Intense, bold and aromatic. For almost two centuries, no Royal Navy ship left port without it. The Blackfriars distillery has been making Plymouth gin since 1793 using the same secret recipe including 7 different plants. It is bottled at the conventional alcohol level of 57%, which is traditionally accepted by the British Navy. In order to endure the difficult conditions of long voyages and to make the water drinkable, the Navy had to make sure that the gin (or rum) they wanted to take over was of sufficient purity / alcohol content. If the gunpowder mixed in the drink ignited, it was of acceptable quality, and this occurred from 57 degrees of alcohol, so it became ‘100% proof’, meaning 100% certified quality.