BrandsBriefs

Tanqueray gin has top taste

Tanqueray has been voted the best-tasting gin in a survey which questioned 127 bartenders in 100 bars nationwide.

The research, commissioned by Diageo, was carried out independently by TKD Research in cities such as Birmingham, London and Manchester. Tanqueray came top in a number of categories including "best tasting", "best quality", "best gin for cocktails", "best gin for martinis", and the "gin to recommend to customers".

According to AC Nielsen (MAT to March 2006), premium gin, including Tanqueray, is growing at 7%, versus a decline of 5.5% for the total gin category.

Treasure trove

Manchester-based Hydes Brewery is launching its latest guest ale. Hidden Treasure is the fifth beer in the Brewery's 2006 porfolio, celebrating iconic images from favourite films. This new 4.5% abv ale focuses on the character of favourite adventure hero Indiana Jones and will be available throughout September and October. Hydes marketing director David Safiruddin said: "This year really has been our best yet when it comes to guest ales, with our sales up by 100% year on year. The popularity of carefully-crafted ales with a bit of character continues and we believe that Hidden Treasure will once again hit the mark."

Captain's new bottle of rum

Diageo has designed a new bottle for its Captain Morgan rum. The drink's new packaging features a larger, more contemporary image of the Captain and highlights the brand's heritage which dates back to the 1680s when Captain Henry Morgan presided as governor of Jamaica. Brand manager Amy Richardson said: "Captain Morgan rum is the UK's best-selling branded dark rum and has held this position for more than five years. It has a 33% volume share of the category in the on-trade and has the highest distribution of any branded dark rum, available in 45% of all outlets."