In The Navy – The Gin Cooperative

The lure of the sea has captured the imaginations of many. The rich, the poor, the famous and infamous. The tales of old told of giant sea creatures lurking in the murky depths, stalking ships across the oceans of the world. Legends of famous pirates looting and raiding any ship that was slow enough to be boarded. New world explorers shipwrecked on strange, foreign shores or vessels loaded with gold and precious jewels lost to the deep, dark seas. The sea has been a source of inspiration for artists, writers, musicians, poets, explorers. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne or Moby Dick by Herman Melville, the wild and untameable beauty of mother nature is a constant source in the story of human endeavour. And throughout many of the adventures, fact and fiction, alcohol appears to have been a constant companion. Brandy, wine, beer, port, rum and of course gin.

To become a sailor, a young boy would start his apprenticeship before reaching fourteen years of age, with the ships master or first mate paid a sum by the parents. This unpaid apprenticeship could last up to nine years, but once the training was complete, it would mean the young sailor could quickly move to be a ships master or first mate by the time they reached their mid-twenties. For poorer families, a ships master could be given a boy without payment in understanding that the boy would be given a bed and a meal aboard a ship. The boy would also be provided with some form of training so they could have some life and career at sea. It was this or endure a life of desperation and poverty on dry land that would lead to an early grave. Although life expectancy for a young boy aboard a ship of burly men, facing deadly storms and all the wrath that mother nature could throw at you didnt exactly bode well either for a long and happy life.

For many sailors in the 17th century, life at sea meant months and sometimes years away from family. Cramped and dirty living quarters could quickly develop into a place of absolute squalor, which could often lead to illness. Sometimes when a ships crew became sick quickly, rumours would spread of a cursed voyage or that a member of the crew might carry the black mark, a sign of danger and foreboding amongst seafarers. Often tired, malnourished, superstitious, and a long way from home, its easy to see why any distraction from the reality of life at sea would be a welcome escape. Spending months at sea with the same faces working tirelessly under the strict stewardship of a ships captain could have been enough to push anyone to the grog as a welcome escape.

A little sip of something here and there helped lighten the mood but also a literal and proverbial powder keg waiting for a spark. An ill-prepared ships hold could be the downfall of many an experienced captain and crew. A lack of fresh drinking water, fruit, meat and vegetables could push the crew of a ship to breaking point resulting in mutiny. Or worse, murder. With their physical and mental health pushed to the limits, its easy to understand why a crews morale could make or break a voyage.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, most sea voyages required a significant cargo of fresh water to keep the crew healthy. Unfortunately, the water which was stored in casks could quickly develop algae rendering the water almost undrinkable. And although stopping at ports to resupply provided a chance to top up water, there was no guarantee that the water being brought on board was fresh or safe to drink. Sometimes the water on board would become so vile that under captains orders, a cask of stale water would be topped up with beer, wine, rum or any other spirits on board to dilute the pungent odour and taste. A lack of water could literally mean life or death for the crew. With freshwater posing an on-going problem for voyages and expeditions to far-flung lands, there could be only one solution? Bring less water and more booze instead.

There were nights when he took a deal more rum and water than his head could carry; and then he would sometimes sit and sing his wicked old wild sea-songs, minding nobody Often I have heard the house shaking with Yo-ho-ho and a bottle and rum, all the neighbours joining in for dear life with the fear of death upon them and each singing louder than the other to avoid remark. Fifteen men on the dead mans chest, Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil have done for the rest. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island (1883)

As the Royal Navy sailed the high seas flying the flag for the British Empire, an attack in 1655 saw the Island of Jamaica come under the empires control. Several other islands would eventually be absorbed as part of the British Empire and resulted in the popularity of a new kind of alcohol rum. Rum would eventually become the spirit of choice for the Royal Navy.

By 1731, thanks to its longer shelf life than some of the other drinks that could be found aboard a ship, and the fact that rum was safer to drink than, for example, Arak, an Indian Spirit drink which sailors came to distrust thanks to its tendency to make the drinker sick, rum became the drink of the Royal Navy, although officers often drank sherry, port and gin. Rum rations were issued to sailors twice a day in half-pint jugs, also known as tots right up until 1823 when it was cut to a quarter pint, and then 1850 an eighth of a pint where it stayed right up until 1970.

