Tea and coffee supplier The East India Company has forayed into the spirits market with a new London dry gin.
The product will be available in selected bars, hotels and restaurants from this month.
The gin makers have reportedly used a number of botanicals that include juniper, angelica, liquorice, coriander, orris root and cocoa to produce it.
The company, which has over 400 years of trading history, and known for tea and exotic foods, is said to have been developing the gin since 2007.
It is reported that the company had gone through several archives of the British Library, Maritime Museum, V&A and Kew Gardens for records and get information for the botanicals and spices which it used in the gin.
The East India Company commercial director Jamie Walker said: “History and quality of flavour are what sets The East India Company London Dry Gin apart; we have taken a classic spirit and redefined it to tell a story about one of the oldest companies in the world.”
The historic company which was dormant for more than hundred years was taken over by Sanjiv Mehta, an Indian-born importer and entrepreneur, who wants to revive the company brand again.
Mehta said: “When I took the helm, I set about reawakening a once powerful brand that had lain dormant for 161 years and making it great again.
Mehta added that his vision is to develop high quality luxury products that include a super-premium spirit.
The East India Company presently has stores in Europe, East Asia, Middle East and Pacific regions that sell gourmet tea, chocolate, coffee and gifts.
