The Ladies Find the Origins of Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Oranges

 Feeling like famed explorers, Lorna, Blue and Lesedi have spent the heat of a Spanish Summer tracing the origins of Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla.

Like our South African adventurers, the first bitter orange trees travelled far to get here - brought from East Asia by African traders, a thousand years ago. Around buildings, The Moors planted the trees to beautify and perfume their patios, gardens and streets.

Outside Sevilla, Estate Director Enrique Soto grows these oranges for export and explains that the fruit is grown in a natural way with as little fertiliser used on them as possible. This is to maintain as much of the natural taste as possible.

Fortunes were built on this natural gold as it became the main ingredient in British marmalade, in bitters and then a rather special variety of gin. Most of the oranges grown on this farm get exported mainly to Europe as well as South Africa.

These bittersweet oranges make the ideal botanical for Flor de Sevilla as they are unlike the other flavours that already exist. They add a fruitful zest and compliment the gin.

The hot Summers in Southern Spain made the oranges extremely useful. Their essential oils came to be prized in households, hotels and industries as a base for perfumes, to flavour dishes and delicacies. When one particular British visitor arrived in the region a century and a half ago, he saw another future for this fruit.

Blending the modern with the traditional. Packing the style of Spain, its flavour, history, rhythm and love affair with life into one - this city rewards all your senses.