Dorchester Collection's iconic British London hotel, The Dorchester, has revived the historical recipe for 'Old Tom' gin to create a new blend. Perfected by the hotel's legendary bar manager and expert alchemist Giuliano Morandin, the gin has been distilled exclusively for The Bar at The Dorchester by The City of London Distillery, and will be available from June 12.

This is the second time Giuliano has re-introduced Old Tom Gin to the UK drinks market, the first being in 2006 after a 30 year absence.

Each bottle of The Dorchester Old Tom gin features a black wax seal and a hand signed label with its bespoke batch number authenticating it as an original. The gin, which will be available in 220 litre batches to ensure that the quality of the flavour is maintained, is available to purchase by the glass or 700ml/500ml/25ml bottles at The Bar at The Dorchester. Giuliano and his team have been closely involved in tailoring the blend, enhancing  its taste with a special balance of botanicals such as juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, cassia bark, cardamom and fresh lemon and orange peel.

There are many tales which recount how Old Tom Gin purportedly got its name, many of which revolve around the unusual and secret dispensing methods used by London gin houses in the 18th century, all of which involved the imagery of a tom cat.

To celebrate the launch, Giuliano has created the Old Tom Cobbler cocktail, the perfect summer drink including ingredients such as coriander, fresh lemongrass, elderflower and Old Tom Gin. This cocktail will be on offer alongside the Ramos Fizz and iconic Martinez which inspired Giuliano to revive the production of the gin.

Giuliano has been leading the team at The Bar at The Dorchester for 30 years and is highly regarded amongst leading drink connoisseurs.  Throughout his career Giuliano has achieved a number of accolades within the industry and named amongst the world's best bartenders. Commenting on the introduction of The Dorchester Old Tom gin, Giuliano said; “This is an extremely exciting time for my team, the hotel and I. We have been working hard to make this new take on the original 18th century recipe stand next to other leading gins, and we welcome London's bar cognoscenti to come and experience the result. The Dorchester Old Tom gin reflects the style and history of the hotel whilst encompassing a modern fusion of flavours.”

Giuliano and his team will also offer private and bespoke Cocktail Master Classes showcasing the techniques and flavours used to compliment The Dorchester Old Tom Gin within the new signature cocktails.  Cocktail Master Classes can be booked for individuals or private parties of up to ten guests, subject to availability. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact +44 (0) 20 7629 8888 or email restaurants.tdl@dorchestercollection.com

A 700ml bottle of The Dorchester Old Tom Gin is priced at £65 and is available at The Bar at The Dorchester or by visiting shop.dorchestercollection.com .Signature cocktails including the Old Tom Cobbler start from £16.

Notes to editors:

The City of London Distillery, located at 22-24 Bride Lane, London, just off Fleet Street is the only working distillery in the City of London. Inspired by the new bespoke gins emerging from small producers, founder Jonathan Clark installed a micro gin distillery in his cocktail bar, setting it behind a floor to ceiling plate glass for all to see. The City of London Distillery & COLD Bar opened for business on 20th December 2012 at 18:58 - in recognition of the first gin cocktail purported to have first been made in 1858.

The Dorchester is situated in the heart of London's Mayfair on Park Lane, with rooms and suites affording expansive views of Hyde Park. The Dorchester Spa reopened in May 2009 after a multimillion transformation to offer indulgent pampering in a glamorous art deco setting.  A wide range of dining is available to guests in The Promenade, The Bar and The Grill.  China Tang offers traditional Cantonese cuisine, while three Michelin star Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is one of London's finest contemporary French dining experiences. 

Dorchester Collection is a portfolio of the world's foremost luxury hotels in Europe and the USA, each of which reflects the distinctive culture of its destination. By applying its unrivalled experience and capability in owning and operating some of the greatest individual hotels, the company's mission is to develop an impeccable group of the finest landmark hotels through acquisition as well as management of wholly-owned and part-owned hotels, and to enter into management agreements.

The current portfolio includes the following hotels (in order of them joining the group): The Dorchester, London; The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills; Le Meurice, Paris; Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris; Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan; Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles; Coworth Park, Ascot, UK; 45 Park Lane, London; Le Richemond, Geneva; and Hotel Eden, Rome. dorchestercollection.com

For further information please contact:

Olivia Johnson or Calum Donoghue at Peretti Communications

Telephone: 020 7244 1930

Email: Olivia.j@peretti.com Calum.d@peretti.com