With an increasing demand for liquids that could last long voyages, spirits seemed like the perfect solution. Not only did most spirits remain palatable, but with the addition of spices and herbs that were aboard the ship, this would hide any spoiling of the alcohol, and a drink could also lift the spirits of even the weariest of sailors.

With many ports and harbours acting as gateways to the world, the life of a mariner meant they came into contact with goods from around the world at nearly every port: exotic spices, luxurious textiles, strange animals, new languages, cultures. And of course, new types of drink. Its little wonder that many ports saw the growth of breweries and distilleries all within a stones throw of the harbour front. With a thirsty, ever-changing roster of customers, there was money to be made. It didnt matter how the liquid tasted, as long as it brought merriment and joviality, an exchange of coin would be made by sea weary sailors setting foot on dry land for the first time in months, eager to get their fill at the nearest free house or in some cases, illicit distillery.

And although gin was traditionally reserved for the officers on the ship whilst the lower-ranking sailors and crew were allocated a ration of rum, thanks to the number of distilleries in any given port, it was easy for sailors to get their hands on a few bottles of gin or any other booze that their purse could afford. And sometimes, it was a case of purchasing whatever spirits were readily available at the next port of call.

One port that saw a boom in alcohol production was Plymouth. The Black Friars Distillery, now The Plymouth Gin Distillery, opened its doors in 1793 in the port of Plymouth. The distillery produced Plymouth Gin, a style of gin that was slightly sweeter and less dry than London Dry gin. Its flavour profile, along with the fact it could be drunk neat, quickly found favour amongst officers. It had a certain air of sophistication and quality, something many rums of the time lacked. Plymouth Gin proved so popular it became a tradition in the Royal Navy that all newly commissioned vessels receive a Plymouth Gin Commissioning Kit, a wooden box containing two bottles of navy strength Plymouth gin and glassware. Up until 2015, Plymouth Gin was a Protected Geographical Indication, which meant Plymouth Gin had to be made in Plymouth.

With demand for alcohol, beer, rum, brandy and eventually gin, thanks in part to the gin craze in the first half of the 18th century, it may come as no surprise to learn that many of the Royal Navys manifests from the 17th century onwards included rum, beer, brandy, port, wine and of course gin, although many manifests note genever up until the name and spirit evolved to be known as gin.

Ordering large quantities of gin meant there was a chance the distillery or seller might try and hoodwink the Royal Navy. It was up to the Pussers, Royal Navy slang for a ships supply officer as they were in charge of the ships purse, to make sure that the Royal Navy was not left red-faced and out of pocket. The last thing the Pusser would want would be a stern dressing down, or worse, from a disgruntled captain who found out half way around the world that barrels of gin in his hold was tasteless, watered-down slop that had gone off. The Pussers had to find a way of ensuring that the gin they were purchasing was of high strength.

There are a number of stories relating to how the strength of gin was tested, but many, if not all, involved the use of gunpowder. Up until 1816, there was no method to test the ABV of a spirit, so a test was devised that would provide a good indication of the strength. A few grains of gun powder would be mixed with a small measure of gin from each cask. The solution would then be ignited to see if the gunpowder and liquid would burn. If the gin ignited and created a flame, then this was proof that the gin was of a high proof strength. If the gunpowder failed to ignite, then this was a strong indicator that the gin wasnt high strength and had most likely been watered down. Bearing in mind that the gin we know today at a minimum 37.5% ABV is a completely different spirit to the gin that would have been served in the officers quarters at high strength.

Testing gin and other spirits using the gunpowder test also meant that if a cask broke in the ships hold and the gunpowder stores were flooded, or the gunpowder was damp, in theory, it should still ignite. Faced with battles on the high sea and with the British Empire and Royal Navys reputation at stake, the last thing a Captain or crew would want was soggy gunpowder, which would have rendered their cannons useless. Having to explain at a court-martial, you lost one of the Kings royal fleet because you had a problem with soggy gunpowder would have seen any officers reputation diminished beyond repair.

