Quinine is an extract from the bark of the Cinchona tree (“Cinchona officinalis”). The bark we use comes from India and can be traced back to the cinchona plantations established by the British Government in India in the 1860s.
The ginger plant (“Zingiber officinale”) originated from the rainforest of South East Asia and is now cultivated in most tropical regions. The ginger we use is the Tafin-giwa variety that is grown in West Africa and has a spicy, aromatic flavour with citrus notes.
Gentian (“Gentiana”) is a wild flower that grows in mountainous regions. In Roman times its roots were used to make medicinal tonics, but nowadays they are used to provide a natural bitter flavour. The gentian roots we use originate from Spain.
The Myrtle-leaf orange (“Citrus myrtifolia”) is a small bitter orange that grows in Mediterranean coastal areas. Its leaves resemble those of a myrtle, from which its name is derived. The oranges that we use are grown in the Liguria Region of Italy and are considered to be the finest.
Lemon zest is the peel from lemons and contains the natural oils and vitamins from the fruit. Our lemons are grown in Spain.
There are various cultivars of the Elder shrub that grow wild in Britain, each producing similar white petal-heads with a fragrant aroma. The infusion we make is from the petals alone, after having carefully shaken them from their green stalks, to ensure absolute purity. The Cuckmere River valley, from which many of the flowers have been collected, is an environmental haven for wildlife since it remains uniquely free from any development along its banks from source to its mouth in the South Downs National Park.