In 2015 a backpacking trip around the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia inspired the creation of a gin that would distil the essence of the Southeast Asian countries. That’s how Tarsier Gin was born. After weeks of experimentation by founders Sherwin Acebuch and Tim Driver in a Manchester kitchen, they started producing gin in a small room at the back of a pub, using two traditional 60 litre copper alembic pot stills, named after Florencia & Graciano, Sherwin’s Filipino grandparents.
As the company grew, the founders were able to invest in a 500 litre iStill named Christian, in memory of Sherwin’s friend and mentor. The gins are blended with distillates that are cold distilled using a vacuum still at room temperature to ensure that fresh and vibrant flavours are preserved, with a botanical selection chosen to replicate the essence of the region that inspired Tarsier Gin.
The name comes from the animal found in the Philippines and the illustration on the label was hand drawn in pencil by Juvel Tiu Modayno, a young Filipino artist in Bacolod.