It was only in 1816 when Bartholomew Sikes invented the alcoholometer that the volume of alcohol in a liquid could be measured. The Royal Navy quickly adopted the alcoholometer; before it was introduced into law in 1818, it was discovered that the minimum ABV required by the Navy was 57.5% ABV. Although after some tests, the Royal Navy discovered the ideal strength for igniting gun powder was 54.5% ABV, and so for the next 150 years, this was the ABV of gin supplied to the Royal Navy. It wasnt until the 31st of July 1970 that the Royal Navy ceased daily rations of alcohol to crew members, a day thats known as Black Tot Day, which was brought about by The Admiralty Board writing to the House of Commons on the 17th of December 1969.

The Admiralty Board concludes that the rum issue is no longer compatible with the high standards of efficiency required now that the individuals tasks in ships are concerned with complex, and often delicate, machinery and systems on the correct functioning of which peoples lives may depend. In other words, inebriated sailors shouldnt be operating million-pound naval vessels.

It was only in 1993, 23 years after Black Tot Day that the term Navy Strength was actually used to brand a gin. For the most part, they were referred to as overproof gin or 100% Proof gin. The term Navy Strength is in fact thanks to John Murphy, a marketing consultant who was working with the team at The Plymouth Gin Company. John created the term Navy Strength Gin to help market the distillerys 100% Proof gin. And thus, the modern term for high strength gin was born.

Today, Navy Strength Gins come in all manner of strengths and styles, including cask-aged navy strength gins and old tom navy strength gins. The ideal ABV should be over 57% ABV and there are a number of high strength gins that use the idea of the Navy Strength category to market their high strength gins according to their own story or region, including Highland Strength and Battlefield Strength.

Below youll discover a variety of Navy Strength and high strength gins from our members to explore

Little Brown Dog Latitude Strength (57.5% ABV), Little Brown Dog Distillery

Little Brown Dog Distillery, based in rural Aberdeenshire, was established by friends Andrew Smith and Chris Reid. The micro-distillery, which sits in the shadow of Bennachie, a local landmark, produces Scottish Gin along with bottling a variety of cask whiskies, blended whiskies, brandy and more. The distillery is a hub of creativity that seeks to break down barriers, and dispel some of the stereotypes that can be associated with gin and whisky.

Inspired by the local landscape and Andrews dog, the original Little Brown Dog, the distillery has released a number of creative spirits as part of their Experimental Spirit Series. Alongside these, Little Brown Dog released its signature LBD Gin in May 2020. The gin used a variety of locally Aberdeenshire foraged botanicals including parsnip, a first for Scottish Gin, and birch sap, beech leaves, bee pollen and a number of classic gin botanicals. Exploring new botanicals, foraging for flavour, distilling with purpose.

Theres also a hearty does of sarcasm, fun, Micky-taking and self-mockery thats part of the distillery DNA. Andrew and Chris want to produce spirits that get people talking, that can encourage drinkers to step away from the expected and challenge and nudge boundaries when it comes to the norm. Their Unlimited Edition tagline on their LBD Gin gently mocks the drinks industry where big brands producing gin by the truckload can plaster Limited Edition on a bottle to cash in. Or the use of the local Doric dialect affa strong on their new Latitude Strength which translates to its really strong, dont be an idiot and go easy this gin is strong.

Being able to produce good gin and spirits is a challenge. But being able to inject some personality and fun into what you do without resorting to cheap gags or ill-advised memes can be even harder. Making gin fun isnt hard. But getting it right is. Andrew and Chris manage to find that fine balance of producing, shaping and sourcing great tasting liquids that are unique and original, whilst putting their own LBD stamp on things, underlined with their motto Forage what we can, grow what we cant and only buy what we cannot grow or forage sustainably.

