Plymouth Gin
Encyclopedia
Plymouth Gin is a style of gin
that by law can only be produced in Plymouth
, England
, it being a Protected Geographical Indication
within the European Union. The Plymouth Gin Distillery
(the Black Friars Distillery) is the only gin distillery located in Plymouth in what was once a Dominican Order
monastery
built in 1431 and opens on to what is now Southside Street. It has been in operation since 1793.
The established distilling business of Fox & Williamson began the distilling of Plymouth Gin in 1793: soon the business was to become known as Coates & Co. which it remained until March 2004. From 2005 the brand was owned by the Swedish
company V&S Group
, who also make Absolut Vodka
. The brand is now owned and distributed by the French company Pernod Ricard
as a result of the purchase of V&S in 2008.
. It has a distinctively different, slightly less dry flavour than the much more commonly available London Dry Gin, as it contains a higher than usual proportion of root ingredients, which bring a more 'earthy' feel to the gin, as well as a smoother juniper hit. There is also a 'navy strength' variety available which is 57% alcohol by volume (100° English proof), being the traditional strength demanded by the British Royal Navy as this was the proof that would not prevent gunpowder from igniting, should it be compromised by spilled spirit.
A 47% abv (94 U.S. proof) version is available in worldwide duty free markets.
Other brands
The company also produces Plymouth sloe gin
, but has discontinued its Fruit cups
and Damson
liqueur
.
in 1751. Rum was given to sailors as part of their daily ration. Fortunately for Plymouth, it was decided that the officers should not drink the same beverage as the rated hands and so the officers were given gin, which spread through officers' messes and golf clubs of the Empire. The global deployment of the British Royal Navy
led to the renown and wide consumption of the product. The Quinine
in tonic water, which was often mixed with gin, has some anti-malarial properties, useful for British colonials.
Plymouth Gin was very popular in the US in the first part of the 20th century, and the distillery sold large quantities of gin to the USA during prohibition. At the end of the 20th century a house belonging to a wealthy businessman of the time was renovated; a secret room was discovered which contained, among other things, Plymouth Gin. Some bottles have been sent back to the distillery for their museum.
, based on the fact that when the Pilgrim Fathers set out for their journey to the new world, bad sea conditions and damage forced them to put into Plymouth harbour for shelter and essential repairs. Local tradition has it that some of them stayed in the monastery, which later became the distillery. In the same way as the monk's feet, one can say it's time to get a new bottle "when the Mayflower no longer sails on gin".
The distillery offers tours; included in the price is a taste of their gin (including sloe gin
), and either a free Gin and Tonic
in the cocktail bar or a free miniature of original or sloe gin.
The tour guides at the distillery recommend that, to stop the flavours vaporising into the air in the bottle as the gin is consumed, two half-empty bottles be decanted into each other. In this way the monk's feet never run dry.
, Franklin D. Roosevelt
, Ian Fleming
, Jerry Lewis, and Alfred Hitchcock
. The fictional character Travis McGee
commonly drank Plymouth.
competitions has fallen off somewhat, it has garnered a substantial array of awards. Between 2006 and 2011, for example, the gin received two double gold, two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Aggregating these scores and others, Proof66 classifies Plymouth Gin as a "Tier 1" spirit.
Several years ago Esquire magazine ran a blind-taste test of 25 martinis and the winning gin was Plymouth.
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
that by law can only be produced in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, it being a Protected Geographical Indication
Protected designation of origin
Protected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
within the European Union. The Plymouth Gin Distillery
Plymouth Gin Distillery
The Plymouth Gin Distillery in The Barbican, Plymouth, England has been in operation since 1793 and used to be a significant manufacturer of gin in the UK. Also known as the Black Friars Distillery, it is the only gin distillery in the city....
(the Black Friars Distillery) is the only gin distillery located in Plymouth in what was once a Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
built in 1431 and opens on to what is now Southside Street. It has been in operation since 1793.
The established distilling business of Fox & Williamson began the distilling of Plymouth Gin in 1793: soon the business was to become known as Coates & Co. which it remained until March 2004. From 2005 the brand was owned by the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
company V&S Group
V&S Group
V&S Group , founded in 1917, is an international producer and distributor of alcoholic beverages. The group is currently owned by Pernod Ricard...
, who also make Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden. Since July 2008 the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard who bought V&S Group from the Swedish government....
. The brand is now owned and distributed by the French company Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard...
as a result of the purchase of V&S in 2008.
Recipe
Plymouth Original Strength is 41.2% alcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
. It has a distinctively different, slightly less dry flavour than the much more commonly available London Dry Gin, as it contains a higher than usual proportion of root ingredients, which bring a more 'earthy' feel to the gin, as well as a smoother juniper hit. There is also a 'navy strength' variety available which is 57% alcohol by volume (100° English proof), being the traditional strength demanded by the British Royal Navy as this was the proof that would not prevent gunpowder from igniting, should it be compromised by spilled spirit.
