Plymouth Gin: From Plymouth, England, of course!

Let’s talk about gin.  I don’t mean just any gin.  Must be thousands of them and more on the market everyday.  Let’s chat about Plymouth Gin, made in Plymouth, England, in the oldest gin distillery in Britain.  Plymouth is one of those geographical contrivances.  Like Cognac and Champagne in France, if the gin isn’t made in Plymouth, you can’t use the town's name.

Why talk about Plymouth Gin specifically?  Oh lots of reasons.  History. Romance.  Need more reasons?  Wow, you are so jaded!

Ever wonder where the word gin came from?  Sure you did, you’re just ashamed to admit it.  Let’s go back to 1688 and the Glorious Revolution that unseated James I and set William and Mary of Orange (Dutch monarchs.) on the throne of Britain. W & M brought an alcoholic beverage with them called jenever shortened to gin. Jenever is the Dutch word for juniper, and juniper berries are what give gin the biggest part of its distinctive flavor. 

Never seen juniper berries?  Sure you have, you just didn’t know it.  Next time you see the common juniper bush, an evergreen shrub growing by so many front doors, notice the little blue-gray berries.  Dig your thumbnail into a berry and presto, you smell the flavor of gin.

Gin really took off once it hit the English royal court.  Even in Plymouth, there were lots of gin stills, but only one is left, Black Friars Distillery.

When you start peeling the onion of English history, it’s tough to know when to shut up and start drinking.  But, you’ve got to hear a word about Black Friars Distillery.

The building dates to the early 1400s.  It’s been a monastery, a debtor’s prison, a meeting hall for French Huguenots, and in 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers spent their last night there before heading across the briny to the New World.

Which brings us to 1793 and the start of the gin business.  Plymouth is still made the same way it’s always been made.  Seven botanicals bring the original Plymouth gin its distinctive flavor, but there’s also Plymouth Navy Strength (114 Proof!), which for years, along with Pusser’s Rum, sailed on every British naval vessel.  The third Plymouth Gin is Sloe Gin, flavored with sloe berries from the blackthorn bush and sugar.

http://plymouthgin.com/index.php

Ok, ok, you’re saying, where’s the romance?  Devious sexual practices?  Dark cellars of the soul?  You’ve heard of James Bond.  Doesn’t get much sexier than that.  Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming served in Naval Intelligence in the Second World War and he also liked martinis.  Notice how Bond likes his martinis shaken, not stirred?  Same with Ian Fleming, who used to inhabit the bar at Duke’s Hotel, St James, London.  His preference? Plymouth Gin, of course.  Dukes is still the most famous place for martinis in London.  Fancy an overnight?  The least expensive rooms go for about $535.  Suites are over $2000.  Add another thousand if you want the penthouse.

But if all you want to do is learn to make the perfect martini, enroll in Duke’s Martini Masterclass.  http://www.dukeshotel.com/foodanddrink

Besides Ian Fleming, let’s not forget Winston Churchill, one of the world’s most notable drinkers, be it Cognac, Champagne, or gin.  His choice?  Take a wild one!  During the Second World War, French vermouth was almost impossible to obtain.  Sir Winston took to drinking his gin, with a perfunctory nod toward the French coast.

How about Plymouth’s Original Gin itself?  Smooth.  Juniper tones, of course, but without the wildness or harshness of most gins.  Once you try it, you’ll understand why Black Friars Distillery didn’t just fade away like hundreds of other English gin distilleries.

1793 was just the beginning of a long journey that leads to today.

What kind of martini do you favor?  Lots of them out there, but the traditional is all I need.  A measure of Plymouth gin.  A third measure of Martini clear vermouth.  Shaken with ice, not stirred……OF COURSE!  Pour it in a martini glass. Add three olives speared on a toothpick and enjoy...........The name is Stroud... William Stroud.

A few more Martini Cocktails from The Savoy

You need this cocktail Bible in your library!