The Plymouth Gin Distillery in the

Barbican A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe ...

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

, England has been in operation since 1793 and used to be a significant manufacturer of

gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis''). Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...

in the UK. Also known as the Black Friars Distillery, it is the only gin distillery in the city. The original building opens on to what is now Southside Street.

History

Local tradition has it that it is located in what was once a

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

, built in 1431, although there is no evidence to support this. It is also said that some of the

Pilgrim Fathers The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were the English settlers who came to North America on the ''Mayflower'' and established the Plymouth Colony in what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts, named after the final departure port of Plymo ...

may have stayed here while the ''

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...

'' was in the harbour for repairs before finally setting sail to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. This is where the ship on the company label is thought to have originated from. It was a large merchant's house dating from around 1500. By 1605 the building was used as a gaol, and a Congregational meeting house from 1689 to 1705. It was remodelled and extended as a gin distillery from 1793 when Coates joined with the established business of Fox & Williamson. The business was known as Coates & Co. until March 2004.

Present day

It is now a bar with bistro above, and the distillery provides several tours. Since 2005 the brand and premises have been owned by the Scandinavian

V&S Group V&S Group (''V&S Vin & Sprit AB''), founded in 1917, is an international producer and distributor of alcoholic beverages. The group is currently owned by Pernod Ricard. Headquartered in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, the group employs approxim ...

, better known for making

Absolut Vodka Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 from the Swedish state. Absolut is one of the largest brand ...

, who in turn were later acquired by

Pernod-Ricard Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or ''Ricard (drink), Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller ...

Plymouth Gin Plymouth Gin is a style and brand of gin that has been distilled on the same premises on the Barbican in Plymouth, Devon, since 1793. The site of production, the Plymouth Gin Distillery, was built in 1431 and is reputed to have once been a mo ...

is still made here, and in recent years there has been an increase in the popularity of the distinctive sweeter and lighter but stronger Plymouth flavour, compared to the more usual London Dry Gin. The company has produced a large range of promotional items, including Dartmouth Potteries Gurgle Jugs, miniatures, glasses, ashtrays, match strikers, etc. Many of these have become very collectable. On the afternoon of 27 February 2008, the building was substantially damaged by a kitchen fire starting in the nearby (and that time recently opened) Barbican Kitchen, which has subsequently re-opened.

References

External links

Plymouth Gin

Plymouth Gin Collectables
{{Pernod Ricard 1793 establishments in England Companies based in Plymouth, Devon British companies established in 1793 Distilleries in England Pernod Ricard brands Food and drink companies established in 1793 Industrial archaeological sites in Devon Grade II* listed buildings in Devon Buildings and structures in Plymouth, Devon Grade II* listed industrial buildings