UP Tango DRY Gin Essence 20 ml

UP Tango DRY Gin Essence 20 ml

The word dry is not on the label by chance. UP Tango DRY is the Ultra Premium range’s take on the juniper-heavy, few-botanical style of gin – and it tightens every screw one more turn. Where an ordinary gin aims to be obliging, this one aims to be exact: drier, denser and with a juniper drawn as sharply as a line of ink.

The recipe is deliberately short. Juniper, angelica, coriander and liquorice root carry the entire flavour, and nothing has been added to smooth things over. Anyone who loves truly dry cocktails will feel at home at once – this is the gin that lets the vermouth in a Martini be measured in drops.

Colour & Appearance

The finished gin is glass-clear with a cold, clean lustre. It moves calmly in the glass, a little more slowly than you might expect – a sign of its concentration. Nothing in its appearance gives away how much flavour lies in wait.

Nose

The nose is focused and deep. The juniper is darker here than in most gins – more resin, juniper twigs and crushed bark than green needles. Angelica brings a dry, musky rootiness, coriander seed a spicy warmth with a touch of black pepper, and liquorice root lies at the very bottom like a cool, dark shadow. Citrus is conspicuous by its absence.

Palate

The palate is taut and compact. Juniper arrives immediately and stays for the whole of the sip, giving way to nothing else. The pepperiness is pronounced – a dry, prickling warmth that spreads across the tongue – and the roots lend an earthy, almost chalky structure. Liquorice root contributes length and a suggestion of roundness, but sweetness there is none. Everything feels tightened and precise, like a well-tailored suit, and the intensity means even a small measure leaves a clear mark on a drink.

Finish

The finish is very long and bone dry. Juniper, pepper and a clean root note linger for minutes, and the palate is left completely clean. It is a finish that asks for a salty olive or an almond.

How to Use

The essence is mixed with vodka or neutral spirit, and the result can be served immediately. 20 ml makes 75 cl of finished gin. Instructions are on the label.

Serving Suggestions

• A bone-dry Martini straight from frozen glasses, with a lemon twist or an olive.
• Gin and tonic with a dry tonic, lots of ice and a couple of crushed juniper berries.
• A Vesper-inspired cocktail with vodka and a dry aperitif.
• Pink Gin with a few dashes of aromatic bitters.
• Neat and ice-cold in a small glass with oysters, smoked fish or salty nibbles.

About the Essence

UP stands for Ultra Premium – the most carefully worked essences in the range, created for those who set high standards for the finished glass. Tango DRY is made for the connoisseur who believes dry can never be too dry and who wants a gin with a distinct will of its own.

Compared with its sister product PR Tango Gin, the expression is tauter and more concentrated: the same few botanicals, but held on a tighter rein and with a longer finish. Choose PR Tango for the big tonic glasses and UP Tango DRY when the drink is small, cold and strong and the gin has nowhere to hide.