Weve always thought our LBD GIN really sang at higher ABVs. Just lifting the lid off the tank and taking a sniff before reducing it, we wanted to recreate that experience for folk who enjoy our gin.Its called latitude strength because we distil at 57.2 North so its 57.2% ABV, which is a whole 0.2% ABV higher than a navy strength and therefore better. Weve always geo tagged our foraged and grown ingredients for LBD Gin so it felt like the right thing to match ABV to latitude.

Andrew Smith, Co-Founder and Distiller, Little Brown Dog Distillery

Learn more about Little Brown Dog Spirits here.

Mackintosh Mariner Strength Gin (59% ABV), Distilutions

Jim and Deborah Macintosh launched their signature Mackintosh Scottish Gin in 2018. The couple saw an opportunity to create a gin that appealed to them as gin drinkers with juniper and citrus at heart. Deborah had been enjoying more and more craft gins but kept looking for that elusive gin that hit all the right notes. As much as it would have been fun to keep searching, tasting, exploring and enjoying the ever-growing range of gins available, naturally the best solution was to create her own gin!

Thanks in part to Deborahs love of the juniper spirit, Jim, who was a long time whisky drinker, also began to discover the diversity of the gin category. With an idea of what they believed would make a great gin, the couple sought the support of award-winning distiller Lewis Scothern at Distillations in Arbroath. Also being Angus based, Jim and Debs set to work with Lewis at the distillery testing a number of recipes. Being involved in the development process allowed the couple to see, taste and smell each recipe, refining until they not only had a gin that they felt was what they were looking for in a gin but that they were proud to call their own.

Working so closely with Lewis provided the couple with an in at the deep end experience and insight into the production process. From recipe development and the technical side of the distillation process, but also the not so glamorous side with filling, bottling, labelling, all done by the hand by the family between the distillery and home. It does, however, help when you have a family who loves a challenge, and with the help of their three daughters and their partners, the Mackintosh gin brand has continued to grow with the addition of their Mackintosh Old Tom, which was named gin of the year at the Scottish Gin Awards 2020, but also their Mackintosh Mariner Strength Gin, which also picked up a silver in the High Strength Gin of the Year category.

Bottled at 59% ABV, Mackintosh Mariner Strength Gin is distilled using nine botanicals. Based around our award-winning Mackintosh London Dry recipe, botanicals include juniper and classic Mediterranean citrus fruits along with locally foraged elderflower. The result is an upfront and centre juniper-led spirit with floral hints of elderflower and citrus notes of orange and lemon. With its higher ABV, the botanicals are emphasised on the palate.

Our London Dry is a smooth gin, which at 42% is a good ABV for this style. We knew with such a high-quality spirit to start from, that at a higher strength, with some tweaking to the botanicals, we could produce an equally smooth high quality higher strength spirit that could be enjoyed in many ways. This gin can be enjoyed as a sipping gin, neat over ice, in a G&T where the oils from the botanicals can be seen by the liquid becoming opaque in appearance. Additionally, it can also be used in cocktails with the flavour of the gin not being lost by the other ingredients. The Mariner Strength is Deborahs favourite of our three expressions, and when partaking in a G&T has a 1 to 3 ratio served with tonic, lemon or lime and lots of ice.

Jim Mackintosh, Co-Founder, Mackintosh Gin

Learn more about Mackintosh Ginhere.

Badachro Gin 57 Storm Strength Gin (57%ABV), Badachro Distillery

Based in the former fishing village in the north-west Highlands of Scotland of Badachro, Gordon and Vanessa Quinn have been making gin at their distillery since 2017; producing gins that encompass a sense of place through flavour, packaging and their own passion for the local area. Originally meeting on holiday in Badachro, the small village left a lasting mark on the couple who eventually married, travelled the world and moved to Badachro with their young family, where they established their distillery along with their family B&B, which overlooks the bay and the village.

Its thanks in part to its geographical location on the West Coast of Scotland in the Scottish Highlands, and no stranger to storms blowing in from the North Atlantic Ocean, that the distillery, being close to 57 latitude, they were inspired to create a high strength gin named 57 Storm Strength.

