Tanqueray Announces Alcohol-Free Version of Its Gin
Tanqueray Announces Alcohol-Free Version of Its Gin
It's the latest spirits brand to vie for low- and no-alcohol drinkers.
We're a full month past Dry January, but there's no reason why you can't keep that vibe going for the rest of the year. If you're a gin lover but have realized that it doesn't always love you back, then you're in luck: Tanqueray has just announced the release of its new Tanqueray 0.0, an alcohol-free spirit that has been crafted to taste just like its higher-proof sibling.
According to Tanqueray, its 0.0-percent version is made with the same combination of botanicals that it uses in "traditional" Tanqueray, a list that includes angelica, coriander, juniper, and sweet licorice. So, it sounds like the only difference between the two is the ABV.
"Our expert innovation team has combined years of expertise and historic Gin distilling knowledge to create a credible alcohol-free experience," Tanqueray's master distiller Terry Fraser said in a statement. "[T]he botanicals are individually immersed in water, heated and then distilled before being expertly blended together to capture the essence of Tanqueray in a delicious alcohol-free alternative. This special distillation process is a closely guarded secret, known only to a handful of people and we are incredibly proud to be bringing gin drinkers that juniper and citrus led taste they're expecting from Tanqueray when they choose not to drink alcohol."
An increasing number of companies have expanded into the non-alcoholic spirit market in the past couple of years. Tanqueray is one of the biggest names to produce a zero-booze gin, but there are several other options for anyone who's ready to break out the tonic and lime. Monday ($40) is a California-made version that "that satisfies like a classic London Dry," according to its website. Australian brand Lyre's has a Dry London Spirit ($35) that received a Bronze medal in last year's San Francisco World Spirits Competition. (It also has an elegantly dressed pigeon on the label; we're suckers for any animal with a monocle.)
In December, Gordon's—one of Tanqueray's labelmates at London-based spirit producer Diageo—also released a 0.0 percent version of its traditional London Dry Gin. (And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the statement Gordon's released was very similar to the one that accompanied Tanqueray 0.0 percent, right down to the "closely guarded secret" of its distillation process.)
Tanqueray 0.0 percent is expected to be on shelves throughout the United Kingdom and Spain next month, and will retail for £16 ($22). And, with any luck, maybe it'll appear in the United States before the next Dry January—or the next dry month of your choice.
