needles give way to a bit of licorice and citrus sweetness balanced with a pinch of cinnamon and pepper. The producer recommends serving it in Tom Collins and Martinez cocktails.