Badachro 57 Storm Strength was the second gin we released simply because a trade customer asked for it! Most navy strength gins are just the still strength gin, cut with less water, so it remains stronger in alcohol. We tried this but found that we lost the trademark smoothness of Badachro Gin. So, we experimented on two fronts, trying out some botanicals that would potentially smoothen the flavour, and played with alternative ways of distilling.

We ended up with a combination of both, adding more of a particular local botanical (which definitely helps round off the sharpness of a high strength spirit) and multi-shot distilled the gin, so we could vary the ratio of botanical oils to the alcohol strength, hence delivering a gin which has a higher percentage of oils than usual, which also helps soften the flavour. Ironically, this results in our Storm Strength gin being ideal for a low alcohol strength G&T, as you can still get a high degree of flavour when cut with tonic to a lower alcohol strength drink.

Gordon Quinn, Co-Founder and Distiller, Badachro Distillery

Learn more about Badachro Distilleryhere.

Pentland Hills Navy Strength Gin (57% ABV), Tarbraxus Distillery

What do you get when you combine lush, green hillsides, a husband, a wife and a family of labradors? Scottish Gin might be the last thing that comes to mind! But with retirement from a 30 plus year career in the RAF and the decision as a couple to rebalance work and life, husband and wife Phil and Tabatha decided in 2017, the time was right to make the change.

As long time gin drinkers, the idea to make gin came to them on a quiet summers evening, whilst enjoying a few G&Ts naturally, pondering what the future held and discussing their desire to do something they could both enjoy, and that would let them be creative and help them work from their beautiful rural location on the outskirts of the small village of Tarbraxus at the foot of the Pentland Hills in South Lanarkshire.

Panza, the official Pentland Hills Gin brand ambassador and mascot, provided the perfect inspiration for the brand and packaging, with every bottle hand engraved by Tabatha, featuring an etching of Panza walking through the Pentland Hills.

Pentland Hills Navy Strength Gin reflects all of the wonderful flavours of their original gin but with a bolder flavour and higher strength of 58% ABV. The design on the neck of the bottle features an emblem of a woman, which was, in fact, the emblem for HMS Electra. Tarbraxus Distillery co-founder and distiller Phils Grandfather served and died aboard the HMS Electra in 1942 in the Battle of Java Sea, so the design is a respectful nod to his familys service. Fittingly, a percentage of sales from every bottle sold is donated to the Royal Navy Benevolent Trust, a charity close to the familys heart.

Pentland Hills Navy Strength Gin was first released in July 2020. The gin is offered at 58% ABV and is double distilled to create a very smooth palate. The gin recently won a bronze medal at the World Gin Awards, and the tasting panel offered the following: Bold menthol notes, with some salinity and a long finish. There are some floral notes and juniper on the nose, whilst the palate sees this juniper alongside fresh balsamic notes, menthol and lemon balm. Good balance. The gin is sublime as a G&T served with pink grapefruit and a garnish of mint, or for the more adventurous mix a martini you wont be disappointed!

Philip Cox, Co-Founder and Distiller, Tarbraxus Distillery

Learn more about Pentland Hills Ginhere.

Rock Rose Navy Strength (58% ABV), Dunnet Bay Distillery

Established by husband and wife Martin and Claire Murray, Dunnet Bay Distillers, the distillery behind the Rock Rose Gin range of Scottish Gin expressions and Holy Grass vodka, released their first gin in 2014. Both originally from the Dunnet Bay area, which is located at the very north of Scotland on the coast, the couple have continued to grow their range of spirits as well as growing the reputation and reach of the brand, which can now be found in over 24 countries along with listings at some of the worlds most respected bars including ATLAS Bar in Singapore.

The couple have created a wonderful visitor experience at the distillery with a bespoke tasting room, tours and shop that stock the full range of Rock Rose Gin expressions and other locally produced gifts. Very much a working distillery and a hive of activity, the distillery in terms of production and size is modest but filled with charm and the love for what Claire and Martin do can be seen in abundance in all the details that theyve put into not only their packaging, the care for producing great Scottish Gins but also helping create employment in the area as well as putting Dunnet Bay on the global distilling map. The distillery also picked up Distillery of the Year at the Scottish Gin Awards 2019.

