That Plymouth Moment

That moment you know the one, when you take a sip and everything falls away… Maybe it is the end of the month, maybe it’s the first day of the holidays, Christmas day, your birthday or just the end of a day at work. Cool, iced, pungent flavours alive in your mouth from sharp to sweet, citrus to spicy all fill you with delight as each facet plays its part bringing enjoyment or even a touch of luxury and release to your being. Find out more in That Plymouth Moment Here

That Gin of the day, maybe you are ice and a slice, or maybe your more of a gimlet kinda guy or gal. Whatever your tastes the profile of the Gin in all its resplendent facets is key to that moment. A moment you feel gushes over you and all is at peace.

Maybe you are not that aware of why you must have that particular Gin you choose, that one that offers taste fulfilment. But after all, taste is everything, so drinking one that can both ‘give and take flavour’ is the grandest option.

Gin; a very English grown-up tipple. Although early versions were produced in Holland, known as ‘genever’ the real drink we know today as Gin comes from the UK. In its’ most straightforward it is grain or sugar cane alcohol with Juniper berries. But at its’ best, it is a magical mix of well-sourced and gentle ‘palette tickling’ botanicals. Alongside its taste spectrum Gin has a marvellous history, and there are a few Gin brands in this country that go all the way back to the 1800s.

Some may well know that Gin was the drink of the Navy. At a time when drinking a light beer was better for your health than water, because of how ill water could make you, drinking beers and spirits made sense. But Gin on ships really was just for the officers. Considered a little too grand for the average sailor who may well have just drunk rum, Gin was, even then, seen as a slightly more regal beverage.

So why on ships? well, let’s explore the world of Plymouth Gin one of the oldest servicing distilleries still making Gin from its original site, the Black Friar’s Distillery by the docks in its namesake town from 1793. Called The Black Friar’s building, (situated in the historic Barbican area) the home of the brand dates back to the early 1400s and was thought to originally belong to abbots, but more about that later. The current Plymouth Gin is a version of a 200-year-old recipe, passed down verbally to every Master Distiller since 1793.

So the link to Gin and the Navy may hold some of its roots in the distillery being by a seaport, more correctly, near the Navy barracks or because it was believed that Gin would be able to fight off diseases like malaria and scurvy (hence the adding of Lime for scurvy and tonic with its quinne). Could it also be because carrying Gin aided gunpowder? Interestingly the idea of the strength of Gin initially has a lot to do with Gunpowder, which would have of course, been used on battle vessels.

Up until 1816, no method existed to test the ABV/ alcohol by volume, (measure of alcoholic strength of a spirit), so a test was devised to provide a good indication of the strength of a Gin. A few grains of gunpowder would be mixed with a small measure of Gin from each cask.

If the Gin and gunpowder ignited and the liquid would create a flame and then burn, then this was ‘proof’ that the gin was of a ‘high proof strength’. Another positive aid of these finding was that if the ship got soaked from a breaking casket of Gin and so did the ship’s content, the Gunpowder could still burn.

Plymouth Gin became so popular a tradition in the Royal Navy that all newly commissioned vessels received a “Plymouth Gin Commissioning Kit”, a wooden box containing two bottles of navy strength Plymouth Gin and glassware.

The first ‘gin boom’ in the 18th century bough legislation from the Royal Navy that there had to be a certain amount of Gin on each vessel while they were sailing, required to help fight illness and diseases which were rife.

However, some of the officers were suspicious of the Gin, especially as the quality varied so much from city to city, port to port, and felt it could have been overly watered down. As mentioned above the test needed to be of sufficient standard (at least 114 proof or 57% ABV in today’s terms), yet the term Navy Strength Gin is actually a clever bit of marketing rather than an actual factual name. A creation from the 1990’s was coined to help sell high-strength spirits.

So what does the term Navy Gin mean? well quite simply it is a more alcoholic version, and Plymouth Navy Strength Gin is still available today. It wasn’t until the 31st of July 1970 that the Royal Navy ceased daily rations of alcohol to crew members, a day that’s known as “Black Tot Day”. The Plymouth Gin is  41.2% and the Plymouth navy Strength is 57%.

With many ports and harbours acting as gateways to the world, the life of a sailor saw them come into contact with goods from around the world at many ports; exotic spices, luxurious textiles, animals as well as new types of alcohol and so much more. This again plays a part in many ports seeing breweries and distilleries all within a stone’s throw of the harbour. Up until 2015, Plymouth Gin was a Protected Geographical Indication, which meant Plymouth Gin had to be made in Plymouth.

