The romance of the roaring Twenties inspires every bottle of Santa Ana Gin. Meet the new beverage that tips its hat towards the flavourful history of Manila's entertainment district
The roaring Twenties, of Great Gatsby fame, has caught the imaginations of artists worldwide. Known for its ornate frivolity, as well as for its romance, that period in history has inspired some renowned works of art. Now, we're introducing another delicious tribute to the time period's grandeur. Meet, or rather taste, the exquisite local flavours of Santa Ana Gin.
Philippine history is full of fantastic stories, some of which are centred around Manila's former glory as an entertainment hub (in the early 20th century). An influx of American investment had much to do with this. As Filipinos slowly assimilated into a new culture, the city around them had also begun to change. It had welcomed in one of the United States' most popular movements — Art Deco.
Picture the distinctive peak of the Chrylser building, the clear-cut geometry of the Empire State. Paralleling this movement, was the opening up of the Santa Ana Cabaret, once termed as the "largest cabaret in the world with the best dance music in the Orient". This nostalgia — of the early cosmopolitans, of big band swing, and of the libertine pleasures of dance and drink — is what inspires this delicious bottle of gin we have today.
Santa Ana's flavours, distinctly local, are what draws us in. The use of seven traditional botanicals — juniper, bitter orange, angelica, orris roots, and fennel — gives this drink a rich and exotic taste. Hints of sweet floral notes rest alongside the zest of fresh tropical fruits. Most notably, there is ylang ylang and aplinia flowers alongside calamansi and dalandan flavours. These are a nod to the indigenous ingredients so often used in Filipino recipes. The distilling process, however, takes place in the Charente region of France, giving this bottle an international edge among its competitors.