Dunnet Bay Distillers were also the first distillery in Scottish Gin to introduce the concept of refill pouches, which means customers can order a fully recyclable pouch of their favourite Rock Rose Gin expression, top-up their original stoneware bottle and simply pop the empty pouch in the post back to the distillery. From here, its sent off to the pouch manufacturer, wheres it recycled to create a new pouch.

Since 2014, every year has seen the distillery continue to grow in terms of sales, reach and popularity. Its thanks in part to the popularity and success of their signature Rock Rose Original Gin that inspired the creation of Rock Rose Navy Strength Gin.

Our Navy Strength came about because bartenders had asked us for a stronger version of Rock Rose for cocktails. I trialled a Navy Strength and made a Negroni, and that made my mind up for me! Its the same botanicals as Rock Rose, but the higher ABV brings a punchier juniper-forward gin with a lot more spice than the original edition. This comes from the cinnamon, cassia and grain of paradise.

Martin Murray, Co-Founder and Distiller, Dunnet Bay Distillers

Learn more about Dunnet Bay Distillershere.

Farmer Strength Drovers Gin (57% ABV), The Wee Farm Distillery

Based in South Lanarkshire, The Wee Farm Distillery overlooks the rolling green pastures, hillsides and rich agricultural landscape of the surrounding area. Based on a working farm owned and operated by the McKerr family, Jenny and her family are slowly and carefully building something very, very special for gin drinkers and foodies alike.

The McKerr family recently completed another step in their plans for the farm with the refurbishment, renovation and transformation of one of the farm buildings into The Distillers Cottage. It sleeps up to six people and comes with a wood-burning stove, private garden and hot tub where guests can enjoy a Drovers Gin G&T along with various activities on-site, including a private tour of the distillery and tasting.

Along with a distillery, The Distillers Cottage accommodation, Jenny is slowly growing her beef herd encompassing a number of breeds, including Aberdeen Angus along with sheep. There are lots of plans for the farm, including orchards and more, with the aim of growing crops, fruit and botanicals that can feature in future The Wee Farm Distillery Gin expressions and spirits.

I wanted to create a Navy Strength ABV gin but put our own twist on, with our distillery here on the farm and my farming and food background, Farmers Strength Drovers Gin is full of flavour. We distil with 13 botanicals, including classic gin botanicals and juniper, and a combination of pink peppercorn, allspice, wild heather and thistle. The result is a citrus and spice flavour profile that, just like our signature Drovers gin, complements dishes with red meat.

Its something we believe is yet to be fully explored to its full potential is gin and food pairings. With Scotlands reputation for producing world-class food, were very excited to see more of Scotlands chefs exploring opportunities for Scottish Gin and food pairings, along with seeing more Scottish gin used in dishes. With the growing trend for agri-food tourism, Scotland is well placed with our landscape, amazing food and drinks producers, reputation for hospitality all adding up to a few reasons why people looking for food and drink experiences should put Scotland at the top of their list of places to visit.

As a business, a distillery, a farm, we also look at ways of collaborating and working with other like-minded businesses and people in the local area. Thats part of the reason why we chose a wonderful painting of the area by Strathaven based artist Anne Anderson to feature on the label, it captures the landscape and the farming way of life, a way of life were proud to be part of. Im very proud and excited weve been able to diversify and explore new ways of bringing our local area to consumers through our Scottish Gins and spirits.

Jenny McKerr, Founder and Distiller, The Wee Farm Distillery

Learn more about The Wee Farm Distilleryhere.

1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin (57% ABV), 1881 Distillery and Gin School

Based in the Peebles Hydro Hotel in Peebles, in the Scottish Borders, the 1881 range of Scottish Gin expressions was launched in 2019. Each of the four expressions takes its inspiration from the hotels history. It was originally built in 1881 and quickly became a local landmark sitting on Venlaw Hill overlooking the small market town of Peebles. The Peebles Hydropathic Establishment, as it was once known, was a must-visit for the Victorians offering therapeutic water treatments using water from the local freshwater spring. Seen as a potential cure for a number of ailments and afflictions, visitors flocked to the hotel from across the UK. Its the connection to the hotels hydropathic history that inspired the 1881 Gin.