Although Plymouth as a port was not a final destination in things like the trade routes being a port meant that it had much access to items like spices from world trades. The trade routes, as they were called, served to transfer raw materials, foodstuffs, and luxury goods, China, for example, supplied West Asia and the Mediterranean world with silk, while spices were obtained mainly from South Asia. Plymouth Gin would certainly have benefited from the shipments as the seven botanicals in the Gins are not all grown in the UK. But it is the seven botanicals in Plymouth that brings its unique palette to the fore. Also, it is important to understand that any Gin cannot be a Gin without Juniper berries. So that must always be the starting ingredient.

A Juniper berry is a female  ‘cone’ rather than a seed produced by the various species of Junipers, unusually fleshy with merged scales which gives it a berry-like appearance. Used as a spice, it is the pine-like hint that is signature to any Gin and what gives its distinctive flavour; sharp, clean, and slightly piney with a touch of both fruitiness and pepperiness.

Junipers are native to a surprising range of different places and climates, from arid deserts to alpine tundras and even rainforests. Grown in Britain (Scotland being the optimum climate for them) which is probably how they ended up in Gin, although most of the plant used in Gin these days comes from abroad in order to get a consistent flavour to a luxury Gin. Plymouth gets their Juniper from one producer only, based in the hills of Italy.

This is the first building block in this most prestigious of blends. For Plymouth Gin, next comes Coriander seed.

Coriander is an edible aromatic plant used in dishes all around the world. It’s grown in regions in southern Europe, North Africa, and southwestern Asia.

In its most basic definition, Coriander is the dried seeds of the Cilantro plant. The Coriander plant leaves are widely known as Cilantro, which is actually the Spanish word for Coriander.

Coriander has some health benefits and medicinal properties, including the ability to lower blood sugar, provide immunity-boosting antioxidants, protect both the brain, heart health, and is great for clear skin and good digestion.

As to its’ taste, think bright, warm, floral, lemony flavour and aroma and specifically, in Plymouth Gin, find a stronger than usual citrus note that infuses and moves toward the end into a gentle, soft ‘pepper-spice’. A complex flavour, but one that brings harmony; almost like a rounded base note in a perfume brings together the whole scent.

Orange peel comes next in ingredients. Here you get a sense of sweet Spanish oranges, juicy with a sweetness that is not sickly but a little like the deep sharp-sweetness from a great marmalade, that lingers on the tongue.

It is the lemon peel next that also brings the hit of citrus here, bright and alive, zingy on the edge of the tongue, bringing vitality with it.

Interestingly next on the list comes Angelica root. You may know of it as a green shiny cube often seen with other candid peel in sweets and cakes. Angelica is from the Apiaceae, (celery, carrot or parsley) family. It has a subspecies cultivated for its sweetly scented edible stems and roots, but the essential oil is in the leaves or fruits with a taste profile that is aromatic and herby. Another insightful comment is that it can be found as an ingredient in the Apothecary Cocktail book.

Known for its uses besides as a sweet peel, in many alcoholic drinks such as liqueurs or aquavits, absinthes, and bitters, its’ botanicals are used in Gin, and here is Plymouth it rounds off the dryness of the drink bringing an almost ‘earthy clean’ facet.

Next comes green Cardamom. This well-known spice comes from the seed pods of various plants in the ginger family. Spindle-shaped pods contain seeds, but the entire cardamom pod can be used whole or ground. Used in many food dishes from the Indian continent but also the Middle East and even Nordic countries. Cardamom’s profile in taste is strong, sweet, and pungent in flavour and aroma, with potential facets of lemon and mint. Think of it as having a herbal warmth, citrusy even menthol, with gentle soft spice. Here in the Plymouth Gin it is the most used botanical and brings a sort of ‘clean herbal’ note that ‘backs up’ the Juniper as such.

Finally comes Orris root, the most unusual of ingredients. Orris is the root of the Iris flower that actually has no scent so the root is turned into butter and is often used in high-end perfumery to bring an ‘earthy wet’ note to the scent. However, in Gin, it is the dried powder from the root that is used. Much like perfumery, Orris is expensive as the roots need to grow for quite a few years before they can be dug up and then spend several more years to be dried out. Not a cheap or quick process.

Dried Orris root takes on a floral, sweet facet that is most often compared to Parma violets. Alongside this floral note comes an earthy, dusty sweetness almost hay-like. It is dry, sweet and clean, strong, and even woody on the tongue. In perfumes, it is not just for its smell, but for its ability to bind other scents bringing a fixative quality, and is not dissimilar here is Plymouth Gin it deepens it and pulls together many of the seven facets to complete this complex yet perfectly-rounded renowned Gin.

Ultimately this Plymouth Gin is definitely juniper-ripe with a hit of juicy fruit and vital citrus but concludes on the palette with its soft woody spices and smooth earthy finale.

