Plymouth Gin
The English Naval gin from Plymouth, Devon—distilled at the Black Friars Distillery since 1793. Softer, sweeter, and rounder than Beefeater’s classical London Dry profile, Plymouth carries an EU-protected geographical indication that restricts the name to gin distilled inside the city of Plymouth. The premium proto-tiki gin reference.
Plymouth is the only gin in the world that gets its own protected geographical indication. The EU rules established the Plymouth Gin GI in 1987 (continuing the centuries-older Royal Navy tradition of distinguishing Plymouth-style gin from London-style gin), and the rules are strict: to call the product Plymouth Gin, it has to be distilled inside the city of Plymouth, Devon, at the Black Friars Distillery—the only operation that currently holds the rights. The brand has been continuously distilled at the same site since 1793.
The style differs meaningfully from Beefeater’s London Dry. Plymouth’s botanical bill leans on more orris root, more sweet orange peel, less juniper, and an overall softer character. The mouthfeel is rounder and slightly fuller than London Dry’s bright dryness; the finish is more orange-and-coriander than juniper-and-pine. The Royal Navy connection is real and historical—the British Royal Navy specified Plymouth gin as the standard issue for ships at sea throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the navy strength (57% ABV) bottle remains in current production specifically because navy stewards needed gin that wouldn’t ruin gunpowder if spilled.
For the exotic-cocktail catalog, Plymouth’s softer profile is particularly useful in proto-tiki and adjacent gin recipes that benefit from less aggressive juniper. The Singapore Sling works well with either Beefeater or Plymouth (the brand was specified in some early 20th-century Raffles Hotel reconstructions, though the specific historical claim is contested). Pegu Club, Aviation, Bee’s Knees, and the broader pre-Prohibition gin canon often read better with Plymouth than with full London Dry. For a serious home bar that keeps two gins, Plymouth is the second one to buy after Beefeater.
The brand changed hands several times across the 20th century and is now owned by Pernod Ricard (same parent as Beefeater). The Black Friars Distillery itself was acquired by Pernod Ricard along with the brand. The distillation has continued without interruption; the marketing budgets are larger than they were under independent ownership. The 1990s and 2000s cocktail revival rehabilitated Plymouth from its mid-20th-century commercial decline; Dale DeGroff and other revival figures specified it explicitly in their reconstructed pre-Prohibition recipes, and the brand’s craft-gin credibility recovered.
Two bottlings to know: the standard Plymouth Original Strength (41.2% ABV) and the Plymouth Navy Strength (57% ABV). The Original is the cocktail workhorse; the Navy Strength is for cocktails that need more gin character or for cocktails that benefit from higher proof (Martinis, some heavy-citrus builds).
Where to buy: Widely distributed in the US; available at most well-stocked liquor stores and online. Specialty retailers carry the Navy Strength reliably.