In 1905, the hotel was left in cinders after a fire left nothing more than the foundations piles of smouldering stonework. But from the ashes, the new hotel was built and finished in1907 using some of the reclaimed materials from the fire. It was this incident that inspired the 1881 Rafters gin.

In the 1920s, the popularity of tennis continued to grow, and sensing the opportunity to provide guests with the chance to enjoy this new past time, the hotel created a number of tennis courts for guests to enjoy. In fact, at one point, the hotel had more tennis courts than Wimbledon, which saw the Lawn Tennis Scottish Championships being held annually at the hotel during the 1930s. Its this era that inspired the 1881 Pink Pavillion Gin. It was also here that many visitors could enjoy a Pimms or a G&T and watch the play unfold.

1939 was the start of World War 2, and like many large hotels and establishments at the time, the hotel was requisitioned by the MOD as a Military General Hospital. The hotel, with its 1,200 beds, helped injured personnel recover and it wasnt until August 1946 that the hotel was able to re-open its doors. Its this time in the history of the hotel that provided the inspiration for the 1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin.

Fast forward to the present day and the hotel now features both the distillery and a must-visit gin school where visitors can enjoy making their own gin on one of the twenty eight mini copper stills along with learning more about each gin and the history of the hotel, 1881 cocktails and more.

1881 Honours Navy Strength Gin is a celebration of our buildings history, memorialising the use of our grounds and hotel as a military hospital during WWII as a place of respite and healing a legacy we hope to preserve every day. Honours is produced on our 150L copper still Felicity using the spring water that gave Peebles Hydro its location and 12 botanicals which provide this smooth 57% gin with waves of citrus and cardamom aroma and flavour. We would recommend serving Honours with a few dashes of aromatic bitters and a slice of orange. Irresistible.

Dean McDonald, Head Distiller, 1881 Distillery and Gin School

Learn more about 1881 Distilleryhere.

Edinburgh Gin Cannonball Strength Gin (57.2% ABV), Edinburgh Gin Biscuit Factory Distillery

A brand thats been at the forefront of the Scottish Gin category since its original launch in 2010, before moving distillation to Scotlands capital city of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Gin has continued to grow as a brand and its range of expressions. With two distilleries across Edinburgh, the West End distillery is located at the end of the world-famous Princess Street. Blink and youll miss it though as the West End distillery is located in the basement of the Heads and Tails bar and is home to two gin stills, Flora and Caledonia.

The main distillery is located in the Biscuit Factory in Leith, and is home to 1000 litre custom copper still Gin Jeanie. Being based in Edinburgh has not only inspired the brand but also greatly influenced the Scottish Gin expressions produced at both distilleries. Seaside takes its influences from the nearby coast, whilst the 1670 Edinburgh Gin was created in collaboration with the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden.

With its long historical maritime and naval links, as well as the famous One Oclock Gun, a cannon thats fired every day at Edinburgh Castle at 1pm, Edinburgh Gin Cannonball Strength Gin incorporates all these elements into the gin. With double the juniper of the classic Edinburgh Gin, the gin strongly and confidently holds its own in any number of gin-based cocktails. Edinburgh Gin Cannonball Strength Gin was amongst the first of the high strength Navy Strength gins to appear in the Scottish Gin category and has continued to pick up a number of awards since its original launch in 2015.

Back in 2015, there were very few Navy Strength gins about. Cannonball was spawned from the fact that we really enjoyed drinking cask strength spirits, especially whisky. We wanted to make a Navy Strength gin that really stood out and didnt just dissipate on the palate. Essentially, we wanted to make a gin with real length and a proper finish. We realised just diluting Classic Edinburgh Gin less wasnt the solution to this, so we set out to create a brand-new recipe based around loads of Tuscan juniper, Szechuan pepper and citrus.

