Mandai Foodlink, an industrial food factory situated in the north of Singapore, is probably the last place one would expect to find good gin. But Tanglin Gin – the first gin distillery here – is all about breaking new ground with their made-in-Singapore debut,
Tanglin Orchid Gin. The first batch was launched in June 2018.
Like many good ideas, Tanglin Orchid Gin was born over drinks, according to Tim Whitefield, co-founder of Tanglin Gin, who also serves as head distiller. The founding
team consists of Andy Hodgson, Charlie van Eeden, and Chris Box.
Inspired by Singapore’s history of spice growing in the Tanglin neighbourhood, Tanglin Orchid Gin draws from the botanicals that would have passed through the country in the past on the spice route to London to create gin.
Making Tanglin Orchid Gin involves distilling 11 spices and botanicals, including unripe
green mango, whole vanilla beans, organic oranges, and two forms of orchids. One of the orchids is shi hu (botanically known as dendrobium nobile) which is commonly used
in traditional Chinese medicine. The other is the vanilla orchid.
“I wanted to choose botanicals that represented the main cultures that helped shape Singapore. I also wanted a close connection to the image of Singapore as the city in a
garden,” said Whitefield.
"I’ve been humbled by the comments. People have really enjoyed the fact that the gin is packed with flavour," said Whitefield, who shared that Tanglin Gin is available in
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom, and even the United States and across Europe.
So, what makes Tanglin Gin authentically Singapore, especially when detractors may point out that it was started by four expats – from Australia, Britain and the Netherlands
– and made with some globally sourced ingredients?
“It’s about where it’s made, not who makes it,” said Whitefield. "We are 100-per-cent
made in Singapore. Our gin distillery is based in Mandai with an Englishman as head
distiller and an assistant distiller who is Singaporean,” he said. “For us, it’s the origin of
manufacture that makes it a Singaporean gin.”
Discuss two (2) macroenvironment factors that can impact the establishment of distilleries in Singapore, such as the Tanglin Gin.
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