Tarquin’s Gin maker moves into whisky

Tarquin's Gin maker Southwestern Distillery has unveiled its new Tinner Bros flavoured whisky liqueurs in tins, with plans to launch a single malt in the future.

The distillery has made its first leap into whisky with Tinner Bros Whisky Co, which joins Tarquin's Gin, Twin Fin Rum, and Connie Glaze Vodka in Southwestern's portfolio. The new brand was inspired by two 19th-century Cornish miner brothers who lived in darkness, mining tin by day and distilling whisky by night. Created by master distiller Tarquin Leadbetter, the Tinner Bros range features four 'on-trend' flavours blended at Tarquin's distillery in Cornwall. The range includes four flavours: Blood Orange, Toffee Nut, Black Spiced, and Wild Cherry. Leadbetter commented: "Launching Tinner Bros Whisky marks a significant milestone in our mission to build the most innovative spirits company in the world. Cornwall's history with tin mining stretches back thousands of years, so bottling our whisky in a tin is a fantastic nod to our rich heritage, while deliberately breaking from whisky's stuffy traditions." Described by Leadbetter as 'playful, rebellious, and daring', the branding includes the brothers and their 'infamous' dynamite locomotive. “The whisky market was a natural next step for Southwestern Distillery as the second largest spirit category in the UK, yet one ripe for disruption," explained Leadbetter. "Flavoured whisky is growing 50% faster than traditional whisky (Future Marketing Insight 2023 data), creating the perfect opportunity for category acceleration by attracting younger drinkers – particularly Millennials and Gen Z who are intrigued by whisky but currently intimidated by it.” Leadbetter also revealed his plans to launch an English single malt whisky in the future. The company will also release a seven-year-old Bourbon (40% ABV) in the tinned format in the coming months. He continued: "Until we launch our own Cornish single malt whisky in a few years' time, we're busy sourcing the finest whiskies from across the world, bringing them back to our distillery HQ in Cornwall and having fun blending them with unusual spices and exotic flavours." Tinner Bros' four whisky liqueur flavours are based on feedback from more than 350 consumer surveys and 'countless' taste tests. The development of the whisky liqueur range took just six months from Tarquin's initial idea to market launch. The entire creation journey was shared in real-time on LinkedIn, from liquid development and first packaging samples to hand-signing the inaugural batch. Tinner Bros Whisky Co will launch this summer with initiatives to bring the brand to life. The brand's whisky liqueurs are now available at 22% ABV directly from the producer, as well as independent UK retailers.