🥃 Plymouth Gin
Plymouth Gin is a gin brand made at the Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth, England, where the producer says gin has been made since 1793; the brand belongs to Pernod Ricard.
Plymouth Gin is a gin brand from the English port city of Plymouth, made at the Black Friars Distillery. According to the producer, the same distillery has made the gin since 1793, and it calls itself England's oldest working gin distillery. Pernod Ricard states that the brand has been part of the group since 2008.
The distillery. The producer says the Black Friars building dates back to the early 1400s; its most intact part is the Refectory Room, a medieval hall with a timber roof built in 1431, protected as a national monument. Pernod Ricard says the gin is distilled in a single Victorian copper pot still.
The range. According to the producer, the range includes Plymouth Original Gin at 41.2% ABV and Plymouth Navy Strength at 57% ABV, as well as Sloe Gin, Fruit Cup, Honey and Mr King's 1842 Recipe. The producer explains the 57% by a story that gin of that strength did not spoil gunpowder if it leaked on board a ship.
What the law says about gin. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/787, gin is a juniper-flavoured spirit drink made by flavouring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with juniper berries; its minimum strength is 37.5% ABV and the taste must be predominantly that of juniper. Distilled gin is made exclusively by distilling such alcohol with juniper and other natural botanicals.
Why this matters to you. Check the strength on the label: Original and Navy Strength differ greatly. The WHO states that there is no safe amount of alcohol that does not affect health.
Facts
| Year founded | 1793 — the producer's date for gin made at Black Friars (Plymouth) 2 |
|---|---|
| EU category | 20 — gin, Reg. (EU) 2019/787 4 |
| Distillation method | a single Victorian copper pot still, per Pernod Ricard 3 |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | gin from 37.5% ABV 4; Original 41.2%, Navy Strength 57% 2 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Plymouth Gin → kind of → 🍸 Gin and juniper spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What is made from it
- 🥃 Clover Club
- Works with
- 🥃 Pernod Ricard
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🍸 Gin, 🍸 Gin and juniper spirits
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🍸 London gin, 🍸 Distilled gin, 🥃 Old Tom Gin, 🥃 Sloe gin
Frequently asked questions
Where is Plymouth Gin made?
At the Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth, England; according to the producer, gin has been made there since 1793.
What is Navy Strength?
A version of Plymouth Gin at 57% ABV, according to the producer; the Original is 41.2% ABV.
Who owns Plymouth Gin?
Pernod Ricard states that the brand has been part of the group since 2008.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
- 🍸 London gin — The EU's strictest distilled gin: aroma from distillation only, no colourings, up to 0.1 g/l of sugar, at least 37.5% vol.
Similar
🥃 Old Tom Gin · 🍸 London gin · 🍸 Distilled gin · 🥃 Blended Grain Scotch Whisky · 🍸 Gin · 🥃 Single Grain Scotch Whisky
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Plymouth Gin: Distillery (Black Friars building, Refectory Room 1431, England's oldest working gin distillery — producer's statement)
- Plymouth Gin: Our gins (since 1793; Original 41.2%, Navy Strength 57% ABV; range)
- Pernod Ricard: Plymouth Gin (Blackfriars distillery since 1793; single Victorian copper pot still; part of Pernod Ricard since 2008)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I: category 20 gin, 21 distilled gin
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)