So this Gin with so many facets to its’ flavour has a key benefit above and beyond many other brands. It is the most listed Gin in the Savoy Hotel’s Cocktail Book and important document of the growth of cocktails. Also the first ever recipe for the Dry Martini was published in 1896 in “Stuarts Fancy Drinks” and the recipe specified Plymouth Gin.

Simply because not just the excellence of near on 250 years of expertise, but that the blend with its’ unique profile allows for different facets to be explored; from straightforward Gin and Tonic to a complex cocktail. Mulled with lemons or limes bring out the citrus facet of the gin with say a divine Gimlet, or go for a spicer cocktail like a chilli Martini and sense the warm spice of Cardamom and Coriander. This brand can not just be added as the needed Gin factor but will give something extra as each facet of the Gin allows itself to be ‘used’ to its’ best taste sensation by the added ingredients. This makes for a very versatile base. It also means that should you prefer to drink spirits with your meal this is the Gin to use.

The gin is still produced using artisanal methods and is batch-made using a single copper pot-still originally installed in the distillery during the Victorian era in 1855. The Master Distiller Sean Harrison is the guardian of the brand from ensuring the right taste sensation, to garnering the key ingredients from the best of sources. Like a magician he blends and tests to ensure each batch has continuity not just to another but to the origins of the original output. Even though he has gently modified the Gins produced he ensures the heritage of the brand is sacrosanct, as well as being totally in love with his product; he is a keen Gin and Tonic drinker.

Notice on the bottle the copper pot-still is represented by the copper cap whilst the bottle has a small detail not always obvious. Look for the abbot on the bottle a nice little reminder of the history of the building’s original inhabitants. There is a saying in the distillery, that when the ‘abbot’s feet are wet it’s time to get a new bottle’.

The distillery holds bottles from the past ranging in shapes and materials but always with an abbot somewhere. The current bottle leans very much toward blue/green tonal clear glass. It looks heavy and substantial with raised glass lettering and a heavy base that emotively feels like it seals its heritage.

The distillery has in fact five different Gin tipples to choose from, starting with the PLYMOUTH GIN, and the NAVY STRENGTH, which are very much described above and are the cornerstone to everything else they create. Find a couple of other treats:-

Firstly their SLOE GIN, the same botanicals but with added Sloe berries that come from a blackthorn bush. This jewel-like, inky drink can be supped on its own or added to cocktails and even poured over a vanilla ice cream for a more grown-up indulgent dessert. Its’ profile is plum-like and rich and because of this comforting flavour, it is often associated with winter festivals like Christmas.

Next Up think of summer and meet their FRUIT CUP. Aromatic, surprisingly complex and the traditional base for fruity summer pitchers. Perfect on sunny days and at any garden party.

Lastly comes MR KING’S 1842 RECIPE. Made with single origin juniper, picked on a single day, from a single mountain located in Frontignano, Italy, with just the added facet of Orris powder only one batch will ever be made.

As well as being quite the institution in the area the distillery gives back not just to its’ locality but also to the Sea very much its partner in its’ history, like a Gin and tonic the brand and the ocean go hand in hand. So Plymouth Gin partner with the Ocean Conservation Trust to help safeguard one of the most precious habitats on our planet; seagrass.

Described as the Blue Meadows, seagrass is exactly as it is named, grass that grows on the bed of the sea. It has a massive impact capturing carbon 35 times faster than rainforests, absorbing 10% of ocean carbon. In areas where seagrass lives find 40 times more marine life than in sea beds without seagrass which also cleans our ocean of polluting nutrients produced by humans

Plymouth Gin are supporting the protection and regeneration of 20 hectares of seagrass (that’s the size of 20 football pitches) with a £1 donation to the Ocean Conservation Trust for every bottle of Plymouth Gin sold in the UK.

The Ocean Conservation Trust is a global Ocean conservation charity working towards our vision of a healthy Ocean. Because in the UK alone, we are losing 500 hectares of seagrass beds every year.

Plymouth Gin with its artisanal production methods, complex flavour profile and smooth texture, has in the past been alluded to as the ‘single malt of gins’. Its reputation drilled down over many years supported by it being the Gin of choice for many a bar person and those within the drinks-trade.

But ultimately all this information comes back that moment; the sipping moment. When over 200 years of knowledge, culture, history and loving care hits the palette, that complex sensation is stored in that slipping moment; a moment worth making a Plymouth Gin Moment.

Find out everything you want to know about Plymouth Gin Here including trip to visit and Distillery Tours.

If you enjoyed reading That Plymouth Moment, then why not read Fashion Connected Here

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