A 47% abv (94 U.S. proof) version is available in worldwide duty free markets.
Other brands
The company also produces Plymouth sloe gin
Sloe gin
Sloe gin is a red liqueur flavoured with sloe berries, which are a small fruit relative of the plum. Sloe gin has an alcohol content between 15 and 30 percent by volume. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to infuse gin with the berries. Sugar is required to ensure the sloe juices are...
, but has discontinued its Fruit cups
Fruit cups
A fruit cup, also known as a summer cup, is traditionally an English speciality drink designed to be made into a long drink with addition of a soft drink such as lemonade or ginger ale. Most commonly gin based although there are some varieties based on other spirits such as vodka...
and Damson
Damson
The damson or damson plum is an edible drupaceous fruit, a subspecies of the plum tree. Sometimes called the Damask plum, damsons are commonly used in the preparation of jams and jellies...
liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
.
Historical background
Gin, being a cheap alcoholic beverage, was originally bought by the poor and caused considerable social problems, illustrated and satirised by the engraving 'Gin Lane' by HogarthHogarth
-People:* Burne Hogarth, American cartoonist, illustrator, educator and author* David George Hogarth, English archaeologist* Donald Hogarth, Canadian politician and mining financier* Paul Hogarth, English painter and illustrator...
in 1751. Rum was given to sailors as part of their daily ration. Fortunately for Plymouth, it was decided that the officers should not drink the same beverage as the rated hands and so the officers were given gin, which spread through officers' messes and golf clubs of the Empire. The global deployment of the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
led to the renown and wide consumption of the product. The Quinine
Quinine
Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
in tonic water, which was often mixed with gin, has some anti-malarial properties, useful for British colonials.
Plymouth Gin was very popular in the US in the first part of the 20th century, and the distillery sold large quantities of gin to the USA during prohibition. At the end of the 20th century a house belonging to a wealthy businessman of the time was renovated; a secret room was discovered which contained, among other things, Plymouth Gin. Some bottles have been sent back to the distillery for their museum.
Packaging
If one looks through the previous bottle of the standard strength variety, one can see a depiction of one of the monastery's friars on the inside of the back label. It was said that "when the monk's feet got dry it was time for a new bottle". Since mid 2006 the bottle has been changed to an Art deco style. On the front of the bottle is the ship, the MayflowerMayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
, based on the fact that when the Pilgrim Fathers set out for their journey to the new world, bad sea conditions and damage forced them to put into Plymouth harbour for shelter and essential repairs. Local tradition has it that some of them stayed in the monastery, which later became the distillery. In the same way as the monk's feet, one can say it's time to get a new bottle "when the Mayflower no longer sails on gin".
The distillery offers tours; included in the price is a taste of their gin (including sloe gin
Sloe gin
Sloe gin is a red liqueur flavoured with sloe berries, which are a small fruit relative of the plum. Sloe gin has an alcohol content between 15 and 30 percent by volume. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to infuse gin with the berries. Sugar is required to ensure the sloe juices are...
), and either a free Gin and Tonic
Gin and tonic
A gin and tonic is a highball cocktail made with gin and tonic water poured over ice. It is usually garnished with a slice or wedge of lime, or lemon. The amount of gin varies according to taste...
in the cocktail bar or a free miniature of original or sloe gin.
The tour guides at the distillery recommend that, to stop the flavours vaporising into the air in the bottle as the gin is consumed, two half-empty bottles be decanted into each other. In this way the monk's feet never run dry.
Notable drinkers
Plymouth Gin was favoured by such notable individuals as Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
, Jerry Lewis, and Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
. The fictional character Travis McGee
Travis McGee
Travis McGee is a fictional character, created by prolific American mystery writer John D. MacDonald. Unlike most detectives in crime fiction, McGee is neither a police officer nor a licensed private investigator; instead, he is a self-described "salvage consultant" who recovers others' property...
commonly drank Plymouth.
Accolades
While Plymouth gins' most recent performance at international spirit ratingsSpirit ratings
With a growing number of microdistilleries and an expanding number of offerings from large corporate entities, a number of institutions have arisen to provide professional evaluations of individual spirits...
competitions has fallen off somewhat, it has garnered a substantial array of awards. Between 2006 and 2011, for example, the gin received two double gold, two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Aggregating these scores and others, Proof66 classifies Plymouth Gin as a "Tier 1" spirit.
Several years ago Esquire magazine ran a blind-taste test of 25 martinis and the winning gin was Plymouth.