The legend of the Tinner Bros: miners, dynamite and a vanished flight
Not a history lesson, but a wink: Tinner Bros has its own, obviously fabricated brand legend, full of miners, dynamite, and an alleged escape that never took place. It is precisely that kind of fantasy that makes the brand so recognizable — and immediately explains why the bottles come in a metal tin.
Two brothers, always in the dark
According to the Tinner Bros brand legend, the "Tinner Bros" were two Cornish brothers who mined tin during the day for Cornwall Tin Mining. & Refining Co. and secretly distilled whisky in the evenings. They earned the nickname "Miners". & "Shiners" and became best known for their Black Spiced Whisky — which, to get it out of the mines unseen, they packaged in used dynamite tins. Precisely that detail now lives on in the metal tin packaging of modern Tinner Bros liqueurs.
From steam locomotive to "dynamite locomotive"
The legend plays cleverly with real Cornish history. In 1801, Richard Trevithick of Cornwall actually ran his first steam vehicle, a precursor to the steam locomotive — a fact. According to the (fictional) Tinner Bros legend, the brothers patented their own "dynamite locomotive" a year later, in 1802: reportedly the fastest and most dangerous way to export their famous black whisky around the world.
The "Flight of Fancy"
The story reaches its climax in 1803, when, according to legend, the Tinner Bros managed to fly — by their own account, exactly one hundred years before the Wright brothers. They were reportedly last seen laughing somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. The locals in Cornwall still call this fictional moment the "Flight of Fancy". No one need take it seriously — it is pure folklore, invented to give the brand its own playful mythology.
What this has to do with today's whisky liqueur
Master distiller Tarquin Leadbetter seized upon this local legend as the basis for his new liqueur brand. The tin packaging, the name "Black Spiced" for the original flavor, and the rebellious, rule-breaking tone of the entire range are all direct nods to the story of the two brothers. It fits the way Tarquin Leadbetter has always positioned his brands: with humor, guts, and little regard for convention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the story of the Tinner Bros really happen?
No. It is a deliberately invented brand legend by Tinner Bros Whisky Co., based on folklore from Cornwall and with a significant nod to real local history, such as the invention of the steam locomotive.
What, then, is actually real about the story?
That Richard Trevithick built one of the first steam vehicles in 1801, a precursor to the steam locomotive, is historically correct. The "dynamite locomotive" and the flight of the Tinner Bros are entirely fabricated.
Why are the bottles in a can?
As a nod to the legend in which the brothers smuggled their whisky out of the mines in used dynamite tins.
What is the "Flight of Fancy"?
The (fictional) story that the Tinner Bros supposedly flew away in 1803 — a hundred years before the Wright brothers — never to be seen again. Folklore from Cornwall, nothing more and nothing less.
Who came up with this story?
It is part of the branding of Tinner Bros Whisky Co., the brand that master distiller Tarquin Leadbetter launched in 2025 alongside his well-known Tarquin's Gin.