The Tuscan juniper is big, rich, resinous and spicy and really coats the mouth with oils, the Szechuan pepper contains not only aromatic warmth but also a molecule called Hydroxy-alpha sanshool which gives the mouth a warm tingling sensation. We balanced that all out with a good hit of lemon (which has since been replaced by yuzu). The result was Cannonball, which achieved everything we set out to do and went on to win gold at the IWSC the following year. And finally, its worth noting it makes a banging Negroni as the gin can stand up to the Campari and Vermouth. And its still the best Martini Ive ever had.

David Wilkinson, Head Distiller, Edinburgh Gin

Learn more about Edinburgh Ginhere.

Tarbert Legbiter Navy Strength Gin (57% ABV), Beinn an Tuirc Distillery

Known for its whisky thanks to a new wave of distilleries and lost distilleries that no longer exist or have shut over the years, Campbeltown and the local area is synonymous in the world of whisky. Just a short drive from Campbeltown is the Torrisdale Estate where youll discover not only a castle but Beinn an Tuirc Distillery.

Established in 2016 by brothers Niall and Kenny Macalister Hall and Nialls wife Emma, the distillery produces a variety of gin expressions along with other spirits, sustainability produced using the estates hydro-electric scheme with the signature Kintyre Gin launched in 2017. The distillery uses the water that flows from the Beinn an Tuirc hillside, which translates from Gaelic as The Hill of the Wild Boar, in reference to the once abundant wild boar that lived across Kintyre and other parts of Scotland.

Along with distillery tours, the Beinn an Tuirc Distillery also now features their recently opened gin school where visitors can create their own bespoke gin using one of a number of carefully created distillates that can be blended to create your perfect Scottish Gin from the hill of the wild boar. Steeped in history, its little wonder the Beinn an Tuirc team turned to local legends and folklore as the inspiration behind their aptly named Tarbert Legbiter Navy Strength Gin.

Named for the sword of Viking legend, Magnus Bare legs, Tarbert Legbiter is not for the faint of heart but dont let the 57% ABV put you off. This aromatic spirit is wonderfully smooth and flavoursome with delicate floral notes on the nose, warming into gentle spice and pine aromas.

Distilled with hibiscus flower and pink peppercorns, it is sweet and light on the palette with a floral midsection and a dry, lingering spice finish.

At Beinn an Tuirc Distillers were committed to sustainable production and use our own hydroelectricity to power the gin still. Tarbert Legbiter is one of several quality, award-winning gins in our range. We wanted to create a brand new spirit designed specifically for high strength rather than use an existing gin and simply make it stronger. Our talented distillers have created something truly memorable and worthy of the Legbiter moniker.

Tarbert Legbiter conquered the Scottish Gin Awards last year, picking up gold in the High Strength Gin category. Magnus Barelegs would be proud!

Emma Mcallister Hall, Co-Founder, Beinn an Tuirc Distillers

Learn more about Beinn an Tuirchere.

Biggar Strength Gin (57% ABV), Biggar Gin Distillery

Originally made with the support of the team at the award-winning Strathearn Distillery, the co-founders of Biggar Gin, brothers Stuart and Euan McVicar brought their distillation back to their home town of Biggar in 2020 after completing the final stages of building their own distillery. A testament to their tagline on their website Biggar Gin, Biggar mentality.

The brothers original Biggar Gin was released in 2018 and went onto to win The Gin Guide 2018 Award for best London Dry Gin, the industry awards from the team behind The Gin Guide. Produced in batches of 200, Biggar Gin was well-received as having a classic, botanical rich flavour profile that put juniper, citrus and spice centre stage. The packaging for the bottle was also a talking point with its clever wrap-around label that meant when two bottles were placed side by side the labels combined to create the word Biggar. Subtle and clever. Biggar mentality in action.

A slightly different recipe to the signature Biggar Gin, Biggar Strength Gin keeps some of the original key botanicals including juniper, hawthorn berries and pink peppercorns but with the higher ABV really amplifies the flavours, creating a robust Navy Strength Scottish Gin that can help complement and balance bolder flavours, especially in rich cocktails or quinine rich tonics.

Read the original:

In The Navy - The Gin Cooperative